Resting in a majestic mountain range, the city of Gap is where Provence meets the Southern Alps.
In the background there are peaks 3,000 metres high disappearing into the clouds, but on the streets of Gap with its pastel-painted houses and markets you’ll feel close to the Mediterranean. There are sights and museums to keep in mind in the city, but a lot of the magic lies in what you can do close by. The peaks, rivers, lakes and forests offer more active sports than you can pack on a trip. And there’s something to try at any time of year, whether self-guided or in the company of an expert. Discover the best to do in Gap.
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1. Domaine de Charance
To truly feel the mountain environment that surrounds the Gap, create this castle, located in 220 hectares of stunning highland scenery. There’s a lake, deep forest and humbling rock formations reaching almost 2,000 metres, all laced with walking trails.
The château itself is the information centre for the Ecrins National Park, north and east of Gap. And in the stables is the Alpine Botanical Conservatory, protecting and documenting the plants in the mountains and organising special guided walks to find rare flowers.
The terraced garden in front of the château is sublime, with views that will stop you in your tracks.
2. Musée Muséum Départemental des Hautes-Alpes
After visiting this museum no aspect of the art, history, archaeology or traditions of the Hautes-Alpes will be a mystery to you. The galleries here are comprehensive and very diverse, but the most gripping are surely the archaeology exhibits.
See the hoards of Bronze Age torques, rings, daggers and a fabulous belt. And move on to the stèle de Briançon, an inscribed tombstone from around the turn of the 2nd century made of white marble and with masterful carvings.
More recent but indispensable is the huge Mausolée de François de Bonne de Lesdiguières, sculpted from black and white marble in a very natural style by Jacob Richier in the 17th century and reaching a height of over four meters.
3. Walk around the Old Town
The feeling of meeting the Alps in Provence is not to be missed when you negotiate the Gap Gap grid of the old roads and alleys. There isn’t much historic architecture, even if the roads follow the same plan as in medieval times. But this is offset by a legion of tall, pastel-painted houses on every street.
And almost every corner or square seems to have a fountain, each with a different personality, and there are many important but fascinating things to see: Come to the Grand Hôtel cottonarar on the Maréchal Boulevard Foch, a relic of the 20s roars when Gap is stylish with the quintessence of Europe.
4. L’Auberge Marchand
As you skim through the shops on Rue de France, keep an eye out for a plaque above one of the doorways.
At 17-19 Rue de France is the former Auberge Marchand, and while handsome, this ochre-painted house doesn’t seem too important …until you learn the small role it played in one of the most pivotal chapters in French history.
Napoleon spent the night of March 5 1815 here on his way from exile on Elba to Paris, just before the Hundred Days. He chose this winding road through Gap because, unlike the towns in the Rhone Valley, this city was more loyal to him than the French royal family.
5. Gap Cathedral
The city’s medieval cathedral had started to collapse by the 19th century so a Neo-Gothic replacement was built in its place and finished in 1904. In fact there has been a religious edifice here since Roman times when a temple to Apollo stood on this spot.
Just a couple of years after work stopped on the latest building the cathedral was declared a French “monument historique”. The dominating bell tower rises to 70 metres, making it the tallest building in Gap.
And as you approach the exterior walls you’ll see that they’re polychrome, with rings of white, pink and grey limestone.
6. Village of Chaudun
To remember a hike, you can venture to the deserted village in the mountains north of Gap.
Chaudun had more than 100 residents in the 19th century, but isolation and harsh circumstances eventually forced its residents to sell land to the state in 1891. Ironically now, you can drive to Col de Gleizé about 15 minutes from Gap and then walk into the woods, meadows and beside the ravine.
There are signs at the entrance to the village that tell its story, a hiking lodge that is open to the public and traces of old buildings in a spectacular gorge.
7. Parc de la Pépinière
Wrapped around the Musée Départemental is a restorative with centuries-old trees shading its avenues. There’s an elegant wrought iron bandstand here that is a stage for many events in the spring and summer.
Jeudis du Kiosque is a weekly music event on Thursdays in July and August, when musicians of all descriptions take the stage. And in May, there was an international trade fair at this site.
The rest of the time there are cool paths under rich foliage, picnic tables and a playground for the youngest.
8. Weekly Markets
On Saturday mornings, the narrow streets and compact squares of the old Gap Gap core are taken over by dozens of stalls in true Provence fashion. The market fills the Place Jean Marcellin and extends along Car Carnot, de France and Elysée streets.
So if you focus on this day, set your alarm clock and scour the stalls for some fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, baked goods, charcuteries, cheese, meat, handmade specialties (honey and marshmallows) and freshly made snacks like tourtons. On Friday afternoons there’s also an organic farmers’ market in the Saint-Roch quarter.
9. Local Delicacies
At any time of the year, you will be fascinated by the scent of fried tourtons at Gap markets. These are a sort of doughnut, but instead of dough they’re a pastry filled with any number of different ingredients.
Sweet, they come with pureed apple or prunes inside, while the savoury variety has spinach, potato, cheese or meat. You can detect hints of Italian cuisine in dishes like raviole (ravioli) and oreilles d’âne, a lasagne-style gratin often made with crêpes instead of pasta.
For cheese there’s alpine tomme, which tends to be firm, with a nutty, mushroomy flavour.
10. Station Gap-Bayard
In the winter, Gap has healthy snow cover but you will have to travel a bit to the traditional alpine ski resort. But just ten minutes from the Centre-Ville is a snow-based activity centre with more than 50 kilometres of cross-country trails.
The Oxygenation Center will set you up for Nordic ski equipment and any lessons you need to get started. Then with the help of a map you’ll be gliding off on routes in this massive plateau guarded by the enormous Chaillol and Gleize peaks to inspire you.
If you can resist the call of these mountains, guided skiing will be provided on these unexplored slopes.
More ideals for you: Top 10 things to do in Foggia
from : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-gap-708540.html
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