St André d'Embrun

St André d'Embrun

Saint André dEmbrun spreads accross the left bank of the Durance. It is bordered on the eastern side by the beautiful forest of Saluces. Many hamlets are scatterred around the area, as Siguret near the lake of the same name. The steeple of the "chef-lieu" is classified and dates from XVIth century. It was the holiday location of ancient dignitaries of which certain dwellings are still visible. The inhabitants of St-André, are nicknamed the "bourguignons", because of their viticulture, ancient and abundant, produced on the slopes towering above the Durance.

The township is characterized by a surrounding towering over the valley and the summits of the Ecrin National Park. A week is not enough to visit all the hamlets of this township. Take your pilgrim walking stick and qo for discovery by taking one of the trails of which one does not know the destination. You will discover old traditional dwellings of the XVIth, XVIIth and XVIIIth century : buildings with turrets and pigeon lofts, fortified houses with farm body and small courtyards, and bourgeois dwellings...

Discover the small middle altitude lake of Siguret. A trail starting at the hamlet of Siguret allows access to the lake surrounded by prairies, firs and undergrowth. An invitation to relaxation in a delightful surrounding.

Town Hall: tel. 04 92 43 03 84

Tradition
Every year on the St André township, but in the crevole enclavement "les Celliers" (the cellars) the distillation of alcohol or "hooch" takes place.
As soon as the vintage is finished, after the fermentation of the crushed grape in a tank , the wine is drawn, the grape marc (also called rache) is removed from the tank and put aside to be distilled in november.
All the producers then gather around the alembic, they give the necessary wood for the boiling and recieve under the control of the appointed boiler, their legitimate share of alcohol.
Ref. Robert Blache