If you like mountains and incredible landscapes, Chamonix is a paradise in Haute-Savoie. I fell in love with Chamonix and the Mont Blanc area during my vacations in the Alps. Imagine yourself for a day or more, you find yourself at an altitude of more than 3800 meters at the level of the Aiguille du Midi facing the Mont Blanc, admiring the Mer de Glace and its glacier which snake between the mountains or doing one of the numerous hikes in the 4 corners of Chamonix.
Several options are available to you! You can climb the summit either on foot for the hikers or by cable car.
You can go up on foot, but you should know that it is a difficult hike. If you are not used to walking we do not recommend it. It is also possible to make one of the trips by cable car.
For example, you can walk from Chamonix to the Plan de l’Aiguille about 3 hours, and then go back down by cable car. You can also take the cable car up and walk to the Mer de Glace a little less than 3 hours from where you can either walk back down or take the Montenvers train to Chamonix.
There is also the possibility of climbing.
The easiest and fastest way to go up to the Aiguille du Midi is to take the cable car. There are actually two cable cars to take, one from Chamonix to the Plan de l’Aiguille (2317m) and then a second one from the Plan de l’Aiguille to the Aiguille du Midi (3777m). You can the walk up there admire the views.
The Mer de Glace is one of the most famous sights in Chamonix and near the Mont Blanc with its famous little red rack train from the Montenvers station. The ascent with the mythical little train to the Mer de Glace lasts about 20 minutes in the heart of the forest and allows you to have nice panoramas on the Chamonix valley and its surroundings.
Famous throughout the world thanks to the reflections of the Mont-Blanc massif in its clear water, Lake Blanc is accessible by various itineraries from the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley. The Lac Blanc is the guarantee of a hike with a breathtaking panorama on the glaciers and the most beautiful summits of the Mont Blanc massif. In the morning you can see ibex or marmots enjoying the calm of the dawn.
You are finally there! Sit down on a rock… and enjoy the natural environment that surrounds you.
For nature lovers and hikers, it is possible to start the Lac Blanc hike from the Index chairlift. The path leads to the Combe des Crochues. The crossing leads to a rocky spur that you have to go around, it is the boundary of the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve, where the Lac Blanc is located. The path then joins the one coming from Flégère and leads to the refuge and the lake.
It’s possible to start the hike from the Flégère cable car. . From the cable car station, just go down into the Combe de Chavannes. A track rises near the old stables and passes near the Lac de la Flégère, located at 2027m. Then you have to take the path under the Tête Aubuy and join the one coming from Argentière. The path then leads to the Lac Blanc de Chamonix.
On the way down, it is advisable to take the path that leads to the Lake of Cheserys.
The town of Chamonix is nice to walk around. There are plenty of restaurants, terraces, souvenir stores. The town is very flowery and above all, there is a magnificent view of the surrounding mountain peaks and the Arve River.
The restaurant where I ate very well is The Vista. It’s a restaurant with a panoramic view of Chamonix. The Vista welcomes customers in an exceptional setting for gourmet moments of conviviality and sharing with family or friends. Wherever you look from the restaurant, the Mont Blanc chain is everywhere, majestic and imposing. It is there, almost at hand and at the same time inaccessible. This is the magic of Vista, the restaurant of the Alpina hotel open to all.
The Hotel Mont-Blanc is the address not to be missed in the Chamonix valley. The rooms face a panorama of mountains. It was a magical experience for me when I stayed there.
This hotel welcomes you in an elegant and comfortable setting in the heart of Chamonix. . Located in a quiet street in the center of town, its complete renovation was entrusted to the famous interior designer Sybille de Margerie. In this mythical hotel, the architectural style typical of the Chamonix valley is mixed with a contemporary touch and a refined high mountain atmosphere.
Inside the hotel, you can rediscover the elegance of the palaces that were built in Chamonix at the beginning of the 19th century when the resort welcomed a wealthy international clientele who came here to discover the first winter sports vacations.
Every morning, the hotel offers the pleasure of waking up facing the most beautiful of peaks, Mont Blanc.
Don’t hesitate to contact our team for more information.
I hope this post made you travel and gave you the desire to dream of discovering Chamonix…
If you enjoyed this post Discovering Chamonix, the land of Mont Blanc, you can check out Portrait: Meet Claire, our passionate guide in Chamonix and surroundings.
