I have now been on this hike a couple of times: once en famille with some friends and once on my own with a friend. I can assure you that each time, friends are wowed by the 🌉 Himalayan suspension bridge, 🏔 the fabulous views of Mont-Blanc, and the ethereal 💦 Lac Vert. The altitude gain (dénivelé) on this hike is fairly minimal, making it a great short … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: La Passerelle Himalayenne to Lac Vert (Passy)
This summer there are more 🔍 jeux de piste and 💰 chasses au trésor (treasure hunts) available for family fun than ever before 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc and beyond. These 🗺 treasure hunts take all sorts of different forms: ☀️❄️ FREE ephemeral summer trails; 🦌 trails to learn about the local patrimoine or nature & animals; 🔍 solving puzzles and following clues along the way … Continue reading 10 ideas for JEUX de PISTE and CHASSE au TRESOR au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
With all of our wonderful 🧗♂️ rock climbing and Via-Ferrata routes 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc, it is only natural that so many 🌳 accrobranches ® should also appear over recent years! We’ve tried out a few of them, and they are very popular with our 🐵 monkey climbing boys . . . 🌳 some tree climbing terminology: 🌳 accrobranches ® – it is a rope course … Continue reading ACCROBRANCHES ®, GRIMPE d’ARBRE & TYROLIENNES au Pays du Mont-Blanc
It is officially nearly ☀️ SUMMERTIME, and despite many of 🚵♂️ the sporting events 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc and beyond having been cancelled over the springtime, we still have a rich calendar of 🚵♂️ sporting events to participate in, or be a spectator over ☀️ the summer and 🍁 autumn months! 🏃♂️ trail running, marathons and half-marathons; 🚵♂️ road-biking and VTT events (and details abou … Continue reading SPORTS EVENTS for families au Pays du Mont-Blanc (autumn 2020)
Yesterday MBFF went for 🍏 a picnic with friends (🌥 between sun and cloud!) up at 🎣 Lac de Javen in Megève. 🎣 Lac de Javen is a popular picnic spot for families in the summertime, as it is just a short hike to get there and there are plenty of activities on offer: ☕️ buvette and restaurant, 🌈 small playground, 🌈trampoline and other loisirs (later … Continue reading Where to observe TADPOLES & FROGS au Pays du Mont-Blanc
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)
It’s official in Geneva: 🌺 SPRINGTIME has ARRIVED ! The 🌳 Marronier de la Treille’s first blossom appeared this year on Sunday 8th March 2020 – and so this is seen in the Helvetian city as the first official day of 🌺 spring! (see below for more explanations). 🌷 Springtime – when 🌱 crocuses first timidly reach out to the sun from their bed of grass, when the first 🌺 almond and cherry … Continue reading SPRING & SUMMER BLOSSOMS and FLOWERS au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
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 (PLATEAU d’ASSY)
If you live at altitude 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc, it can be a challenge to find a suitable path for buggy walks in nature over the ❄️ winter months: snow, ice, muddy ground underfoot . . . Luckily, if you head down to the Arve Valley, then you’ll descend about 500m in altitude . . . and here you will find our 💦 two … Continue reading WINTER BUGGY STROLLS: Lac de Passy & Lacs des Ilettes
During the school holidays, MBFF was invited to test out the ⛷ new indoor ski centre in Passy: Ski Indoor 4810! The boys were really excited to dig out their 🎿 ski boots, helmets and gloves ahead of the official ski season, and to try out something so novel! Being a pretty mediocre skier myself, I was somewhat more apprehensive, but I was certainly intrigued to … Continue reading SKI INDOOR 4810 – perfect your skiing INDOORS! (Passy)
🎭 Les Petits Asticots – the fabulous annual children’s festival 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc, which takes place during the 🍁 Toussaint school holidays – will be yet again offering families seven inspirational days of theatre, music, dance, circus and workshops from 17th ⇒ 23rd October 2020! The MBFF family absolutely LOVE 🎭 Les Petits Asticots – not only are the shows of high quality, the festival … Continue reading Festival « Les Petits Asticots » 17th ⇒ 23rd October 2020 (Pays du Mont-Blanc)
