Discover all the wonders of the Mont Blanc region

Le Mont Blanc attracts. It has fascinated visitors for three centuries now. Whether they are athletes, mountaineers, hikers, contemplative or simply curious, they all have a real motivation to be amazed by this massif.

La Chamonix valley is the ideal place to explore the world of glaciers and high altitude thanks to its network of ski lifts which will take you to the most beautiful viewpoints.

But the country of Mont Blanc extends beyond this valley, and sometimes allows an even more striking view of the massif.

You can discover Saint Gervais, the other capital of Mont Blanc and gateway to the Val Montjoie in the immediate vicinity of Mont Blanc. But also by taking a step back you can discover the balconies on Mont Blanc, like those of Cordon et Combloux south of the Arve and the Assy plateau to the north.

Finally, it will be the opportunity to stroll in the upper Val d'Arly between Megève, Praz sur Arly and Notre Dame de Bellecombe, up to the plateau of Les Saisies, at the gates of Beaufortain.

We will not forget to discover the Italian side of Mont Blanc, in the Aosta Valley, through a getaway to Courmayeur.

From Sallanches to the gates of Beaufortain: Cordon, Combloux, Megève…

When arriving by motorway or train from Lyon, Marseille or Paris, it is by arriving in the basin of Sallanches that the first meeting with the Mont Blanc. From this small, pretty town, built according to typical Piedmontese plans with a large central square and a maze of streets intersecting at right angles, Mont Blanc appears in all its splendor. Both in winter, when adorned in white from the feet to the summit it lights up the horizon more than it blocks it, and in summer when the eternal snows and glaciers shine above the pastures.

Obviously, it is by gaining a little height that we broaden the panorama, and this is what you can do by climbing the few bends which will take you to an altitude close to 1000m in the villages of Cordon or Combloux. These two villages, located on the hillsides of Sallanches, allow you to admire Mont Blanc and the succession of needles that make up the massif up to the Aiguille Verte, which you can see glowing red at sunset. This is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the French Alps.

Continuing along the valley that opens up after Combloux, you can extend the walk to Megève et Praz-sur-Arly, to enjoy a version of the mountain that is both less wild and more refined, and then go back up the slopes of the Val d'Arly to discover a string of small villages that have become pretty little winter sports resorts making up the Espace Diamant like Our Lady of Bellecombe et Crest Voland, up to the heavily wooded plateaus of Les Saisies, popular in winter with cross-country skiers, and whose slopes which descend towards Beaufortain in Savoie, towards the South, serve as a launch pad for paragliders in summer. Les Saisies at an altitude of 1600m, they benefit from a climate that is both sunny and snowy, and you can ski there while admiring Mont Blanc which peaks just above the peaks surrounding the resort.

Saint Gervais and the Val Montjoie

The Val Montjoie is a side valley that is attached to the Mont Blanc massif. It is at fayet Let the discovery of this valley with three faces begin: the thermal spa of Saint Gervais-les-Bains, which has also become a ski resort and a classic starting point for conquering the summit of Mont Blanc, The Les Contamines, a small family ski resort at the bottom of the valley, once wild and landlocked and today the starting point for beautiful outings on the slopes facing the southern side of Mont Blanc, and Saint Nicholas of Vérocand its string of baroque chapels.

But the start of the walk from Le Fayet is essential, because this is where you will find the departure station of the cogwheel train which goes up to Eagle's Nest. This upper station of the line, its terminus, allows you to reach the feet of the giant and is used by many mountaineers, who, ropes and ice axes in hand, will give you the impression of living an extreme adventure. For them, the terminus station at 2372m altitude, is the starting point of the climb to the Goûter refuge which you can admire from below, perched on an interminable cliff, and which will allow them to spend the night before attacking the climb to the summit of Mont Blanc. For you it will be the opportunity to walk in a high mountain landscape, as close as possible to the glaciers, including that of Bionnassay, which dominate the valley of this side of Mont Blanc. To be recommended. On the way back you can also stop at the Col de Voza station, enjoy the walk to reach a beautiful viewpoint on the Chamonix valley and why not, go back down on foot to Saint Gervais-les-Bains.

