The Cross of Toulouse

de fr

For those who love aerial views, the Croix de Toulouse offers a spectacular view of Briançon.

Details

n°67981
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.79 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 615 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 609 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,968 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,372 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

View of the Briançon valley

Description of the walk

Important note regarding parking: Chemin des Salettes, which provides access to the above-mentioned car park, is a one-way street and reserved for residents. You must therefore park in the Champ de Mars car park (paying) and walk up Chemin des Salettes to reach the starting point.

(S/E) Go to the EDF station and turn right onto the wide track that leads to Fort des Salettes.

(1) After the Via Ferrata crossroads, leave the track on your left and take the markedGR® trail opposite (this is a variant ofthe GR®5). Reach the track just below and before the Fort.

(2) Turn left (sign) onto the path that climbs after a first hairpin bend.

(3) Leave the Rocher de l'Ombre trail on your right and continue on the GR®. The slope is steady without being too steep, and the numerous hairpin bends make it easier to climb.
After about 45 minutes, you will reach the Fontaine de Bon Repos.

(4) Continue to the last bend before embarking on a long uphill traverse that ends at the Croix de Toulouse.

(5) Take the same route back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,372 m - Chemin des Fontaines car park
  2. 1 : km 0.15 - alt. 1,391 m - Via Ferrata crossroads
  3. 2 : km 0.43 - alt. 1,455 m - Fort des Salettes crossroads
  4. 3 : km 0.58 - alt. 1,489 m - Carrefour Rocher de l'Ombre
  5. 4 : km 1.86 - alt. 1,775 m - Bon Repos Fountain
  6. 5 : km 2.87 - alt. 1,968 m - Cross of Toulouse
  7. S/E : km 5.79 - alt. 1,374 m - Chemin des Fontaines car park

Notes

Very cool water at the Fontaine de Bon Repos.
Shelter at the Croix de Toulouse, a former military barracks.
Orientation table at the summit showing the surrounding mountains.

Note: The route was recorded on a smartphone using the Visorando app. Purists will of course find some discrepancies with the map. However, these are minimal and are due to the accuracy, which can fluctuate, especially in areas where there is forest, as is the case here. The position of the smartphone, which in this case was in a pocket, must also be taken into account.

Worth a visit

Briançon and the five valleys that surround it (Durance, Clarée, Guisane, Torrent des Ayes, Cervereytte).

Briançon and the forts that defend(ed) it (Têtes, Randouillet, Anjou, Dauphin, Bretagne, Grand Maye, Infernet) and others further away (Lausette, Janus, Olive).
Briançon and the ski resorts that surround it (Montgenèvre, Serre Chevalier) and further afield (Puy Saint Vincent, Pelvoux, Vallouise).

Briançon and its old town with its flowing gargoyles.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 17 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 7496346

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike with a beautiful view of Briançon

Machine-translated

jmva
jmva

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The only thing worth mentioning is the actual starting point: it is located at the end of Chemin des Salettes. There is a car park for a few vehicles and the trail starts to the right of this spot.
Once you reach the orientation table, you will be treated to a breathtaking view of the town and the intersection of the three valleys. There is no point in going up to the antennas.

Machine-translated

padebil
padebil

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

the whole thing was good.

Machine-translated

xavlec
xavlec

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike that climbs steadily through pine trees, culminating in a breathtaking view of the strongholds of Briançon.

Machine-translated

ffrantz
ffrantz

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A short hike to warm up your legs and enjoy a superb view of Briançon.
Quite a few people in the afternoon with mountain bikes and people coming down from the via ferrata.
A satnav is useful to find the starting point, which isn't obvious (car park). You have to take a one-way street that is restricted to residents only.

Machine-translated

Britanicus100
Britanicus100

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 03, 2014
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is a must-do hike in the region, well known to the people of Briançon.
We climbed up via the Via Ferrata and then took the walking route marked on the map for the descent.
I made a video with the names of the peaks, showing our journey and the panorama of the surrounding peaks and the Durance valley.

Machine-translated

bernardino
bernardino ★

Hello and thank you for your comment. Indeed, the Croix de Toulouse is a very, very popular spot. It must also be said that it is a wonderful viewpoint over Briançon and its summit, being only 1.5 hours from the Champ de Mars, attracting hikers as well as tourists.

Machine-translated

Célc
Célc

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Very busy, which is a shame for the peace and quiet.

Machine-translated

Claire Yambe
Claire Yambe

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely hike with superb views of the town and surrounding mountains.
In February, we set off without snowshoes and despite a few slips (due to hard soles, but with hiking boots with softer soles there's no problem) we climbed in 1½ hours from the junction of the Chemin des Fontaines and the Chemin des Salettes.
We didn't find the Fontaine de Bon Repos, but it was beautiful!
Indeed, there were many fallen trees on the small path on the other side to complete the loop, so it's best to have crampons for the few icy passages and be agile There was quite a bit of mud, but we were happy to descend on the other side.

