The ten most beautiful viewpoints in the Alps accessible by ski lift (part 1)

On a holiday in the Alps, you'll often want to take home some beautiful images of mountain panoramas. And to do this, it's often necessary to take a photo from a belvedere or viewpoint accessible by ski lift.

There's no shortage of beautiful views in the Alps!

This makes it very difficult to list the ten most beautiful lookouts over the Alps. With no intention of minimizing the appeal of the sites I haven't named, here are my top five proposals for my Top 10.

The good news is that all visitors can access these panoramas, without fatigue, as they can be reached by comfortable lifts.

Le Brévent in the Chamonix Valley, panoramic view of Mont Blanc

Le Brévent, located almost vertically above Chamonix offers probably the best panoramic view of the summit of Mont Blanc and the glaciers that run down its flanks.

I could have named the Aiguille du Midi, which at more than 3800 metres above sea level and very close to the summit is already part of the High Mountain and glacier world. It's certainly one of the most beautiful panoramas in the Alps. But the uncertain weather, the very cold climate, even in summer, and the long queues (it's best to buy your ticket in advance) make it a very special destination, and I prefer the Brévent.

I could also have suggested La Flégère, which offers a more central view of the French side of the Mont Blanc Massif, but the start of the lift is at Les Praz, a little way from the center of Chamonix.

Le Brévent is the ideal location: facing Mont Blanc, with the lift departing from the village of Chamonix itself, at an altitude of just over 2,500 meters.

Once at the top of the arrival station, on a clear day (remember to go in the morning, in summer), all the Mont Blanc glaciers sparkle before you. The sharp, pointed Aiguilles de Chamonix form an almost impassable rampart as you look up from the valley to the snow-capped peaks. Mont Blanc's icy-white summit cap is clearly visible, and you'll find yourself looking for the silhouettes of the mountaineers you can often spot on the summit with binoculars or a good zoom lens.

On the way back, you can stop off at Plan Praz and take the long balcony trail down to lakes and fabulous scenery, where you'll spot marmots and ibex, all the way to Argentière. There's no better way to admire superb panoramic views of the Alps. You can then return by train.

Gornergrat, panorama of the Zermatt valley and surrounding mountains

From the top station of the Gornergratthe panorama of the Valais Alps is sublime. The Matterhorn on your right and Monte Rosa and its glaciers on your left. You're only a little over 3,300 metres up, but you feel as if you're gliding around dozens of peaks, some of them well over 4,000 metres high.

The whole trip is well worth the detour. Starting with Zermattthe village in the valley, renowned for its chalets, luxury and Alpine history. Then there's the train journey. You enter a station at an altitude of 1,600 m, climb up a mountainside, cross the entire forest floor before crossing the alpine meadows. And always, the Matterhorn visible from the train.

At the summit, a hotel, restaurant and souvenir store complete the area around the Gornergrat station.

The Matterhorn, famous for its silhouette used by a chocolate brand, stands out like a horn above the valley.

Facing it to the east, the two glaciers that occupy the entire space below the viewing platform, the Gornergletscher and Grenzgletscher, rise to the summit of the Monte Rosa massif and mix with a multitude of other ice blocks and spaces covered in eternal snow. The best time to enjoy the scenery is undoubtedly in the afternoon, when the snow-covered massif is well exposed to the westward sun.

We'll only mention these two major mountains in the description, but here at Gornergrat, you're suspended in the heart of an immense glacial cirque, motionless, timeless, eternal. An inspiring place, no doubt. One of the widest panoramas in the Alps.

The descent can also be made by train, or even better for the more sporty, by train. Beautiful scenery guaranteed, on well-exposed, well-lit slopes.

enfilade view of the Engadine lakes from Muottas Muragl

The Engadine lakes are almost supernaturally beautiful. A series of three lakes between Saint Moritz and the Maloja pass, perfectly aligned and taking up all the space on the flat floor of this high valley in Graubünden.

Lake St. Moritz, at the foot of the luxurious winter sports and holiday resort, Lake Silvaplana, where kitesurfing competitions are held in summer, and Lake Sils (Lej da Segl or Silsersee), whose shores are surrounded by forests. Further on, after the Maloja pass, the valley drops steeply towards Italy and Lake Como.

This little suspended world, home to charming villages such as Silvaplana and Sils-Maria, Nietzsche's resting place, is clearly visible from the top of the Muottas Muragl funicular.

The funicular's departure station is on the road between St. Moritz and Pontresina: the Bernina Pass road, mentioned in the previous paragraph.

The little train climbs up the wooded slopes and gives a glimpse of the typical landscape of the Upper Engadine on one side, the flat valley around Samedan and Celerina, a little further west, the lakes, and further south, the eternal snows of the mysterious Val Roseg, north of the Bernina massif.

