Mont-Dauphin
Place forte de Mont-Dauphin
Hilltop fortified town built from scratch by Vauban, with pink-marble barracks and ramparts overlooking the valley confluence, also a World Heritage site.
Mont-Dauphin is a fortified town that Vauban began building in 1692 on a rocky ledge where the Durance and Guil rivers meet. Its well-preserved ramparts, powder magazine and barracks built of pink marble form part of the Vauban Fortifications World Heritage listing, shared with Briançon. The town has a small chapel, craft workshops and cafés, and a walk along the ramparts offers views over the valley and the Écrins peaks. It is managed by the French national monuments authority, and the barrack interiors can only be visited on a guided tour. It is about 35 km south of Briançon.
Opening hours
Open all day; tours approx. 10:00–18:00 (summer)
Nearby sights
- Risoul 1850
- Fort Queyras
- Col d'Izoard & Casse Déserte
- Fort des Têtes & Fort du Randouillet
- Pont d'Asfeld
- Cité Vauban (Briançon Old Town)
- Collégiale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Nicolas
- Saint-Véran