Have you ever been to the 💦 Lac de Montriond ? Located at 1072m, this 💦 alpine lake – known as the green lake – is nestled under dramatic cliffs. In ☀️ summertime, you can 🏊♀️ swim and you’ll find 🚣♂️ watersports and other activites, ❄️ winter brings ice-diving, and 🌸 spring & 🍁 autumn are lovely for strolls . . . 💦 Lac de Montriond is … Continue reading LAC de MONTRIOND – a beautiful alpine lake (Vallée d’Aulps)
Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval (Vallée du Giffre) is known as the land of 30 waterfalls, and la Cascade du Rouget figures prominently on that list; in 2009 was voted the most beautiful waterfall in France! It is affectionately referred to as « la reine des Alpes » (the Queen of the Alps). Located at an altitude of 960m, and with its +80m of height set across two levels of flowing water, the La Cascade du Rouget flows all year … Continue reading La Cascade du Rouget ( Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval )
💦 Waterfalls and gorge hikes are in abundance here 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc . . . [ ⇒ separate MBFF article 💦 WATERFALLS & GORGES 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc here ] But it is still worth highlighting some 💦 waterfalls and gorges to explore that are a bit further away, in 🇫🇷 further France and in 🇨🇭 neighbouring Switzerland and the 🇮🇹 Aosta Valley (Italy) . … Continue reading MORE AMAZING WATERFALLS & GORGES beyond le Pays du Mont-Blanc
I think that most kids enjoy 💦 paddling in shallow water, correct ? Here au Pays du Mont-Blanc, we have great options for 💦 paddling pools at public swimming pools, but also out in our glorious nature ! Here are some of your options for 💦 indoor or outdoor (or both) paddling pools, where babies and toddlers can play safely, at our local swimming pools : … Continue reading 5 TOP SPOTS for PADDLING in NATURE au Pays du Mont-Blanc
The MBFF team players are huge fans of the 🌳 Parc Thermal in Le Fayet . . . as well as the famous 💦 Thermes de Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc, this park has so much to offer: hikes & strolls, 🧗♂️ climbing & via ferrata, a newly renovated sports complex, a playground, le petit train du Parc Thermal, lots of green grass for running and ball games, art … Continue reading 3 FAMILY STROLLS & HIKES in the Parc Thermal (Le Fayet)
Ahhh, 🌳 forests . . . strolling in nature, listening to the forest sounds, a huge playground for family exploration, and so much scope to learn about 🌳🦌 trees and wildlife . . . With the 🍃🍁 change of seasons, 🌳 our forests offer us something new every few months weeks : the 🍃 rich green of spring and summer; 🍂 the shedding of leaves in … Continue reading 10 FOREST & WOODLAND STROLLS au Pays du Mont-Blanc
💦 Lac d’Annecy is a super place to head from 🗻 the Pays du Mont-Blanc for a stroll or a hike – perhaps for a bit of culture in the old town of Annecy, perhaps to escape the winter snow of the mountains, or perhaps for a FLAT stroll along the lakeside with a buggy. You’ll find lots of flat walks around the lake, perfect … Continue reading 10 family strolls & easy hikes around LAC d’ANNECY
Having already re-opened under the L’Oréal Paris label, 💦 Les Thermes de Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc underwent a huge renovation project a couple of years ago . . . These 💦 thermal baths are nestled in a verdant and bucolic spot at the bottom of 🌳 the Parc Thermal in Le Fayet : 💦 in the gorge du Bonnant and next to the Cascade des Thermes. … Continue reading Les Thermes de Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc en famille (LE FAYET)
A couple of summers ago, on ☀ a very hot day, I finally ventured to 💦 Arly-Plage for some river fun with the boys . . . We’d visited 🌈 the Base de Loisirs des Belles several times, and we’d been ⛷ skiing in Praz-sur-Arly, but we’d never gone for 💦 a paddle and a splash around in the shallow Arly river! Arly-Plage: splashing fun … Continue reading ARLY-PLAGE & BERGES d’ARLY: the perfect spot for splashing & paddling ! (PRAZ-sur-ARLY)
A visit to a 💦 waterfall or gorge is often an awe-inspiring and sensory experience, allowing you to appreciate nature in its wildest, purest form. It can also be a great option for a family hike, or a chance to escape ☀️ the heat of summer, with a cool breeze and brume emanating from the cascade of water. We are lucky 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc, as we … Continue reading WATERFALLS & GORGES au Pays du Mont-Blanc
This Sallanches hike is ideal any time of year (except on an icy winter’s day!); in 🌸 early springtime, many of our 🗻 higher (and even mid-range) altitude mountain hikes are still snow-covered, but the paths on this trail should be snow-free; in autumn, the colours are just spectacular! The hike (which is also 🚵♂️ a bike trail) is ideal for families for several reasons: … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: Lacs des Ilettes, la Cascade de l’Arpenaz & Luzier
🏞 La Réserve Naturelle du Bout-du-Lac in Doussard is a tranquil 🐸 wetland area, with marshes, 💦 rivers and 🌾 unique flora and 🦆 fauna, offering superb views of 💦 Lac d’Annecy and 🏔 the surrounding mountains. For 👨👩👧👦 families, it is ideal: wide wooden walkways perfect for buggies or wheelchairs, 🗺 explanatory panels along the way . . . children will remain engaged and you’ll all learn … Continue reading BUGGY WALKS & FAMILY STROLLS: La Réserve Naturelle du Bout-du-Lac (Doussard, Lac d’Annecy)
The 🌲 Bois du Bouchet is a young forest, witness to the retreat of ❄️ ancient glaciers, and with vestiges of the granite-workers from Italy of the 19th and 20th century . . . And this 🌳🌲 woodland it is also a window from which to gaze upon the majestic 🏔 Mont-Blanc and the other peaks of Chamonix. The 🌲 Bois du Bouchet is located … Continue reading BOIS du BOUCHET – strolls, bike rides, a parcours d’orientation, snowy options & MORE !
