The Clarée Valley

Filming of the successful TV show Alex Hugo began in the Clarée Valley. The lush green, flower-filled landscapes of the Haute Vallée served as the backdrop and soon grew used to the all-terrain film trucks and cameramen. And if you’ve noticed certain similarities between the village of Lusagne and Névache, you’re right. Many scenes in the TV show were filmed in the village. We’ve been told that the owners of the « Chalet d’en Hô » know the routes the actors took during filming by heart. If you want to relive some mythical scenes from Alex Hugo, head for the highest village in the Clarée, Névache, and you’ll be amazed by these wild and natural landscapes.

Les Fonts de Cervières Valley and the Col de l’Izoard

You probably got a glimpse of the landscapes of Les Fonts de Cervières during Alex Hugo’s escapades. You need a police station for a police investigation and the former schoolhouse in the village of Cervières was made into a Rural Police station for the TV show from 2005 to 2019. After all these years, Alex Hugo became part of the history of the little village in the valley. The typical landscapes of Les Fonts de Cervières were always featured and appeared in several episodes. Viewers were able to discover or rediscover the landscapes around Cervières and also the chapels and shepherds’ huts in the high pastures. Follow Alex Hugo and stop off at the Chapelle de Bourget, surrounded by flowers in springtime and covered in snow when winter arrives and don’t forget to take a break at the mythical Col de l’Izoard, a real must in the Queyras. L’Izoard just had to have a role in the series which was inspired by the most beautiful views in the Hautes Vallées. This gem of the Hautes-Alpes, which is easily recognizable with its winding roads, must have captured your attention.

The forts of Briançon and the surrounding area

In the Grand Briançonnais, there were more and more shootings each year because the viewers got used to these mountains, their chalets, and the forts which played key roles in Alex Hugo episodes. The French Southern Alps are lucky enough to be included in the prestigious list of World Heritage Sites. Standing atop its rocky spur, Briançon is protected by Vauban’s ramparts. Maybe you’ve already come across the path to the Fort des Salettes, or the Asfel bridge, an esthetic feat that links the high town and the forts on the left bank of the River Durance and which dangerously dominates the town? The Vallées du Briançonnais and their heritage are a magnificent stage for its police intrigues and have marked Alex Hugo’s plots from year to year.

The Glaciers de la Meije

Reach out and touch the eternal ice of the high mountains near la Grave la Meije. That’s what Samuel Le Bihan did during the shooting of  Alex Hugo with his partner and friend Lionel Astier. In this very exciting episode, Angelo believes that he has lost Alex near the Glacier de la Girose. The two actors both have a vivid memory of a great time in the mountains with their majestic views. The Glaciers de la Meije can be reached by a cable car which will take you up to the peaks: 2 sections of 1450m to 3200m, and 30 minutes later, you’re at the top! The Glacier de la Girose and the Glacier du Mont de Lans form the biggest ice cap in France, just imagine what a challenge it was for the Alex Hugo shooting teams to bring you more and more spectacular landscapes.

A word from Delphine Wautier, the show’s director.

Alex Hugo is a big family, regular episodes of a TV show that takes place in many seasons, iconic characters and also the mountains as the main theme and that’s what makes this a different kind of shooting. Delphine gave us a few filming secrets during an interview.

« As we were looking for the authentic, we were always on the lookout for wild, isolated places with a story to tell. The French Southern Alps are actually one of the main characters in the series. You might come across the filming teams in snowshoes in winter or on donkeys in summer trying to reach the highest spots. In the mountains, there’s also this incredible light: the weather changes all the time and the light with it. When we filmed in September and October, the lush vegetation took on a myriad of ochre colours, almost like something you’d see in Canada. Nature is imposing and you feel very small during summer storms, in the wind or when the snow falls for the first time in winter. I was bowled over by the sheer strength and variety of the landscapes. At the Col de l’Izoard, the surrounding minerality is almost lunar whereas on the Clarée side, the fields filled with narcissi and pansies are like something in a painting.  And I’m always struck by the charm of the little protected hamlets, isolated in the depth of the valleys, which are an ideal playground to film in. »