L’Embrunais and Serre-Ponçon

1. L’Embrunais andSerre-Ponçon Embrun, capitale de l'Embrunais

2. EMBRUN • Capital of the Alps before our time, and since become an episcopal town, Embrun is nick-named "Nice of the Alps" for the quality of life offered from the heights of the Rock. Embrun is today a town of 6724 permanent inhabitants.  

3. Le charme d’un vieux village •    A walk through the old town is a passage through time as one is surrounded at each step by multi-secular buildings, porches fountains and sculptures, not forgetting the two centre-pieces of the town; the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Réal, dating from the 12th and 13th centuries and The Brown Tower, dating from the 13th century. A pause in Garden of the Arch Bishop is necessary in order to take in the breath-taking panoramic views over the Valley of the Durance and the gardens in the plains under the Rock. Overlooking the town is Mont Guillaume, proudly surveying the locals and awaiting the annual pilgrimage to the chapel at the summit in the month of July.

4. THE LOCAL LANDMARKS

5. CATHEDRAL . Notre-Dame du Réal CathedralDating from the XIIth et XIIIth centuries, the Cathedral is one of the most religiously significant monuments in the French Alps

6. La Tour Brune XIIIth century. A one time dunjeon for the Archbishops the Tower became the Countryside tower in 1995

7. The Covent of the Cordeliers • Home of the Tourist office, and within which the chapel walls are adorned with15th and 16th Century fresques.

8. Les Orres, station de vacances •     Situated between 1280m And 2720m, Les Orres is principally a holiday station, open through the summer and winter seasons alike •     The origin of the word ‘Orres’ comes from the Latin ‘horreum’, meaning a grain store with a particularly high placement. • The habitats around les Orres are particular in their form, and are gifted with South facing balconies and many angled roof-tops.

9. Crots and l'Abbaye de Boscodon •      Once surrounded by ramparts, Crots (las crottas = the caves) is the principal hamlet of a vast community stretching from the borders of lake Serre-Ponçon (780 m) to the summit of Morgon (2326 m).

10. Le lac de Serre-Ponçon •     The lake in Serre-Ponçon stretches over 19 km in the valley of the Durance and 9 km in the valley of the Ubaye. The Dam is built from materials extracted directly from the bed of the river Durance and is unique in its genre.    The dam was built in 1955 in order to tame the wild ravings of the ‘impetuous’ river Durance. The Dam is thus a source of electricity and irrigation for the agricultural lands of Provence.. Work on the dam was finished in 1961 and involved the destruction of Two villages, Savines and Ubaye. Savines was rebuilt on higher ground and was re-named Savines le lac.

11. Lycée professionnelAlpes et Durance • PLURIACTIVITE : BOIS OU ELECTRO / MONITORAT SKITO BE PLURIACTIF :TO STUDY FOR DIPLOMAS, IN WOOD OR ELECTRICITY AND IN SKI INSTRUCTION

12. B.E.P. METIERS DE L'ELECTROTECHNIQUE The professional teaching is based both on theory ( technology, schema , measures et trials) and on practical application (câabling, indutrial software, electronics and power).

13. B.E.P. BOIS ET MATERIAUX ASSOCIES • The holder of a B.E.P. BOIS ET MATERIAUX ASSOCIES has acquired the know how of professionals in one of two domaines. • 1 - STRUCTURE OSSATURE CHARPENTEHe studies and creates :Traditional and modern carpentry, creation, renovation, resurfacingfollowing a step by step learning process • 2 - MENUISERIE AGENCEMENT :He studies and creates :the masonary and finishing touches to building,following a step by step learning process

14. Merçi et à bientôt à EMBRUN... 2005