Chamonix Ski Resort

Chamonix lies in a narrow valley in the Haute-Savoie, overshadowed by Mont Blanc, which at around 4,800 metres is the highest summit in the Alps. The town became a destination for visitors in the eighteenth century. In 1741 two Englishmen, William Windham and Richard Pococke, travelled up the valley and reached the Mer de Glace, and their account drew curious travellers from across Europe. The Genevan scientist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure offered a reward to anyone who could find a route to the summit of Mont Blanc, and on 8 August 1786 the local men Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard made the first ascent. Farmers in the valley became guides, and the old company of guides, founded in 1821, still exists. Chamonix hosted the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924.

Skiing here is serious. The valley has several separate ski areas rather than one linked system, including Le Brévent and La Flégère facing the Mont Blanc range, Les Grands Montets with its steep, high terrain, and the gentler slopes of Le Tour and Vallorcine. Les Houches lies at the lower end of the valley, and the Index chairlift gives access to high ground on the Flégère side. The area is known for off-piste and ski-touring routes, and the long glacier run through the Vallée Blanche from the Aiguille du Midi is one of the most famous in the Alps, normally done with a mountain guide.

The Aiguille du Midi cable car climbs to nearly 3,800 metres, a ride that takes visitors from the valley to snow and rock in a few minutes and ends at viewing terraces with views of Mont Blanc and the glaciers. The Montenvers railway, a rack line from the edge of town, runs up to a viewpoint above the Mer de Glace, the largest glacier in France, which has visibly retreated in recent decades. Walkers have a large network of marked paths, and the Tour du Mont Blanc passes through the valley.

The summer season is just as busy as winter. Hiking, climbing, paragliding, mountain biking and trail running all draw people, and the town hosts major events, notably the Mont Blanc Marathon in late June and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, known as the UTMB, at the end of August. In the town, the Musée Alpin tells the story of mountaineering and early tourism, and the Musée des Cristaux displays crystals gathered in the massif. The Place du Triangle is a central meeting point with cafés, and the market adds local colour.

Cable cars and lifts run to timetables that change with the season and the weather, so check the operators' schedules and book the Aiguille du Midi in advance in busy periods. The town suits skiers, climbers, walkers and families who want mountain scenery.