This is when the fairytale landscape of the mountains and lakes of the Upper Engadine takes shape.

There's no better time to climb Muottas Muragl.

In winter, the frozen, snow-covered lakes appear as white specks amidst the dark forest. In summer, blue patches interrupt the green gradation typical of the Engadine.

In the morning, the lakes are lit up by the sun, the best time for sharp, descriptive photos. In the late afternoon, as the sun sets in line with the lakes, the glow of the sky is reflected in the lakes, making this the ideal time for more artistic shots.

From Muottas Muragl, which lies at an altitude of around 2,500 metres, you can descend on foot or continue upwards to the foot of Piz Vedret.

The mountain panoramas of the Engadine are fascinating! Let us surprise you!

Zugspitze: panoramic views of the German and Austrian Alps

Germany's highest peak is in the Bavarian Alpson the border between Germany and Austria.

At just under forty metres, it's not one of the 3000-metre peaks, but the Zugspitze is still a giant.

From the summit, you can overlook the Bavarian plains to the north, and the entire Tyrolean Alpine mountain range to the south, bordering Italy and Switzerland. Over 400 peaks are visible within a 250km radius. A vast, expansive, jagged, chiselled landscape. A work of art for mountain photographers. A 360-degree panorama of the Alps.

The view down to the Eibsee is impressive. From the summit, the lake appears as a blue patch surrounded by green forests. Unless it's all covered in snow, because the Zugspitze is also accessible in winter, as the summit plateau is a ski resort with several lifts and pistes.

There are several ways to reach the summit of the Zugspitze.

It can be reached by cable car from Eibsee, a short train ride from the Bavarian village of Garmisch Partenkirchen. The difference in altitude covered by the German ropeway in a single stretch is a world record: over 1900 metres.

The same cogwheel railway that links Garmisch Partenkirchen to the Eibsee climbs up to the plateau just below the summit. From there, a gondola takes you to the summit.

Alternatively, you can take the Austrian route from Obermoos, just a few kilometers from Ehrwald.

What to do from the summit in summer? Once you've taken in the breathtaking scenery of the Bavarian Alps and Tyrolean Alps, you can take the gondola down to the plateau and stroll around the glacier.

The descent to the valley is possible, but only for experienced hikers, as the slope is steep and exposed, and the scree crossings are often slippery.

In any case, climbing to the top of Germany, seeing the last German glaciers and breathtaking scenery of the surrounding regions is well worth the detour. A stay in Garmisch Partenkirrchen, or in Ehrwald or Lermoos in Austria, is another way to enjoy a region rich in lakes, forests and typical villages.

Marmolada, panoramic view of the Dolomites

Welcome to the queen of the Dolomites.

At 3342 metres, the Marmolada is the highest peak in the Dolomites. The arrival point of the cable car is at a slightly lower altitude, 3265 meters, but offers a majestic panorama of the Eastern Alps and the Dolomite massif.

At the summit, you can't fail to recognize the great peaks of the Dolomites. The view from the top of this rock colossus is unobstructed.

The Catinaccio, Sasso Lungo and Sasso Piatto, and the Sella, just opposite, border the Val di Fassa, which stretches out at the foot of the Marmolada. Over the Passo Fedaia pass, whose small lake can be seen, you can make out the mountains surrounding Cortina d'Ampezzo and the Cadore region. In the background, to the north, you can see the entire Alpine chain that forms the border between Italy and Austria.

The mountain slopes overlook a glacier. The last glacier in this region of the Dolomites. Twenty years ago, we used to ski here in summer. Unfortunately, the glacier is shrinking, with blocks of ice breaking off regularly and accelerating the loss of its surface area.

Also visible are the remnants of the combat and rest areas of the soldiers of the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies who fought heroically in the cold, wind, snow and frost to defend their high-altitude positions during the First World War.

In fact, at the second intermediate station, Serauta, you can visit Europe's highest museum devoted entirely to the First World War. Visitors can see reproductions of barracks and trenches, and hear stories of the fighting and extreme living conditions of soldiers on both sides.

A duty to remember in one of the most beautiful mountain spots in the Eastern Alps.

The Marmolada can be reached by a three-stage cableway from Malga Ciapela. A small village at the bottom of Val Pettorina.

Access to the valley from Belluno in the Veneto is complicated. You don't pass through here by chance. The nearest resorts and ski resorts are Agordo, Alleghe and Arabba, or via the Passo Falzarego from Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Most visitors come from the Val di Fassa and the Val Gardena by crossing the Passo Fedaia and descending to Malga Ciapela.

It doesn't sound easy, but taming a queen like the Marmolada, queen of the Dolomites, is well worth it...

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