Machine-translated

phinadou
phinadou

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely half-day hike, with a fairly steep climb but beautiful views once you reach the summit
the return trip via the small path is not recommended as it is very steep and obstructed by numerous trees that fell this winter following a storm

Machine-translated

bernardino
bernardino ★

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

No particular comments on this route, which is particularly popular with locals and tourists alike. However, today we had the pleasure of meeting a family whose children were happily cycling alongside their parents. The youngest, who was under 5 years old, was delighted to be there, even though he was being carried. Perhaps these are future contributors...

Machine-translated

CHRIS3616
CHRIS3616

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Starting from the Grenoble road, I joined the small winding road that climbs towards the Chemin des Fontaines, which is 4 km long, to the Chemin des Salettes then began the rather tricky climb with lots of stones, arriving at a platform where the via ferrata is located, at the height of the Fort des Salettes. We turned left, as indicated, and climbed up to the Croix de Toulouse, quite a climb! this made it 14 km there and back, 3 hours 56 minutes in total, 733 metres of elevation gain. The climb took 2 hours 32 minutes and the descent was quicker, 1 hour 24 minutes for 6.7 km according to my watch. A superb hike, I recommend it if you are staying in Briançon.

Machine-translated

zeldaperret
zeldaperret

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 19, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

This hike is very easy to find as it follows the GR trail from the old town. The return journey can be done as a loop by continuing along the track and finding a small path that descends to the left (marked on the IGN map). The whole route is very beautiful.

Machine-translated

fdebouck
fdebouck

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Excellent mini hike starting from Briançon – the path is beautiful and the view magnificent: highly recommended!

Machine-translated

savoie74
savoie74

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike completed in good weather with clear views. The climb is steady but consistent. I set off from the centre of Briançon at 1,268 metres and two hours later, what a reward with breathtaking views!

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Vauban city - Pont d'Asfeld - Fort des Trois Têtes - Parc de la Schappe

Visorando member
Cité Vauban - Pont d'Asfeld - Fort des Trois Têtes - Parc de la Schappe
↔5.91 km ↗+311 m ↘-318 m ◔2h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Briançon (Hautes-Alpes)
An easy family hike. Caution in the mountains: children must be supervised at all times due to the presence of ravines. Round trip route in the Vauban city of Briançon. Numerous viewpoints and historical sites of great interest.

Walking Tour of Pont Baldy Lake

Visorando member
Tour du Lac de Pont Baldy
↔12.84 km ↗+528 m ↘-529 m ◔5h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Briançon (Hautes-Alpes)
An easy hike between Vauban fortifications and the turquoise waters of Lake Pont Baldy.

Walking Fort de l'Infernet

Visorando member
Le Fort de l'Infernet
↔13.48 km ↗+968 m ↘-963 m ◔6h 35 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Briançon (Hautes-Alpes)
Visit a sentry fort overlooking the five Briançon valleys.

Walking The Fort des Têtes

Visorando member
Le Fort des Têtes
↔5.08 km ↗+302 m ↘-302 m ◔2h 20 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Briançon (Hautes-Alpes)
In the footsteps of the military constructions of the Briançonnais region.

Walking The Guisane Canals

Visorando member
Les Canaux de la Guisane
↔9.90 km ↗+265 m ↘-265 m ◔3h 35 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Briançon (Hautes-Alpes)
A very pleasant walk along the banks of the Guisane canals.

Walking The Poët Morand chalets

Visorando member
Les chalets de Poët Morand
↔11.17 km ↗+490 m ↘-481 m ◔4h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Briançon (Hautes-Alpes)
This is a very interesting circular route for visiting the Poët Morand chalets, which offer remarkable views of two of the old Briançon forts: Infernet to the north and Grand Maye to the south.

Walking Notre-Dame des Neiges

Visorando member
Notre-Dame des Neiges
↔7.48 km ↗+739 m ↘-739 m ◔4h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Puy-Saint-Pierre (Hautes-Alpes)
Visit a chapel overlooking Briançon, offering remarkable views of the Durance valley.

Walking Cascade de la Pisse - Bois des Rousses - Bois de l'Ours in Saint-Chaffrey

Visorando member
Cascade de la Pisse - Bois des Rousses - Bois de l'Ours à Saint-Chaffrey
↔7.92 km ↗+548 m ↘-549 m ◔3h 50 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Chaffrey (Hautes-Alpes)
A very pleasant route through a pine forest. Panoramic views of the Serre Chevalier valley, the village of Saint-Chaffrey and the Écrins mountain range.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.