Winter

It’s a whole region that is in tune with a little miracle that happens every winter. Oh sure, in the old days, snow powder wasn’t celebrated this way. ” Nine months of winter, three months of hell” was the local saying. With its grand hotels and first ski lifts, Queyras was ahead of it’s time for winter sports at the beginning of the 20th century – Aiguilles once had the longest ski lift in Europe – it’s only natural that it should have been in the forefront of winter sports.It was only at the turn of the 1980s that winter tourism really took off. This was also the time when many Queyrassins, gifted on skis, followed the trend. Even today, it’s quite possible that the ski specialist, groomer driver and instructor are farmers, carpenters, restaurateurs or shepherds back home in the summer. To make it short, this gentle, integrated approach to downhill skiing, village by village, with its rather small but varied areas, has preserved an authentically lively and wild side region that you’ll enjoy for sure!

Snow is always an enchantment for Guillestre and villages along the Durance. You have to see everything you can do here! A territory of crafts, heritage and good food is not to be underestimated when it comes to high-altitude pleasures. If you’re an ice climbing fan and very high mountains, there’s plenty to do in the Ecrins and the Queyras. If you’re a keen skier and a bit of a party animal, the vast alpine resorts of the sporty Vars and the family-friendly Risoul are just waiting for you. As for the Queyras areas, less crowded and less urban, they offer technical, steep slopes for afficionados combined with accessible runs for beginners. The proof is in the Queyras areas, which have one of the lowest accident rates in France. The Guillestrois is also the capital of omnivorous, opportunistic ski tourers. All around, alongside the Durance you will be able to feed your powder-hungry spatulas, on wild hikes with different slope exposures.