Veynes

Veynes is a city of 3,200 people (2018) in the western part of the Hautes-Alpes on the right bank of the Petit Buëch river. The small city lies on the road which connects the Drôme on the west side with Gap on the east side.

Veynes is very small. You can easily get around by foot.

• 🌍 Ecomusée du Cheminot Veynois, 3 Rue du Jeu de Paume, ☏ +33 4 92 58 98 32, ecomusee.cheminot@ccbd.fr. W-Sa 14:00-18:00. Museum exhibiting the living and working conditions of railway workers. It opened in 1999. (updated Nov 2021)
• City Hall (château de La Villette, 15th century), the city gate and tower.
• Place Adrien-Ruelle and its fountain: formerly Place Grenette (place aux grains), on the site of the former Ayguière or Eyguière (water gate); the fountain was installed there in 1687; which became “Place de l'Égalité” during the Revolution, in 1887 it received the name of the city's benefactor.
• The “chemin romain” path, which runs along the village to the northeast, section of the “Voie des Alpes” branch of the Voie Domitienne towards the Rhône valley via the Drôme valley. It served as a road to Gap until the opening by Trudaine of a road in the plain, in the middle of the 18th century.
• The station, the former centre of the Veynes railway “star” (lines to Marseille, Valence, Grenoble and Briançon).
• The "maison des communes": former mansion of the 18th-century former home of the family of Clos became school and converted into building for employees of the railway by Adrien Ruelle son. It now houses the community of communes Buëch Dévoluy.
• The washhouse (le lavour), at the eastern entrance to the village, and its fountain fed until 1914 by the waters of the Gerle.
• The PLM fresco, on a blind wall facing rue Jean-Jaurès, and a mural on the stairs of the passage du Barry.
• The Saint-Sauveur church was mentioned in 11th century. It is in Romanesque style. It was destroyed during the Wars of Religion, except for the bell tower, which was rebuilt in 1884. The whole was renovated in 1962. Until 1789, the cemetery adjoined the church before being moved to its current location. A Protestant cemetery adjoined the Catholic cemetery. On the bell tower door, graffiti (dated 1885) bear the names of anti-clerical activists (Roux, Aubert). The two bells, Sauveterre and Durbon, predate the Revolution.

The municipality of Veynes has placed explanatory panels near most of these monuments or buildings.

• 🌍 La Tête Ail'Heur, 31 Bd Gambetta, ☏ +33 4 92 58 18 40. (updated Nov 2021)

• 🌍 Domaine de Sivas, Oze (6 km SW on D48), ☏ +33 492 57 22 35. 3 vacation houses in the village of Oze. €440-750/week. (updated Nov 2021)

A public access point is available in the Centre Mul'ot. This centre is situated in the building of the Office de Tourisme. Buy a ticket there.

In the neighbourhood are several small towns. These towns often are good starting points for walking trips.

• Chabestan
• Chateauneuf d'Oze
• Glaise
• Le Saix
• Montmaur
• Oze
• Roche des Arnaud
• St. Auban d'Oze
• St. Marcellin