The 📚 Médiathèque Ange Abrate in Sallanches opened its doors to the public on a ☔️ rainy morning in March 2018 . . . The new médiathèque is spacious, with a very open-plan, bright and modern style of architecture. Section Adulte The Section Adulte is located on the ground floor, where you will also find 💻 15 mulitimedia spots, for users to connect to the internet … Continue reading Médiathèque Ange Abrate (SALLANCHES)
[ note 2023 : Sandrine and Jonathan, their baby and their 🐺 dogs all head to 🇸🇪 Lapland from early in the autumn and throughout the winter season, so they no longer offer husky sledding (see below for more information!). BUT, from springtime until autumn, they do offer canirando and you can visit the chenil (upon reservation) ] Canirando with 3D Nordic 🐺 Canirando is … Continue reading 3D NORDIC – canirando, kennels & chiens de traîneau (FLUMET)
The ⛷ Domaine Skiable des Planards, a two minute walk from the centre of town and with its own 🅿️ FREE parking, is one of Chamonix’s two Beginner ski areas (the other being at the Savoy slopes, connected to ⛷ Domaine Skiable de Brévent). In addition, it is the site of the year-round 🛷 Chamonix-Luge Alpine Coaster, set within the 🌈 Parc des Attractions de Chamonix (re-opens in April). … Continue reading DOMAINE des PLANARDS ski area (Chamonix)
⛷ La Poya is a small family-run ski area in the hamlet of Le Buet (not far from the 🚞 train station), near to Vallorcine. It comprises: two drag lifts; a rope tow for Beginners and a pulley lift for small children; 2km of pistes, including green, blue, red and even a black piste; You can opt for a 🗺 half-day ski pass, at a very reasonable price, … Continue reading LA POYA ski area (Le Buet, Vallorcine)
⛷ La Vormaine, ” the biggest of the small ski slopes “, is a splendid beginner & nursery ski area, nestled in the village of 🏔 Le Tour (1432m), next to 🚡 the Charamillon bubble lift. Ski pass options at La Vormaine La Vormaine is a good value ski area, as it allows families to opt for 2h30, 4 hours (often enough with toddlers to entertain!), a … Continue reading LA VORMAINE beginner & nursery skiing (Le Tour)
Combloux is definitely one of the most ⛷ family-friendly ski areas in the 🏔 Pays du Mont-Blanc, and skiing at this ski station (altitude between 1200m and 1900m) will reward you with some of the most beautiful, postcard perfect 360° panoramic views of 🏔 Mont-Blanc and the mountains of 🏔 Les Aravis and Les Fiz! Both of the MBFF boys have had ⛷ ski lessons in Combloux, … Continue reading Combloux SKIING & WINTER SPORTS
The village of Cordon is known as 🗻 le Balcon du Mont-Blanc because of its magnificent views of 🗻 Mont-Blanc, and it has a small, family-friendly ski station with 11km of ski pistes. A favourite ⛷ ski station for the locals, it is perfect for tiny skiers and Beginners, as well as having a good selection of pistes for the more experienced skier. ⛷ Cordon ski area normally opens … Continue reading Cordon SKIING & WINTER SPORTS
” Des forfaits à la carte, des pistes pour tous les niveaux avec un ensoleillement et un panorama exceptionnel face à la chaîne du Mont Blanc avec une altitude de 1358 à 1740 mètres ” – the Passy Mont-Blanc Tourisme website says it all ! This is why we LOVED this station when our boys were small and learning to ski ! In fact, 🗻 Plaine-Joux remains … Continue reading Plaine-Joux SKIING & WINTER SPORTS (PASSY)
The ❄️ FIRST SNOWFALL au Pays du Mont-Blanc . . . when the ❄ first snowflakes arrive, the excitement and delight run high for the whole family: walks knee-deep in the white fluffy stuff, ❄ snowball fights, ⛄️ making a snowman ( or perhaps a snowcat or other snow animal ) . . . and 🛷 SLEDGING FUN! With the first ❄️ snowfall of the season, the MBFF … Continue reading PISTES de LUGE au Pays du Mont-Blanc ( and nearby )
The 🏔 Pays du Mont-Blanc has THREE ⛸ indoor ice-skating rinks that are 🗓 open all year round, and so are good places to head to escape the heat or rain during the summer months, as well as to visit in the wintertime! In addition, during the ❄️ winter holiday season, there are several ⛸ seasonal outdoor ice-skating rinks (usually set up right in the centre of towns 🏔 au Pays du … Continue reading ICE-SKATING au Pays du Mont-Blanc
The 🦅 gypaète barbu celebrated two big birthdays in 2017 : 🦅 30 years since its successful re-introduction into France (1987); 🦅 and 20 years since the first gypaète was born in the Alps (1997); Some gypaète barbu facts: 🦅 NAME – the gypaetus barbatus is what is known as an « Old World vulture »; ie it resides in Africa, Asia and Europe, as opposed … Continue reading Bon Anniversaire, Gypaète Barbu! (© Antoine Rezer Photography)
The MBFF family visited 🎨 La Maison de la Créativité in 🇨🇭 Conches (on the outskirts of Geneva), on a crisp, sunny day in 2016 . . . what a magical discovery, for children and adults alike ! A beautiful house (Villa Calandrini) set in copious grounds and surrounded by 🌳 woodland, with views of ⛰ the Salève mountain, and it even has its very own Faraway Tree ® (reference … Continue reading LA MAISON de la CRÉATIVITÉ ( Conches, Geneva )
After a visit to 🇯🇵 Japan during the magical time of 🍁 « autumn leaves », I never thought that autumn would inspire me in the same way again . . . But then I returned home to the 🏔 Pays du Mont-Blanc, and was charmed all over again by 🍁 the palette of red, ochre, orange and gold covering 🌳 the trees, crunching under my feet … Continue reading BUGGY WALKS & FAMILY STROLLS: lakes in autumn au Pays du Mont-Blanc
