Gap
Tourism

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pleasant climate has led to its becoming a popular health resort and it has a good reputation as a base for winter sports.

The place was already populated when the Romans penetrated into this region. Almost every trace of the Roman settlement of Vapincum disappeared during the succeeding centuries, especially as the place lay on the crossing of important north-south and east-west routes and was always much sought after and consequently fought over. In the 558 the Lombards sacked the town; in 1650 plague removed two-thirds of the population, and in 1692 Savoy troops burned down almost all the houses. In March 1815 Napoleon arrived on his way back from Elba and passed through Gap on his march to Paris.