Chamonix Valley: the five must-see sites

Chamonix is world renowned as the capital of mountaineering. And it is located in the French alps.

Certainly, there is the Montblanc, of course, there are all the needles, the glaciers, the high mountains and their dangers for the uninitiated, but above all there are the landscapes, which remain accessible to all.

But when we get to Chamonix, and that we know nothing more than being at the foot of the Montblanc, and that we have read nothing more than the Frison-Roche novels, what are the must-see outings?

And also what are the most beautiful walks and hikes to come back with beautiful landscapes in your eyes?

In this article we will limit ourselves geographically to the Arve valley, from the Col de Balme, above the village of Le Tour, to Les Houches, the gateway to the valley when coming by motorway or train from France.

Practical! The Valley between Les Houches and Montroc is served by a small train (and many buses) which make it very easy to get around to start a hike in one village and return via another village!

the Brevent

AlpAddict in the land of Mont Blanc — Mont Blanc from Brévent – Photo: ©stock.adobe.com

The first step when you are in the presence of such a massif is to observe it in all its splendor by looking for a viewpoint that allows you to embrace it in its entirety. This viewpoint exists, and the good news is that it is accessible by cable car: it is the Brevent, opposite the massif. There are also two sections of cable car. The first leaves from Chamonix and arrives at Planpraz at 2000 m. Already at this station you will have a magnificent view of the massif and the main peaks of the Montblanc himself. With binoculars you can even see climbers on the summit ridge.

But you can also go higher, with the second section of the cable car from Brevent which will take you to the platform located at an altitude of 2525m. Needless to say, the landscape is just wonderful. You never get tired of looking at the giant of the mountains in front of you. You can spend a long part of the day there and observe the changing colors of the massif depending on the course of the sun.

From Planpraz, you can go back down to Chamonix on foot, or continue for a long balcony hike above the valley towards the White Lake and further down to Argentiere.

L'Aiguille du Midi

From the top of its 3842m, this summit, which is reached by a dizzying ascent by cable car, is certainly one of the most spectacular of the Alpes. THE Montblanc is not very far as the crow flies and although the Aiguille du Midi is still a thousand meters lower, you would almost think you were at its summit.

Below, the world of ice. Glaciers flowing down towards the valley of Chamonix or glacial expanses that are used by mountaineers to reach the peaks at over 4000 meters above sea level that surround the giant of Europe. To be done in good weather! And you should come when the weather is good only! The landscape is breathtaking. You are an eagle overlooking all the valleys, a jackdaw looking at the horizon... in short, you glide, you fly.

This feeling is even more real and exciting if you try the “step into the void”: you take a few steps in a thick glass space overlooking the valley… beneath your feet, the void for almost 2000 meters!

It's a bit expensive to go up to the Aiguille du Midi, but honestly, in good weather, don't hesitate. There is nothing like it in Europe. On the other hand, if the sky is overcast, or if you see from below that clouds are clinging to the peaks, don't go up, it would just be frustrating not to be able to appreciate the landscape. In summer, to avoid the budding of heat clouds, leave early in the morning. You will also avoid the tourist buses that arrive from other resorts for the day.

De the Midi Needle, you can fly over the Vallée Blanche to Pointe Helbronner, in Italy and continue towards Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley, or go back down to Chamonix.

One last detail when you go up. The observation platform of the Aiguille du Midi is 2800 meters higher than the center of Chamonix. In summer, think carefully about the temperature difference: up there, it is between 15 and 20 degrees less than down there… So if it is 25 degrees at Chamonix and you are walking around in summer clothes, think about a fleece, a k-way, sunglasses for the climb, because it will be cold, even very cold, around 5 degrees at best...

The Sea of Ice

La sea of ice is a long, very long glacier. One of the most accessible in the valley. But unfortunately, it is a glacier that melts quite quickly, and which is now overlooked by enormous cliffs from which dust and earth fall. The surface of the glacier is therefore quite grey in summer.

However, you can still discover the Ice Cave, always magical for children (and also the big kids that we are) if you agree to go down and then go back up an incalculable number of stairs. And, yes! When the Hotel du Montenvers was built, the glacier was very close, but since it has lost several dozen meters of thickness the walk becomes much less bucolic.

