Chamonix & Mont Blanc (Summer)

The highest town in the Haute-Savoie encompasses the highest point in Europe – the summit of Mont Blanc. It was the mountain that launched Chamonix into touristic fame, with the first hotels opening there as early as 1770, and the first successful ascent to the summit in 1786. Those who stop to enjoy the village itself on their way to the thrills of the mountain will find Belle Époque hotels, Alpine chalets, traditional mountain farmhouses, modern lodges and extravagant villas. The mountains around Chamonix offer 200 miles of marked hiking trails, 20 miles of mountain bike tracks, plus opportunities for mountaineering, rock climbing, rafting ...

The highest town in the Haute-Savoie encompasses the highest point in Europe – the summit of Mont Blanc. It was the mountain that launched Chamonix into touristic fame, with the first hotels opening there as early as 1770, and the first successful ascent to the summit in 1786. Those who stop to enjoy the village itself on their way to the thrills of the mountain will find Belle Époque hotels, Alpine chalets, traditional mountain farmhouses, modern lodges and extravagant villas. The mountains around Chamonix offer 200 miles of marked hiking trails, 20 miles of mountain bike tracks, plus opportunities for mountaineering, rock climbing, rafting and canyoning. Summer hikers can stroll on easy trails through breathtaking alpine scenery or tackle the seven-day challenge of the Tour Mont Blanc, a trail inaugurated by early mountaineers in 1767. An adventure park with tree acrobatics, rides, a summer toboggan course, rock climbing and pony trekking pleases young travelers. Higher altitudes are easy to reach via cablecars, gondolas and rack railways that climb to panoramic views and glaciers. For even higher perspectives, there is paragliding.

About the Expert

Juliette Rogers is coauthor of the guidebooks Eating New England: A Food Lovers Guide to Eating Locally, Secret Providence and Newport, and two Thomas Cook guides on France.