Saint Gervais-les-Bains, is a pretty spa resort, which allows you to escape the summer heat at the bottom of the Arve valley. It is also the gateway to the Val Montjoie, which ends in a dead end shortly after the village of Contamines-Montjoie. Nestled at the bottom of a very wooded and steep-sided valley, the winters are long and snowy, and today, this remote village has become an internationally renowned winter sports resort. You can walk in the bottom of the valley to Notre Dame de la Gorge, a pretty chapel in a very natural site, or go back up to the mountain pastures to enjoy the beautiful landscapes between Mont Blanc and Beaufortain. You can even go to Italy by the paths that smugglers used to take.

Saint Nicolas de Véroce and the small hamlets that dominate the Val Montjoie are known for the baroque road that connects them. Very beautiful baroque chapels whose interiors will delight you during a walk in front of the glaciers.

The Plateau d'Assy

Le Assy plateau dominates the Arve valley above Passy.

Thanks to its sunny climate, by its exposure to the south, and dry, thanks to its altitude at nearly 1000m, well above the plain often drowned in winter mists, this site was popular in the 30s for the convalescence of tuberculosis patients. There were many sanatoriums, whose buildings can still be seen stuck to the mountain and facing a superb landscape well opposite Mont Blanc.

But the main curiosity of the plateau is the church of Our Lady of All Grace.

An architectural competition in the 30s created from scratch a work of art of the modern era of great beauty, which has the particularity of having brought together all the greatest artists of the time. If the building is the work of Novarina, a famous architect, the interior decorations are the work of renowned artists such as Chagall, Matisse, Léger, Braque…

This church alone is a manifesto of modern art, like a response to the baroque artistic emotions of the chapels of Saint Nicolas de Véroce, on the other side of the valley!

Courmayeur, Italy

When you visit a border region, you always want to cross that imaginary line to find yourself immersed in another culture.

Historically, the only natural outlet from the upper Arve valley was the crossing of the Col des Montets, the crossing of the very wild valley of Vallorcine, and the steep descent towards the town of Martigny en Switzerland. This is also the route you can take by train if you want to explore Valais.

But since 1965 and the inauguration of the Mont Blanc tunnel, you have easy access to Italy.

The tunnel connects the Chamonix valley to the Aosta Valley, and further towards the Piedmontese and Lombard plains, and the first town you will discover is the village of Courmayeur, one of the capitals of mountaineering in Italy. And yes, because here, it is still the Mont Blanc massif.

The difference with the French side is striking. Here, the Mont Blanc massif appears as an insurmountable barrier. The summit of Mont Blanc sits in a world of stone, rock and hanging glaciers. The cliffs that rise towards the summits are dizzyingly vertical.

Fortunately, Courmayeur is not at the foot of the chain, unlike Chamonix on the other side, and this step back helps reduce the impression of being at the end of the world. It is a pretty little town, which has kept a very traditional architecture with stone slab roofs. As is often the case in Italy, the ski resort is not located in the immediate vicinity of the village centre, which leaves room for a real small town life with shops lining the central pedestrian path, and finally, Mont Blanc is certainly present, but people also come here to taste the local cuisine, have a good time and enjoy a climate that is often sunnier than the French side which retains the clouds coming from the west.

In the immediate vicinity, a special mention should be made of Val Ferret. In autumn, this valley is adorned with the reddish colours of the larches and contrasts with the snow of the massif which overhangs it and bars it on its entire northern flank. But you can go back up on foot to the Ferret pass, which opens the door to another Val Ferret, the Swiss one. This route is part of the Grand Tour du Mont Blanc, a network of hiking trails which go around the massif.

Finally, for thrill seekers, you can also take a crossing Chamonix-Courmayeur from above, using the cable car and gondolas system that will take you to the Aiguille du Midi and the Helbronner peak, passing over the Vallée Blanche. A slightly expensive excursion, but unique in the world if you want to fly over glaciers! In fact, its name is the " Skyway ».

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