Le train ride rack and pinion since Chamonix up to Montenvers in the middle of the forest is charming and the many viewpoints towards the north face of the Grandes Jorasses – a dizzying wall of this mountain which has seen epic battles to conquer its summit – are worth the walk alone. You can possibly go back down on foot towards Chamonix to enjoy the forest and the views of the village.

The villages of the Chamonix Valley

Chamonix

Of course we won't forget to walk through the streets of Chamonix and to raise your head to see the highest peaks. You can take a photo in the position of the statue erected in honor of Balmat and Saussure, with the hand of the crystal maker and chamois hunter Jacques Balmat pointing towards the summit of the Montblanc. He was the first to climb Mont Blanc with Doctor Paccard in 1786! Why de Saussure? Because he financed the operation, before climbing it himself a year later. We will go to the Alpine Museum and the Espace Teirraz to understand this world of the mountains and the importance of the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix.

For lovers of stories and novels set in the valley, AlpAddict recommends reading the trilogy by Roger Frison-Roche, a brief summary of which can be found on the page " Books » on this same site, in here.

Les Praz

The hamlet of Leek is accessible by a pretty walk which runs along the torrent at the exit of Chamonix, towardsArgentiere. In a short time, and without tiring yourself, you will cross a larch forest and arrive at this pretty village which is home to many beautiful chalets. The landscapes surrounding the hamlet are magnificent, and you will find a small church that you have certainly seen on postcards, with a clear background towards the Aiguille du Dru.

Argentiere

More authentic and more compact than Chamonix, this village nestled a little higher, at more than 1200 meters, overlooked by the Argentière Glacier itself, whose church is topped with a very photogenic bell tower is worth a walk. The surrounding forests are very pleasant, and you can easily consider a walk and a return by train, to get here, or the opposite if you want to enjoy the descent to Chamonix on foot.

From here you can still return to discover the high mountains, by taking the Grands Montets cable car. At more than 3200 meters, you can admire glaciers, the Valley of Chamonix and the impressive Aiguille Verte which overlooks the arrival station of the ski lift. You will also watch the many roped parties aiming for the surrounding peaks.

Continuing towards Vallorcine and Switzerland, you will stop at the hamlet of Trélechamp. You will discover one of the most beautiful views in a row over the valley.

Finally, at the end of the valley, you will reach the village of Le Tour, from where you can go up to the Col de Balme with ski lifts in order to enjoy the view of the valley of Chamonix but also on the Aiguilles Rouges reserves, the glaciers of the Aiguille du Tour and Aiguille Verte sector, and the Switzerland.

The more athletic will undertake the climb from the Col de Balme to the Albert 1 refuge.^er, which overlooks the exotic glacial landscapes of the Tour glacier. The hike is long, dizzying at times, but not difficult. A very beautiful aerial experience with a very close glacier where you can see crevasses and seracs very close up in relative safety.

Merlet Animal Park

AlpAddict in the Alps — Marmot – photo: © anrymos – stock.adobe.com

You may be lucky enough to meet animals during your walks: marmots, chamois, mouflons, ibex especially, but if this is not the case, you have a catch-up session!

Le Merlet park, not far from Les Houches, and on a balcony facing the Bossons glacier, allows you to both see mountain animals and photograph them against a backdrop of glaciers and majestic peaks... So why deprive yourself?

There are dozens of possible hiking ideas in this Valley: the climb to the Bossons glacier, the Chamonix-Argentière crossing via Flégère and Lac Blanc, treks in the Aiguilles Rouges reserve, etc. It's up to you to discover what you like, according to your desires and your physical abilities.

The viewpoints are accessible to all, and this is the strong point of the Valley of Chamonix.

There are also other walks to do in the surrounding area, discover Saint Gervais and climb with the mountaineers by train towards the Col de Voza, discover Les Contamines Montjoie, Saint Nicolas de Véroce, the balconies on Mont Blanc of Combloux, Cordon and Passy, the well-preserved village of Servoz, and the wild nature around Vallorcine… All this is accessible quite easily from Chamonix.

We talk about it in this other article.