Bearing witness to an ancestral tradition dating back to the 18th century, both old and contemporary sundials are omnipresent in the Hautes-Alpes. These magnificent time-measuring instruments decorate the facades of numerous monuments, public buildings and village and town houses in the département. Featuring mottos and religious sayings, they are real works of art and resemble frescoes and sculptures.
With over 400 sundials, over half of which date from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, the Hautes-Alpes département boasts the highest number of painted sundials in France!
Fans of sundial heritage can travel the Sundial Trail (Route des Cadrans Solaires), a wonderful circuit passing through the Queyras, Briançonnais, Vallouise and Embrunais areas. Sundials not to be missed are located in the village of Saint-Véran, in Briançon old town and the villages of the Clarée valley, such as Névache and Val-des-Prés!
