Discover Chamonix

Things to Do in Chamonix - Discover the Resort’s Main Activities

Chamonix: The History of this Unique Destination

Not-to-be-missed Events in Chamonix

Hit the Slopes in Chamonix - Piste Map and Webcams

Stay in Chamonix: Our Selection of Chalets and Apartments

Situated between the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve and Mont Blanc, at the crossroads between France, Switzerland and Italy, the Chamonix Valley has 14,000 year-round inhabitants and more than 80,000 tourist beds.

The resort
Activities
History
Events
The ski
Accommodation

The Aptly Named Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

In 1921, the town of Chamonix was renamed to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, and for good reason. Wherever you are in the valley, you cannot miss the majestic Mont Blanc, which dominates its surroundings from an altitude of 4,810m. It is the highest peak in Western Europe, earning it the nickname "the roof of Europe".

There are a total of 16 towns, villages and hamlets in the Chamonix Valley. The four administrative communes of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Vallorcine, Servoz and Les Houches, together, make up the Community of Communes of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley.

Chamonix, World Capital of Mountaineering and Skiing

Since two Chamoniards completed the first ascent of Mont Blanc in 1786, Chamonix has become the world capital of mountaineering and skiing.

Today, with 6,000 primary residences and close to twice as many secondary residences, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is a year-round holiday destination. In winter, beginner skiers are well catered for with several ski areas dedicated to them - Les Planards and Le Savoy in Chamonix, La Vormaine in Le Tour, and Les Chosalets in Argentière. More experienced skiers can take the Aiguille du Midi cable car up to 3,842m before tackling the famous 24km Vallée Blanche off-piste descent.

The Chamonix Valley Ski Area

Depending on your skiing ability and preferences, you can choose from a number of ski areas in the valley, all of which are linked by the ski bus.

Les Houches

Situated 10 minutes from Chamonix centre, the ski area in Les Houches is ideal for families and is particularly suitable for beginners and intermediate skiers. The majority of pistes are not especially steep, however, one exception is the "Verte des Houches" black run which has been used for World Cup downhill races since 1948. At 3,343m in length with a vertical drop of 870m, it is the only World Cup downhill course in Haute-Savoie.

In Les Houches, in addition to four green runs, five blues, 12 reds and the above-mentioned black run, there are also 10km of cross-country skiing trails as well as good snowshoeing terrain.

Le Brévent / L’aiguille du Midi

The Aiguille du Midi cable car is one if the highest in the world - it reaches 3,777m from where an elevator takes you up to the summit at 3,842m. The Aiguille du Midi is a purely off-piste area, reserved for the most experienced skiers. Le Brévent is the closest ski area to Chamonix town centre and has the best views of Mont Blanc, especially from Le Panoramique at 2,500m.

Since 1997, the Brévent and Flégère ski areas have been interlinked by a gondola lift, and since 2000, they have been officially combined under the name Brévent/Flégère.

La Flégère

The Flégère ski area is in the commune of Les Praz, less than 2km from Chamonix town centre. The altitude ranges from 1,030 to 2,525m, and there are 56km of pistes suitable for all levels of skier. There is a beginners area which is accessible on foot from the town centre, whilst more experienced skiers can amuse themselves on the black run down through the forest, with its vertical drop of 800m.

La Flégère also offers off-piste skiing along with numerous ski touring trails, especially towards the Aiguilles Rouges massif.

Les Grands Montets

Les Grands Montets is the largest ski area in the valley, starting from the commune of Argentière, only 8km from Chamonix. With a maximum altitude of 3,295m, the ski area is made up of three zones - the forest between Argentière (1,252m) and Logna (1,972m), mixed alpine terrain between Lognan and the top of the Bochard gondola (2,765m), and the glacier, accessible via the Top des Grands Montets cable car (3,275m).

There are pistes suitable for beginners at Les Chosalets. For the more adventurous, there is a snow park and two black runs. The area is also ideal for off-piste.

Les Grands Montets also offers numerous summer activities - climbing and abseiling on the ice waterfalls (which become ice walls in winter), the 2,500m2 snow garden, hiking trails, mountain biking, tandem paragliding at an altitude of 3,220m. From the Argentière glacier, there are spectacular views over the whole valley.

