Travel Time
Taking in the majesty of Chamonix Mont Blanc
On the border between France and Italy, so much beauty to behold.
On my first trip to the town of Chamonix, at the base of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, I found myself thinking of a famous quote by Samuel Johnson.
He said, “The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.”
How are things in Chamonix Mont Blanc? Imagine a place covered with snow, surrounded by mountains from all sides. Mont Blanc means the white mountain, and its 4,807-meter peak is so tall that it is covered in ice and snow year-round. Mont Blanc looms over the Chamonix, which is located in southeastern France, at the confluence of the borders of France, Italy, and Switzerland. It’s approximately 470 km from Paris, and about 80 km from Geneva.
As the highest peak in the Alps, the second highest in Europe, and the 11th most prominent mountain summit in the world, Mont Blanc is known as the roof of the European continent, and it is the summit of a valley that is decorated with lesser snow covered mountains.
The top of Mont Blanc is considered as the borderline of French and Italian borders, and it’s a subject of historical dispute between the two countries. The mountain extends over the territories of the Chamonix Mont Blanc in France toward the north and Courmayeur in Italy to the south.
Recreation
When the Olympic Games resumed once more in the late 19th century, it was Chamonix that was selected as the first city to host the 1924 Winter Olympics. Today, these winter sports are a major draw for tourists, and you can enjoy a wide range of fun sports and activities like mountain climbing, snowboarding, or skiing. It also provides its visitors with a variety of recreational options, where you can ride the highest chairlift in the world to climb to a range of mountains and snowy peaks, such as the De Midi top, which reaches a height of over 3,800 meters and houses many mountain caves.
For those interested in trekking, there are summit climbing tours headed by professionals. You can climb Mont Blanc through many tracks depending on the season of the year.
Moreover, you will be dazzled by the fascinating museum (Musée Alpine), which dates back to 1914, and displays many of the precious artifacts, paintings, photographs, and collections that tell the history of the city.
How to get there?
Chamonix city is accessible via trains, serviced by the one of the largest and finest train networks. Moreover, people can fly to Haute Savoie Mont Blanc airport, which is 140 km away from Chamonix’s center. Visitors can also reach Chamonix via the highway, which has all the facilities and splendid views that make the journey easy and pleasant. Travelers who wish to visit the Italian side of the border can take the tunnel, which passes directly under the Mont Blanc mountain.
Rest and recuperation
After a long day full of activities, you can relax in top-rated hotels or resorts, or in simpler accommodations in one of the 16 villages that make up Chamonix. The simple rural houses of the French Alps are beautifully suited to the rugged landscape, cozy and warm on a cold winter night. But whether your budget is fancy or simple, don’t miss tasting the hot Belgian or Italian chocolate while watching the snow falling from the window, an unforgettable experience that reminds you of how things are in the French Alps.