Serres Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Hautes-Alpes (05700) Population: 1106 Altitude: 680 m Michelin map: #245 "France Provence-Cote d'Azur" Nearby:      [ Aspres-sur-Buëch 11 km | Gap 41 | Laragne-Montéglin 17 | Orpierre 12 | Rosans 24 | Sisteron 37 | Veynes 16 | Trip Report ] Photos:             1  Serres village perched beside the Buëch river (36 k)             2  Cyclists at Serre's main-square fountain (38 k)             3  A unique seasonal sundial on the front of the school (34 k) Below: [ History | O.T. | Dining | Transportation | Hiking | Lodging ] Serres is a picturesque village set tightly on a rocky hillside at a narrow gap of the Buëch river, 28 km north of Sisteron. The old village has some narrow streets and vaulted passages, and some of the houses date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. The N72 highway between Sisteron and Grenoble passes through the village, crossing the bridge over the Buëch and going through the central traffic circle, so there's plenty of traffic in the summer time. It's also the junction of the D994 road east to Nyons and the Rhône valley north of Orange. With terrace cafés and shady parking areas at the center, there's a lot of activity in the village. There are the usual village shops, and a small supermarket across the river, but no special regional or touristique shopping. We found the village a good location for visiting the surrounding area, and stayed here for a few days, leaving early each morning for the day's excursion and returning tired each evening. History Prehistoric: Man has occupied the fortress hill of Serres as long as man has existed. Paleolithic grottos were located at Sigottier, and the tumulus of Guire provided Hallstatt (early Iron age) tombs and furniture. Gallo-Roman: Some of the area tumuli have revealed Gallo-Roman remains. Mons Seleucus (now La Batie-Montsaléon, 4 km northeast) was the site of a large battle in the 3rd century. Medieval: The citadelle on top of the hill above the village (now gone) was mentioned as early as the 10th century. It took a fair beating during the Wars of Religion, and was razed by Richelieu in 1633. Dates Market - Saturday Office de Tourisme Tel: 04 92 67 00 67; Fax: 04 92 67 16 16 Dining Fifi Moulin Hotel Restaurant The dining room is a glassed-in terrace with a fabulous view down the Buëch valley. Our 99F menu included:       - salade de chevre chaude       - grilled salmon (great) and for wine we had: Lirac - Domaine de Castel Oualou, 1996 Hotel Restaurant des Alpes Outside terrace with view of mountains just beside Food: ok; Service: good Hotel Restaurant du Nord Outside terrace under wide spreading plane tree. Food: ok; Service: indifferent Transportation Serres is on the Marseille--Gap--Briançon line, and has the following train service:     Marseille--Gap--Briançon     Briançon--Gap--Serres This train line is not electric, so you get a real diesel train sound. Hiking Maps: Didier Richard (1/50,000) #5 "Die, Nyons"; #28 "Montagne de Lure, Val de Durance" IGN (1/25,000) #3338 OT "Serres, Veynes" There are numerous loop hikes in the region of Serres. We did a half-day hike around the Forêt de Beynon, about 8 km southeast of Serres, and a half-day hike in the Durbon forest, 20 km north of Serres. Other hikes directly from the village of Serres include the Bois d'Arambre to east (1434 m altitude) and the Rocher de Jardanne to the west (1360 m). Hikes marked from the center of the village, on the left bank of the Buëch: Arambe, 2h; La Batie, 5h; Pas de la Louve, 2h; Le Bersac, 3 h (we didn't determine if those are one-way or round-trip times indicated). Lodging Listing available