Le Tour / Balme / Vallorcine

The main ski area of Le Tour/Balme/Vallorcine has 19 pistes (11 blue, seven red and one black), accessible via the Charamillon gondola lift at Le Tour or the Vallorcine gondola. In Vallorcine, you can also enjoy off-piste skiing near the Swiss border.

In the commune of Le Tour (1,464m), the Vormaine beginners area is the valley's largest, with two green runs, one blue run, a freestyle area, a fun park and three drag lifts.

Les Planards

Just five minutes from Chamonix town centre, the Planards area is best known for its amusement park with toboggans, trampolines and merry-go-rounds. There is also the 1,300m Luge Alpine Coaster, unique in the area and open all year round to ages 3 years and upwards. In winter, there are also five beginner ski slopes.

The Chamonix Valley, More Than Just a Ski Area

Historically, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc was primarily a summer holiday resort. Today, summers here are as popular as ever with numerous activities on offer such as hiking, mountain biking, mountaineering, paragliding, canyoning, rafting, via ferrata, golf, horse riding, paintball and swimming in pools and lakes.

Guided tours are organised in the surrounding area to discover the protected fauna and flora within the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve. You can also rent a tablet computer at the tourist office and use the Itinerio app to help you discover the valley. The app will take you around seven geo-guided trails and 110 points of interest. Don't miss the view of the Mer de Glace from the famous Montenvers rack railway.

In winter, needless to say, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc offers all the activities you would expect to find in a world-famous ski area - alpine skiing (including off-piste), ski touring, cross country skiing, dog sledding, snowshoeing, speed-flying, skating and tobogganing.

And whatever the season, the town has an abundance of amenities for visitors to enjoy including spas, shops, bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

Rent in Chamonix

Chalet Black Wood

Chamonix - Hameaux

8 guests ⸱ 3 bedrooms ⸱ 130 sq.m

From 4 680 € /week

Apartment Prarion

Chamonix - Les Houches

4 guests ⸱ 1 bedroom ⸱ 60 sq.m

From 1 040 € /week

All the stays in Chamonix

Discover the activities for an exceptional
holiday in the heart of Chamonix

Explore activities, useful information and great deals with our experience booklet.

Experience Booklet

All winter activities in Chamonix

Speed-Riding

Are you a thrill seeker and a lover of wide open spaces? If you are an experienced skier and have a strong heart, discover speed riding, an activity that combines skiing and paragliding.

How does it work? You ski with a small sail which allows you to easily go from the air to the ski slope. In the air, you are free to express your creativity by performing tricks. On the snow, you can glide down the slopes in total lightness.

Are you ready to discover the "third dimension of skiing"?

Icefall

Would you like to enjoy a unique experience that offers unique sensations? Ice climbing is for you! This activity is a cross between climbing and mountaineering and is suitable for everyone.

Accompanied by a guide, equipped with ice axes in your hands and crampons on your feet, you climb the waterfalls frozen by the winter cold. At the top, you will discover a rare and grandiose landscape. Enjoy this ephemeral and magical moment. With the added feeling of a job well done!

Paragliding flight

Paragliding

There is nothing better than a paragliding flight to gain height! In a tandem flight accompanied by an instructor, discover the Chamonix valley and its mountains from above. You will observe exceptional panoramas, appreciated by experienced paragliders. If you are lucky, you will be able to see some emblematic animals of the Alps. Keep your eyes open.

Sled

Sledging

Discover a fun activity in Chamonix: the Alpine Coaster toboggan run! This 1300m long sledging track on rails will delight the whole family with its jumps, turns and 540° twists. It's a real fun and exciting experience.

For the youngest who don't know how to ski yet, or for those who like the sensation of sliding, take advantage of the many safe and groomed slopes offered by the villages of the Chamonix valley. Take to the slopes in total freedom!

The Benedictine Priory of Chamouny

Chamonix belonged to a succession of Gallic tribes, despite a hostile climate and geographical location, prior to its incorporation into the Roman Empire, and subsequently into the earldom of Geneva.

