Category: Peaks & Mountains

The Morteratsch Glacier at the foot of the Bernina group is one of the most easily accessible glaciers in the Alps. From the Morteratsch station on the Bernina line a flat glacier trail leads to the ice tongue; signs along the way show the dramatic retreat of recent decades. In…

At 3,089 m above Zermatt, the Gornergrat offers one of the grandest mountain panoramas in the Alps, with views of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and a ring of over 20 four-thousanders. The Gornergrat railway, the highest open-air cog railway in Europe, has run up here since 1898. At the top…

Val d'Isère and Tignes together form the high-alpine ski area Espace Killy, named after the ski star Jean-Claude Killy. Thanks to the altitude and the glacier on the Grande Motte, skiing is possible here even in summer. Val d'Isère has hosted Olympic races and is regarded as one of the…

Founded in 1963, the Vanoise National Park was France's first and borders directly on the Italian Gran Paradiso; together they form one of the largest protected areas in the Alps. It was established to save the Alpine ibex and today is home to large populations of ibex and chamois. A…

The Mer de Glace, at around 7 km long, is the largest glacier in France and has drawn visitors since the 19th century. The historic cog railway from Chamonix to Montenvers reaches the viewing balcony, from where a gondola and stairs lead down to the ice cave. The rapid glacier…

The cable car from Chamonix to the Aiguille du Midi climbs to 3,842 m and is one of the highest and steepest cable cars in the world. At the top, viewing terraces overlook the Mont Blanc summit, along with the glass box Pas dans le Vide over the abyss. The…