The fortified town  of Mont-Dauphin, built by Vauban from 1693, is among 12 major Vauban sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Past its pink marble walls, you will see the barracks where the soldiers of King Louis XIV lived, the bartizans where they were on watch, the powder store and the arsenal where they kept their guns.

You are entering an unusual village where 170 residents live, much like anybody else, but in an extraordinary mountain scenery, with Mediterranean sunshine in summer and blinding snow in winter. The silence is overwhelming and all buildings ooze history. From the rampart overlooking the rivers, observe the strategic valleys junction, the Queyras mountains where 1 000 excursions, hikes and ski runs await, the glaciers and 4 000-meter-high peaks of the Ecrins range. Come in, let your imagination wander and you might see the King’s soldiers marching with their tricorns, long-barrelled  rifles and colourful tunics.