Treks on the Grande Traversée des Alpes

Get advice

Estelle Torterotot

Travel expert in France and Switzerland

Write

Cassandre Dufour

Travel expert in France, Switzerland and Italy.

Write

Cécile Henard

Travel expert in France and Switzerland

Write

The GTA: a complete walking traverse of the Alps, spectacular scenery and unique biodiversity

Starting at Lake Geneva, the GTA crosses the lush alpine pastures of Haute-Savoie (Chablais and Giffre), then brings the jagged peaks and glaciers of the Mont Blanc massif into view. Beyond Chamonix, it continues over the Col du Bonhomme towards Beaufortain, Tarentaise, Haute-Maurienne and Vanoise National Park. From there, the hike turns south towards the Hautes-Alpes through the unspoilt Mont Thabor massif, the Vallée Étroite and Névache, skirts the Écrins as far as Briançon, crosses Queyras Regional Natural Park and reaches the beautiful upper Ubaye valley. Before finishing on the Mediterranean beaches at Menton, you will discover the wild landscapes of Mercantour National Park and its Vallée des Merveilles (a favoured alternative route for finishing in Nice).

Spruce forests, golden larch woods, Mediterranean scrubland… Alpine pastures and the sound of livestock bells, short-cropped summer grazing grounds for sheep… High-altitude lakes, mountain streams, beaches… Glaciers, gorges and cliffs… From north to south, the scenery gradually changes dramatically; this great trek lets you appreciate all its beauty. The diversity of this trek also earns it a place in our top 10 most beautiful treks in the Alps.

The GTA: natural, cultural and historical heritage

Crossing national and regional natural parks, Natura 2000 sites and nature reserves, this route is a celebration of nature! Among the flora: blue gentians, edelweiss, rhododendrons, martagon lilies, orchids, etc… Among the wildlife: ibex, chamois, marmots, eagles, bearded vultures… and, of course, wolves too.

The French Alps have been inhabited for a very long time; each mountain range has its own architecture and farming and pastoral traditions.

Then there is the Vallée des Merveilles, listed as a Historic Monument: tens of thousands of rock engravings dating from the late Neolithic period, at an altitude of more than 2000m!

Finally, from more recent times, military fortifications are dotted along the GR; they bear witness to the history between France and Italy from the 16th to the 20th centuries. Among them is the Vauban fortress in Briançon, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

And if you are looking for inspiration, let our guide François’s account of the southern section of the Grande Traversée des Alpes, from Briançon to Menton, inspire you;