MBFF tried out another of Cluse Arve & Montagne’s jeux last autumn! This time we chose another jeu d’aventure: ⏱ Le Mystère de la Montre, in ⛰ Mont-Saxonnex! After having had so much fun doing the previous two jeux, ⚔️ Le Chevalier Maudit (in Châtillon-sur-Cluses; read about our experience here) and 🥚 L’Œuf de Plume la Gypaète (in Le Reposoir; read about our experience here), … Continue reading « Le Mystère de la Montre » : a treasure hunt in Mont-Saxonnex!
It took MBFF a very long time to discover the wonderful 🐸 mare aux têtards & 🌈 playground in the 🌲 moraine woods of Argentière! But we are so glad that we finally made our way there! I had been wanting to hunt out this elusive playground (not so elusive if you live in Argentière!) for many, many years, but never quite managed it. And one day … Continue reading An AIRE de JEUX, a MARE aux TÊTARDS and a PARCOURS ORIENTATION (Argentière)
The short hike up to the 💦 Cascade de Bérard, located just above the village of Le Buet (near Vallorcine), is the perfect family outing on a hot ☀️ summer’s day or after 🌧strong rain – you’ll either be refreshed or you’ll see 💦 the waterfall in its rawest, most powerful form! If you head off on this hike in late spring or in early summer, … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: La Cascade de Bérard (LE BUET)
There are so many wonderful 🏔 hikes au Pays du Mont-Blanc and in the Chamonix Valley and several of them are the perfect length for families with very young (or reluctant) walkers! I have always found (actually, I still do!) that hiking to ☕️ a mountain buvette, with the reward of 🍨 an ice cream or 🍓 a slice or fruit tart, is a great … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: La Cabane du Cerro (CHAMONIX)
Each new spring season, ❄️ the snow melts and the 🌷 first spring flowers peep up shyly from the lawns; this re-awakening of nature is the perfect invitation for a buggy stroll . . . Early in 🌷 the spring season there may still be too much ❄️ snow along the river paths at higher altitude in 🏔 the Pays du Mont-Blanc, but there is a lovely stretch … Continue reading BUGGY STROLLS: Parcours de l’Eau Artistique (Arve River, PASSY)
The 🌉 Passerelle Himalayenne in Plateau d’Assy, which straddles the 💦 Nant Bordon ravine and allows you to access the 💦 Lac Vert via the original route du Lac Vert, was inaugurated on the 21st December 2019 . . . and since then, MBFF has been across it (and back) THREE times! On our most recent crossing, some Tibetan prayer flags had been attached to the … Continue reading La Passerelle Himalayenne du Nant Bordon (PLATEAU d’ASSY)
Currently SHUT ! A couple of 🍁 autumns ago now, MBFF had a super adventure: we were invited to test out 🚃 VerticAlp Emosson ! We had the most gloriously ☀️ sunny day to experience this phenomenal feat of engineering, which also has a rich history. I would say that 🍂 autumn – before closure for the season at the end of October – is the … Continue reading VERTICALP EMOSSON – a vertiginous day out en famille! (SWITZERLAND)
The MBFF tribe had driven past the starting point to the 💦 Gorges Mystérieuses de la Tête-Noire on numerous occasions, on our way to the 🇨🇭 Bisse du Trient family hike, or en-route to 🇨🇭 Martigny or 💦 the Bains de Saillons . . . but until a few summers ago, I hadn’t ventured any closer to this “ mysterious gorge ” . . . but I had certainly wondered what … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: les Gorges Mystérieuses de la Tête-Noire (Switzerland)
You have quite probably passed the 💦 Cascade de l’Arpenaz on several occasions, on a trip between the 🏔 Pays du Mont-Blanc and 🇨🇭 Geneva or 🇫🇷 Annecy on the autoroute. The 💦 Cascade de l’Arpenaz is one of the most visible and iconic of our waterfalls in the region . . . but have you ever come off the motorway and headed onto the local road past the village … Continue reading La Cascade de l’Arpenaz (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)
Mont Blanc Family Fun 