Beneath Mont Blanc: The Alps at Full Height
Chamonix is a mountain town in the Haute-Savoie department of the French Alps, known as the birthplace of alpinism and the gateway to Mont Blanc, the highest summit in the Alps at about 4,800 metres. The valley is walled by granite needles and hanging glaciers, and the town sits in the middle of it, a handsome mix of Belle Epoque hotels, timber chalets and cafe terraces. It hosted the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924, and the sense of a place built around ambition, skill and fresh air has never really left.
The drama is easy to reach. The cable car to the Aiguille du Midi climbs to 3,842 metres and delivers a close view of the Mont Blanc massif, while the Montenvers rack railway rises to the edge of the Mer de Glace, France's longest glacier. Walkers, climbers, skiers and riders all share the same valley, and the town's compact centre and bright river, the Arve, keep everything within a short stroll. Across the tunnel, Courmayeur gives the same mountain a distinctly Italian character, with its own cuisine and pace.
Glacier Descents, Trails and Alpine Tables
Winter in Chamonix is about variety rather than a single linked circuit. The valley's ski areas, including Brévent-Flégère, Les Grands Montets above Argentière, Le Tour and Les Houches, each have their own mood, and the Vallée Blanche, a long off-piste glacier descent from the Aiguille du Midi, is a celebrated classic taken with a guide. For a different pace, Zermatt across the Swiss side offers car-free village charm beneath the Matterhorn, and Verbier a lively big-mountain alternative.
Summer shifts the focus to trails and tables. The Tour du Mont Blanc circles the massif through France, Italy and Switzerland, and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, held every late August, fills the town with runners and supporters. Savoyard cooking is part of the pleasure: reblochon, tartiflette, fondue and mountain honey appear in refuges and in the restaurants of the old centre. A tourist board or valley partnership can build a year-round story here, from glacier mornings to festival evenings.
Read the full Chamonix guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitChamonix.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.