La Motte-En-Champsaur lies in the SĂ©veraissette Valley, which stretches from the Champsaur bocage to the high mountains, reaching Vieux Chaillol at 3,163 m. Wooded gorges, a dry, sunny south-facing slope, and crystalline and sedimentary rocks shape the landscape. Marked hiking trails lead through the wild valleys; hikes vary considerably in walking time, elevation gain, and difficulty.
Valley and high-mountain landscape
Almost one third of the municipality lies within the core zone of Écrins National Park. These areas are entirely on state-owned land. The valley is therefore not only a transition from the Champsaur bocage to the high mountains, but also part of a specially protected area. Landscape features include both wooded gorges and the sunny, dry south-facing slope; the rocks are of crystalline and sedimentary origin.
Hikes by duration and difficulty
Marked trails lead through the wild valleys of La Motte-En-Champsaur. One marked route is reserved for mountain biking and horseback riding. Molines-en-Champsaur is also a starting point for numerous hikes, including routes to destinations of varying kinds and with different levels of difficulty.
The Chemin du Roy follows a mountain stream through the valley to the ruins of the hamlet of Roy. The tourism profile, updated on April 13, 2021, describes it as a very easy circular hike suitable for families, starting from La Motte-En-Champsaur, and gives its length as 7.2 km, walking time as 2 hours 30 minutes, and elevation gain as 168 m.
For Peyron Roux, the tourism profile updated on September 10, 2024, rates a circular hike starting from La Motte-En-Champsaur as moderate: it is listed as 5.4 km long, with a walking time of 2 hours 30 minutes and an elevation gain of 380 m. A trail description also covers the family-friendly hike from the hamlet of Molines to the Peyron Roux forest hut; there are waterfalls around the hut.
The two hike profiles give the same walking time but different distances, elevation gains, and difficulty ratings: the longer Chemin du Roy is listed as very easy, while Peyron Roux is rated moderate despite being shorter. These figures make it easier to consider the time required and elevation gain separately.
The difficult circular hike to Col de Font Froide from La Motte-En-Champsaur is considerably more demanding: it is listed as 15.3 km, with a walking time of eight hours and an elevation gain of 1,313 m. A hike description updated on July 26, 2023, follows the trail from the hamlet of Molines past the impressive rock glacier of Font Froide into a high-mountain landscape. The La source des Fontettes trail also crosses a high-mountain landscape, following the Torrent des Pins mountain stream; the corresponding tourism profile was updated on December 24, 2022. If you plan your day around walking times and elevation gains, it is worth checking the details for each hike again before setting out.
Buildings and traces of earlier settlement
Château Barthélémy consists of two adjoining parts: a castle section dated 1590 and a farmhouse section from the early 19th century. The property is described as a notary's residence; it was probably converted into a farmhouse during the French Revolution. The time gap between the two parts offers a glimpse of different building phases without assigning them a single construction period.
In Molines, the communal bread oven recalls the tradition of baking bread together. The building served this communal purpose and probably dates from the 18th or early 19th century. It complements the building history of Château Barthélémy with a structure from everyday life in the village.
The abandoned hamlets of Sellon, Londonnière, Boyers, and Roy are also part of the history of the Séveraissette Valley: they bear witness to earlier settlement. The ruins of the hamlet of Roy are also the destination of the Chemin du Roy, linking a hike to a specific historical landmark in the valley.
Discover more destinations: Vallouise, Neffes, Serres, Risoul, Briancon, Saint-André-Dʼembrun, Montbrand, Aspres-Sur-Buëch
For the broader travel guide: Hautes-Alpes.
