Gathering places worth your time...
city
Gathering places worth your time...
city
Chamonix, France
6 places worth your time
Nature15.2 km away
The Aiguille du Midi (French pronunciation: [eɡɥij dy midi], "Needle of the Mid-day") is a 3,842-metre-tall (12,605 ft) mountain in the Mont Blanc massif within the French Alps. It is a popular tourist destination and can be directly accessed by cable car from Chamonix that takes visitors close to Mont Blanc.
Read more100 m away
Jacques Balmat (1762-1834) was one of the pair who first reached the peak of Mont Blanc. The statue, erected in 1887, is a popular photo spot, looking south so that Mont Blanc forms the background. But where's his climbing companion Michel-Gabriel Paccard? Not there: the second figure is de Saussure, who'd put up the prize for the ascent, and who Balmat later guided to the summit. Balmat was a very talented mountaineer, but overplayed his celebrity, and wrote Paccard out of history. Not until 1986 did Paccard earn a statue, sitting alone with his alpenstock on ave Michel Croz near the Alpine Museum - the first version became frost-damaged and was replaced in 1991. Dr Paccard (1757-1827) went on to be a leading local citizen and magistrate, and married Balmat's sister. What was his non-personning really all about?
Read more157 m away
Impressive collection of crystals, mostly from Chamonix (smoky and rose quartz), but also from the rest of the Alps and worldwide. Describes the geology and formative processes involved.
Read more164 m away
Located in an early 20th century hotel, it shows the development of alpinism in the region from the first ascent of Mont Blanc to the modern sports climbers by means of historical paintings, photos and maps. They also host interesting temporary exhibitions.
Read more4.2 km away
One of the largest glaciers in Europe, 7.5 km long - 12 km if its tributaries are included - but shrinking fast, and rattling along at 1 cm an hour. It's usually admired from Hotel de Montenvers at the top of the rack railway (see "Get around"). There's a museum within the hotel, a cave serving as a small crystal museum, and a small glacier museum in a nearby hut. You can also visit an ice cave inside the glacier itself, either by descending the 550 steps, or by a short cable car ride.
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Nature62.7 km away
Le Brévent is a mountain of Haute-Savoie, France. It lies in the Aiguilles Rouges range of the French Prealps and has an altitude of 2525 metres (8,284 Feet) above sea level.
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