In 1091, Count Aymon I of Geneva gave the valley to the Benedictine monastic order who first built a mill and a farm, followed in the 12th century by a priory. The monks tried continuously to impose their authority, leading to numerous conflicts with the local Chamoniard population. The priory stood until 1786 on the site of the present day Maison de la Montagne.

The First Ascent of Mont Blanc and the Beginning of Mountain Tourism

For a long time, the local economy was based on livestock farming and growing of cereals such as oats and rye. In 1741, however, two English aristocrats, William Windham and Richard Pocock, 'discovered' the priory of Chamouny and the Mer de Glace glacier, making them famous throughout Europe with their stories published in several literary gazettes.

This discovery gave rise to a somewhat mystical kind of tourism because it was said that evil spirits reigned over the glaciers. This is why the task of showing the area to outsiders fell to local crystal makers and hunters, who then went on to become guides for the mainly English tourists.

In 1760, whilst passing through Chamonix, the scientist Horace Benedict de Saussure became fascinated by Mont Blanc. Wishing to carry out scientific experiments there, he offered a reward to the first person reach the summit. It was not until 08 August 1786, that Jacques Balmat and Michel Gabriel Paccard climbed Mont Blanc for the first time. The following year, Balmat accompanied Saussure there so that he could successfully complete his project.

From then on, the summits no longer inspired fear. As early as 1770, Chamonix's first guesthouse, the Hotel d'Angleterre, was opened Madame Coutterand. By 1783, around 1,500 people were spending their summers in the valley. The romantic movement further demystified the high mountains, presenting them as a haven for nature preservation.

Mont Blanc, known as the "roof of Europe", has attracted many famous historical figures, including Louis Pasteur, George Sand, Victor Hugo, Goethe and Théophile Gautier. Even Chateaubriand and Napoleon III paid a visit to the Mer de Glace.

The Savoie Becomes French and the Beginning of Winter Sports in Chamonix

In 1796, when the duchy of Savoie became part of France, Chamonix remained an almost exclusively summer tourist destination. In 1816, the town's first luxury hotel, the Hotel de l'Union, was built, quickly followed by three similar establishments.

In 1821, following the disappearance of three guides attempting an ascent of Mont Blanc, the Compagnie des Guides (Company of Guides) was founded. Until the end of the 19th century, mountain guiding remained the dominant activity of the local economy.

In 1893, the first pair of skis appeared in Chamonix, thanks to Dr. Payot, a Chamoniard physician who realised that skis were the ideal way for him to visit his patients around the valley.

In the early 20th century, the hotel sector was the driving force behind tourism in the area. In 1914, there were already 39 hotels in and around Chamonix. In 1909, the Montenvers rack railway began transporting tourists up to admire the Mer de Glace.

The first passable road between Chamonix and Geneva was built during the reign of Napoleon III. But it was the arrival of the railway that opened up the town and began the explosion of interest in winter sports. When the PLM company brought the railway to the valley in 1901, the way was clear for winter tourism and Chamonix became one of the country's first winter sports resorts.

The first true season took place in 1906 - 1907, thanks to the efforts of the French Alpine Club, who organised several weeks of winter sports competitions.

On 21 November 1921, in order to capitalise on Mont Blanc's status as the valley's primary tourist attraction, the state authorised, by decree, the renaming of the town to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.

The First Winter Olympics and the Boom in Tourism

In 1924, the first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix sealed the resort's destiny once and for all. The administration of the organising committee was entrusted to Roger Frison-Roche, celebrated writer and mountain guide, and the first non Chamoniard to become a member of the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix.

A bobsleigh run had to be constructed as a matter of urgency, along with the first stage of the cable car up to the glaciers in order to reach it. This lift was the first French cable car open to the general public. A ski-jumping stadium and an ice rink were also built in record time. In the end, 15,000 people came to cheer on the 300 competitors representing 16 nations.

The Pranplaz cable car opened in 1927, followed by a second stage to Le Brévent in 1930. At the time, it was the world's highest ski lift.

In 1955, the Aiguille du Midi cable car was opened, with a route that ferrys passengers to the summit at an altitude of 3,842m. The Flégère cable car followed in 1956, and the ski area was extended to include Brévent, La Flégère, Le Tour, and finally Les Grands Montets in 1964.

