LE CHAMPSAUR / CORPS
On Monday 6 March, at La Fare-en-Champsaur, then Saint-Bonnet, the local people flocked to see the Emperor and his retinue. In Saint-Bonnet, where it was market day, the inhabitants suggested sounding the tocsin to call volunteers to accompany the Imperial cortege to Corps. Napoleon was touched by such fervour and distributed privileges. At Le Noyer-en-Champsaur, to thank the inhabitants for their welcome after his passage, Napoleon donated a large sum of money to the département to build six refuges, in particular, that of Le Noyer. Today, it is open only in July and August and its restaurant features mountain specialities and sells local products and souvenirs. At the end of the day of Monday 6 March 1815, Napoleon reached Corps where he spent the night.
Today, the villages in the Champsaur have preserved traces of the region’s economically and politically rich past. They include the ramparts and many small 16th- and 17th-century squares and streets. Surrounded by mountain peaks, the Champsaur is a haven for hiking and cycling, just as the Drac River is ideal for all white-water sports. Corps, capital of the Beaumont region, is also the starting point for the road to the sanctuary of Notre-Dame de La Salette, second most popular pilgrimage site in France, after Lourdes.
NAPOLEONIC LANDMARKS:
- A plaque on a house in Le Noyer indicates that Napoleon stopped there on 6 March 1815
Useful Addresses
- Bar Restaurant Refuge Napoléon Col du Noyer: +33 (0)4 92 50 04 37 ou +33 (0)4 92 58 82 73
- Bistrot de Pays Le Petit Renard – Laye: +33 (0)4 92 50 06 20
- La Laiterie du Col Bayard – Laye: +33 (0)4 92 50 50 06
- Hôtel Logis de France La Crémaillère–Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur
- Hôtel-Restaurant les Chenêts (Bib Gourmand) Saint-Julien-en-Champsaur
- Hôtel-Restaurant Château des Herbeys* – Chauffayer: +33 (0)4 92 55 26 83 • Hôtel-Restaurant de la Poste – Corps Route Napoléon: www.hotel-restaurant-delas.com
- Hôtel-Restaurant du Tilleul** – Corps – Route Napoléon: www.hotel-restaurant-du-tilleul.com
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