Savour the taste of the Southern French Alpes terroir

This first day promises a tasty starter to your culinary adventure. Michelin-starred chef Jany Gleize hosts wonderful cooking classes at his hotel-restaurant La Bonne Étape, immersing foodies in the generous soil of the Southern Alps. In a friendly atmosphere, Jany shares his techniques, special blends of Provençal flavours and passion for local produce: sun-kissed seasonal vegetables, aromatic herbs and lovingly-selected alpine meats. Simmer, sample and season as you learn how to create balanced dishes and enhance simple ingredients – without altering their essence. Before or after the class, enjoy a tour of Château-Arnoux or a stroll around Lac de l’Escale – both are well worth your time.

As you leave Château-Arnoux, the road climbs towards Serre-Ponçon lake and Domaine Allemand in Théus. This is one of the few wine estates dedicated to safeguarding Mollard, an ancient Hautes-Alpes grape variety cultivated here for generations. The estate’s vines are grown on the sunny slopes of the Durance river using environmentally-friendly methods, and harvested by hand. Nearby, in Rousset-Serre-Ponçon, you’ll find Apiland – a great opportunity to learn more about the work of beekeepers – and bees! You can even observe a colony hard at work… The educational tour offers a deep dive into bee life cycles, honey harvesting and the differences between lavender, acacia, and mountain flower honey, highlighted by a delicious tasting session. At the end of the day, you will head to Barcelonnette to spend the night in the heart of Ubaye valley.

Your third day begins at the Fromagerie de Barcelonnette, one of the Ubaye Dairy Cooperative’s direct sales outlets, where various local cheeses are made. Here, milk from twelve local alpine farms is transformed into typical Ubaye hard cheeses – Tomme, Carline, Lou Foundré and more -, matured using traditional methods. You’ll find a great choice of delicious cheeses here, from soft to very ripe, all packed with the distinctive personality of the mountain pastures. Just a few steps away, Les Délices de Montagne is a haven of charcuterie, artisan pasta, honeys and sweet delicacies, perfect for a picnic. Both addresses are worthy ambassadors of the Southern Alps’ local producers and vast palette of flavours. At the end of the day, the route heads along Serre-Ponçon lake to Savines-le-Lac or Embrun, where you will spend the evening at the water’s edge.

From Embrun, the road leads to the ancient stronghold of Mont-Dauphin, Vauban’s masterpiece, where impressive ramparts recall the site’s strategic military past. The tour continues to the heart of the Queyras Regional Nature Reserve, home to the Saint-Véran Distillery: an illustrious maker of artisan liqueurs made with genepi and other lovingly-gathered mountain plants. Less than 10 kilometres away you’ll come to the Queyras-Pays du Viso Artisan Cooperative in Château-Vieille-Ville: a temple of fine local fare including Bleu du Queyras cheese, mountain honeys and larch blossom jams. A real foodie’s haven with a taste for creativity, the cooperative also showcases a great choice of local crafts, reflecting this beautiful area’s commitment to upholding traditional know-how.

After Queyras, it’s time to journey onwards to the Écrins massif and lively weekly market in Vallouise held every Thursday morning, where you’ll be able to chat with a host of cheesemakers, market gardeners and artisans. Don’t miss a visit to the Distillerie des 4 Frères in Serre-Chevalier while you’re there. This family-run distillery crafts liqueurs and eaux-de-vie inspired by mountain heritage using alpine plants such as genepi, as well as local fruit and herbs. Their slow maceration and careful distillation techniques are precise, to honour the aromas of the natural ingredients. In Briançon, Mountain Spirit Fabrik is also a master of the art of artisan alcohols – their approach is slightly more contemporary, but still committed to honouring the ingredients and striking an aromatic balance.

After Briançon, the route winds its way through the virgin valley of Clarée to Névache, home to the Epicerie Nev’alpine – a grocery store showcasing a tempting panorama of valley know-how, including local alpine cheeses, artisan charcuterie, sweet treats and delicacies. Located less than three kilometres down the road, Ferme de la Clarée takes you right to the heart of the matter: this gorgeous farm produces cheeses, yogurts and other delicious specialities on site. Heading back down towards Gap, enjoy some more alpine flavours at the Laiterie du Col Bayard, where’ll you’ll find a myriad of dairy produce and artisan ice creams to relish. And if you want to make the most of your evening in Gap, the dairy is also home to a restaurant that promises to please discerning palates.

Your penultimate day takes you to Guillaumette Génépi in Saint-Jean-Saint-Nicolas, where the Southern Alps’ iconic genepi liqueur is crafted with local plants. Continuing on your way you’ll come to Orcières, home to Délices Orsatus – a shop selling mouthwatering artisan jams made with carefully selected fruit, perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack in the mountains… As you head back down towards Sisteron through Champsaur valley, be sure to stop off to sample the famous local tourtons: little pillow-shaped pastries often filled with potato, spinach, Reblochon cheese or even jam. You’ll find them near Chabottes, or at Les Tourtons de Pierrot, after a short detour through Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur. Finally, the road continues to Sisteron and its citadel marking the frontier between the Hautes-Alpes and Haute-Provence.

The final stage of your tour leads you to the village of Banon, heralded for its cheese of the same name. Crafted with raw goat’s milk, Banon AOP (Protected Designation of Origin) is a round, creamy cheese delicately wrapped in a chestnut leaf – an ancient tradition that maintains an ideal amount of moisture, allowing the cheese to ripen while keeping its aromas. Its supple, lightly-perfumed rind unveils subtle notes of walnuts and mountain herbs, in an homage to the soil of Haute-Provence. A must-have at every local eatery and market, you’ll also find Banon cheeses on offer at the Fromagerie de Banon, in the village centre. Last but not least, it’s time to head back to Aix-en-Provence to wind up your gourmet tour in style in a buzzing Provençal atmosphere.