⛰ FAMILY HIKING with small children is not always a simple task! Well, perhaps it is for some families . . . perhaps your children were born hikers! But for many of us, getting our children to 🏔 LOVE hiking in the mountains is not a given. Both of my sons had periods around the age of 18 months when they decided that the backpack was no … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES – MBFF’s tips for hiking with small children
🏔 Au Pays du Mont-Blanc, we are lucky to have 🌈 a softplay option in the industrial zone of Sallanches for those ☔️ RAINY DAYS all year round . . . and in the ☀️ summer months, plenty of bouncy castles spring up in lovely locations too . . . And further afield in the 🇫🇷 Arve Valley and beyond, there are some 🌈 larger softplay and 🤸 indoor play … Continue reading SOFTPLAY & INDOOR PLAY au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
🎨 Le Chalet des Créateurs in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains is a fabulous venture, bringing together: 🖼 a gallery showcasing local creative talent (45+ créateurs, with collections changing with each season); 🎁 a boutique with unique hand-made, local goods and gifts to buy; 🎨 a centre providing workshops for children and adults throughout the year (and especially during the school holidays); 🎨 workshop facilities for local artists; A little history Charlotte Paget is the protagonist in … Continue reading Le Chalet des Créateurs (SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC)
💦 Lac de Passy, officially referred to these days as a Base de Loisirs (due to the numerous leisure activities on offer), is the 💦 largest lake au Pays du Mont-Blanc. Ideal for a 🏊♂️ swim and a splash during the summer months, it is also frequented by 🚵♀️ cyclists,🏃♀️ joggers, buggy-walkers, 🎣 fishing enthusiasts, ⛵️ windsurfers, paddle-boarders and dog-walkers [ note: 🐶 dogs are not … Continue reading Lac de Passy (PASSY)
A few years back, a contingent of the MBFF team (the youngest member and myself) headed off on 🎨 a voyage of art exploration and discovery . . . to 🅿 the newly painted multi-storey 🚙 car park in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains: 🎨 2KM3. This art project really is a masterpiece: an alternative museum of street art, a FREE museum, a museum open every day of the year! … Continue reading 2KM3 – when a car park becomes ARTWORK! (SAINT-GERVAIS)
A walk along the 💦 quais in Sallanches makes for a perfect buggy walk or stroll with a toddler on a draisienne any time of year! It is especially lovely in later springtime, to see the 🌳🌰 chestnut tree flowers blossoming and in summer, to sit at a restaurant or café terrace. But it is also lovely in winter, to enjoy the sparkling Christmas lights ! … Continue reading The BEAUTIFUL QUAIS of the Sallanche river (SALLANCHES)
A visit to 💦 Les Gorges de la Diosaz natural site makes for a wonderful visit en famille, come 🌧 rain or ☀️ shine (we have visited during both weather scenarios here at MBFF!). You are in the shade for most of the walk, so this is a great option during ☀️ a summer heatwave, as well as on 🌧 a slightly drizzly day! It is quite the experience to walk along the … Continue reading Les Gorges de la Diosaz (SERVOZ)
You’ll find in this article a list of 🌈 baby & toddler playgroups au Pays du Mont-Blanc that you can just pop along to for FREE! Colour code for listings Pays du Mont-Blanc Chamonix Valley (Chamonix, Argentière, Les Houches, Servoz) and Vallorcine Passy & environs Sallanches, Combloux, Cordon & Domancy St Gervais, Le Fayet & environs Megève, Praz-sur-Arly & environs Les Contamines-Montjoie & environs 🇫🇷 Further France CHAMONIX VALLEY … Continue reading BABY & TODDLER PLAYGROUPS au Pays du Mont-Blanc
🏔 Au Pays du Mont-Blanc, there is one large cinema complex in Sallanches – the 🎥 Ciné Mont-Blanc – and then a scattering of smaller screens, which have lots of personality! During the summer months, many of the communes screen 🎬 FREE outdoor films, so be sure to look at Tourist Office agendas for this lovely initiative. Colour code for listings Pays du Mont-Blanc Chamonix Valley (Chamonix, … Continue reading CINEMAS au Pays du Mont-Blanc
The 💦 Plan d’Eau Biotope in Combloux was re-opened, after an extensive re-landscaping and modernising project, in the summer of 2022. The new structure has a lake of 1750m² (max depth 2.60 m), an area dedicated to sports swimming (4 lanes) . . . A visit to the 💦 Plan d’Eau Biotope in Combloux makes for a wonderful day of swimming and lazing, with 🏔 a majestic … Continue reading Plan d’Eau Biotope (COMBLOUX)
There is NO LONGER 🎳 a BIG bowling alley in our area, as the one in Chamonix shut a few years ago, and the one in Sallanches shut last year ! Colour code for listings Chamonix Valley (Chamonix, Les Houches, Servoz, Arentière and environs) and Vallorcine Sallanches, Combloux, Cordon & Domancy Megeve & Praz-sur-Arly and environs 🇫🇷 Further France Chamonix Le Plan B hotel and … Continue reading BOWLING au Pays du Mont-Blanc
The 🦌 Parc Animalier de Merlet is perched at 1563m, about 600m above the village of 🏔 Les Houches. It is home to around 80 animals that roam freely within the boundaries of the park: 🦌 chamois, bouquetins (ibex), deer, mouflons, marmottes . . . and even the odd 🦙 llama [ ⇒ see here for more information about the animals that live here ] A little history . . … Continue reading PARC ANIMALIER de MERLET (Les Houches)
Mont Blanc Family Fun 