Mountains, Alpine Valleys, Passes, and Long-Distance Routes
From high mountain passes and glacial valleys to alpine meadows, forests, and historic mountain villages, the French Alps contain a diverse network of routes, landscapes, and places shaped by geology, elevation, and centuries of movement through the mountains. Trails such as the GR5 (Nice to Briançon) and GR5 (Briançon to Lake Geneva) reveal many of these environments, linking alpine valleys, mountain passes, forests, and historic settlements through some of France's most spectacular mountain landscapes, while Mercantour National Park and Queyras Regional Natural Park showcase some of the region's most distinctive natural environments.
Long-distance routes pass through mountain terrain, forests, river valleys, alpine meadows, and historic settlements, linking places that have shaped the character of the French Alps for generations. Together, these routes and landscapes reveal the diversity of the region while providing opportunities to explore at a slower pace through self-guided travel and independent exploration.