Briancon is a town in the Hautes-Alpes department of France, 63 km away from Les Deux Alpes. At an altitude of 1350 m it is the highest city in Europe. This charming city is definitely worth a visit, not least for its delightful historic center. This area constitutes a fortress town that was built to defend the town from Austrian invasions in the 1600s. There were many other fortresses in the surrounding mountains guarding the town. Briancon is also in close proximity to the scenic Ecrins national park. Professional skier and World Cup winner Luc Alphand is among the famous sons of Briancon.