At the entrance to BriançonIn the "15/9" district, a familiar silhouette has stood for more than a century. Its stone walls have long resounded to the rhythmic footsteps of the alpine hunters, soldiers of the cold and the summits. Soon, this military setting steeped in history will be given a second life: on 5 December 2025, the former Colaud barracks will open its doors as the 4-star Garrigae hotel. Briançon fire station.
Carefully converted, the former barracks of the 159ᵉ Régiment d'Infanterie Alpine now combines heritage and comfort.
Its 83 rooms and suites invite you to relax, while the large bays formerly used by recruits now house a 100-cover bistronomic restaurant, where local produce and Alpine inspiration meet.
The spa, by Cinq Mondes, promises a haven of well-being: treatment rooms, sauna, steam room, sensory shower, swimming pool and Nordic baths under the stars.
Under the roofs, seminar and retreat areas will combine concentration and escape, in a place where history is present in every stone.
A landmark in the Briançonnais region
In the heart of the valley, just a stone's throw from the town of Vauban and the start of the Serre Chevalier ski lifts, the Caserne de Briançon is an ideal base from which to explore the Alps, summer and winter alike.
The Garrigae brand, already present in unique heritage sites across France, is now pursuing its philosophy of authenticity, art de vivre and respect for the past.
Built at the end of the XIXᵉ century, the Colaud barracks housed the men of the "snow regiment". It was here that military skiing was introduced to France: as early as 1901, Captain Clerc, inspired by techniques from Norway, trained the army's first skiers.
In 1904, a ski school and workshop were opened within these very walls, establishing Briançon as the cradle of French alpine skiing.
As much a place of remembrance as a new landmark in upmarket tourism, the Briançon Barracks is a reminder that the Hautes-Alpes has always been a region where hard work, history and the art of living are intertwined.
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