In the 1960s, the development of the resort was at its peak, with the Alpine Ski World Championships in 1962, and the opening in 1965 of the Mont Blanc tunnel which opened up a direct route to Italy.

The 1970s saw the arrival of many public amenities, including the library, MJC, secondary school and vocational college.

Unfortunately, the growth in tourism also resulted in increased levels of road traffic, which has become a major nuisance for the local inhabitants. Today, the resort is implementing measures to preserve the natural environment despite its economy being almost entirely based on tourism. In 2009, Chamonix committed itself, along with the other four settlements making up the Community of Communes of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley, to a regional climate and energy plan in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt the area to climate change.

The historical architecture has also been preserved. Today, protestant chapels, traditional farms and Art Deco facades all sit alongside more modern buildings.

Whatever the future may hold, Chamonix remains one of the world's major winter and summer tourist destinations, and continues to host many important international events.

Chamonix Film Festival

From June 10 th to 16th 2025

Fifth edition of the Chamonix film festival, an exceptional week for all mountain and adventure enthusiasts.

Festival film | Chamonix — Crédit photo : ©© Chamonix Film Festival

ARC’TERYX Alpine Academy

From July 3rd to 6th 2025

In Chamonix, open-air mountaineering masterclasses, film evenings, concerts, pro demos, climbing modules and even more free activities for all levels.

Climbing world cup

From July 11th to 13th 2025

A competition as famous as it is spectacular in downtown Chamonix. Speed and difficulty are the order of the day.

Cosmo Jazz Festival

From July 22nd to 27th 2025

This jazz festival was created in 2010 by the famous André Manoukian with the desire to share a human adventure around beautiful landscapes and bewitching music. Musicians come from all over the world to perform on stages that blend perfectly with nature.

Enjoy the concerts during the day at different sites in the resort and in the evening in the centre of Chamonix!

UTMB®

From August 25th to 31st 2025

A trail epic on a legendary route around the Mont-Blanc massif, at the crossroads of France, Switzerland and Italy.

Skiing in Chamonix

Chamonix Valley Ski Area

The Chamonix Valley extends over 17km and includes several ski areas which are not "ski-in/ski-out", in contrast with other major alpine resorts. However, they are all easy to access and linked by an efficient ski bus system which is included in the Mont-Blanc Unlimited ski pass.

The centre of the commune is at an altitude of 1,035m and the highest part of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ski area is the Aiguille du Midi with a maximum altitude of 3,842m and a 24km off-piste itinerary. In total, 115km of marked runs (9 green, 33 blue, 31 red and 16 black) await you in the Chamonix Valley.

Snow Conditions

With a vertical drop of over 2,000m, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc fulfils all the conditions for great snow cover. Even in summer, you can enjoy the 2,500m2 snow garden, or pull on your crampons to tackle the ice waterfalls of the Grands Montets. Even if there is a lack of natural snow, 267 snow cannons ensure that 22km of pistes can remain open.

The Lift System

The oldest ski lift in the Chamonix Valley is the first stage of the cable cars leading to the glaciers, built in 1924 when the town hosted the first Winter Olympic Games. Today, the area is served by numerous lifts:

Les Houches : 1 rack railway, 1 cable car, 1 gondola lift, 8 chairlifts, 3 drag lifts, 1 rope tow
Brévent/Flégère : 1 funicular, 1 cable car, 1 gondola lift, 8 chairlifts, 4 drag lifts
Les Grands Montets : 2 gondola lifts, 3 chairlifts, 2 drag lifts, 1 rope tow
Balme/Le Tour/Vallorcine : 2 gondola lifts, 2 chairlifts, 10 drag lifts, 4 rope tows
Aiguille du Midi : 1 rack railway, 2 cable cars, 2 gondola lifts
Les Planards : 1 chairlift, 2 drag lifts

For complete beginners, there are magic carpets at Les Planards, Les Houches and Brévent/Flégère.

In 2019, the Flégère cable car was replaced by a new gondola lift, able to transport up to 2,000 people an hour at a speed of 6m/s.

ski area map