There are several 🧬 BIG SCIENCE EVENTS that occur regularly 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc and beyond, and we have 🧪 La Fête de la Science approaching fast! 🧪 La Fête de la Science – from 2nd ⇒ 12th October 2020 (annual); 🧪 La Nuit des Sciences – every two years in Geneva; 🧪 CERN Open Days – every few years, CERN opens to the public; This got me thinking … Continue reading SCIENCE ACTIVITIES & MUSEUMS for families au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
🍁 Autumn is a lovely season to visit 🌳 parks and gardens: on the trees, a sharp palette rich in shades of gold, brown red, orange and yellow . . . underfoot, 🍂 a blanket of leaves crunching and sent fluttering when the children find a mound and run through it . . . a crisp, and often ☀️ sunny day to accompany your exploits: playing and running, tree-climbing, LandArt, … Continue reading AUTUMN PARKS & GARDENS au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
[ La Rentrée 2020-2021 UPDATE ! ] WEDNESDAYS are, in many of the 🏔 Pays du Mont-Blanc communes, a day free from scholastic duties (for young children, at least!). A day to perhaps explore a new ⚽️ sport or 🎨 leisure activity, 🏡 to relax at home or to head to garderie . . . [ ⇒ see article 📚 La Rentrée for more details about clubs and associations to … Continue reading LES MERCREDIS – nature, creative activities, sport and relaxation for children au Pays du Mont-Blanc
[ note: ☕️ Refuge de Varan is SHUT for the 2020 & 2021 summer seasons for renovation, but there is lots of gorgeous alpine pasture surrounding it for picnics! ] For a family hike, MBFF finds it a good idea to have a clear point of interest along the way: 💦 a waterfall, ❄️ a glimpse of a glacier, a ride in 🚡 a télécabine or on a télésiège, … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: Jardin des Cimes to Refuge de Varan (Passy)
With a now nine year old and a six year old in tow, the MBFF family is beginning to find its 🏔 hiking mojo (we hope). Here, below, you will find some of MBFF’s favourite (and tried and tested!) family hikes 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc, with suggestions for 🥤 buvettes and 🏚 refuges for a snack, lunch or overnight! For general tips on hiking with small children see MBFF … Continue reading MBFF’s recommended family hikes au Pays du Mont-Blanc
We are 🐯 HUGE ANIMAL LOVERS here at MBFF . . . and we are lucky to share our home with a couple of affectionate (and fairly tolerant!) 🐱🐱 felines. But perhaps some of you don’t have the home set-up to accommodate animal friends, or perhaps allergies are preventing you from doing so . . . Luckily – whether you live 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc or you are visiting – … Continue reading ANIMAL PARKS & AQUARIUMS au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
The MBFF family members are regular visitors to 💦 Le Lac Vert in Plaine-Joux (Passy), and a visit last 🍂 autumn reminded me that I should write an article exclusively about this lovely alpine lake! A visit here is a great family day out: a short walk, with fun wooden walkways and some scrambling too, boulders to climb, 🌲 trees and 🏔 snowy mountain peaks reflected in the shallox … Continue reading Le Lac Vert (PLAINE-JOUX)
🏔 Au Pays du Mont-Blanc we are lucky to have 💦 several swimming lakes with stunning mountain views . . . while the perfect spot for strolling and biking in autumn and winter, come the balmy days of spring and summer, the water warms and the lakes start to get busy with bathers and ⛵️ watersport enthusiasts (at Lac de Passy and Lacs des Ilettes: windsurfing, paddle boarding, SUP yoga, … Continue reading LAKES & WATERSPORTS au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
🌻 Le Jardin des Cimes is a truly 🌷 magical garden at altitude, with breathtaking views of 🏔 the Mont Blanc Massif. 🌻 Le Jardin des Cimes (“ Garden of the Summits ”) has revitalised the area of Plateau d’Assy; not only are the gardens and ☕️ café a delight for locals and tourists alike, but jobs have been created and there are plenty of activities and 🌲workshops on offer for families and schools, … Continue reading Le Jardin des Cimes (Plateau d’Assy)
While the children are young and learning how to ski, or if you have beginner skiers in your group, then ⛷ Plaine-Joux in Passy is the ideal ski station 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc for multiple reasons: ⛷ it’s a small, family-oriented ski resort; ⛷ there are 12km of wide, gentle, sunny pistes (green, blue and red) with stunning views of the Mont Blanc Massif; ⛷ this is an affordable ski resort, … Continue reading PLAINE-JOUX skiing (Passy)
❄️ NOVEMBER SNOWFALL au Pays du Mont-Blanc . . . when the ❄ first snow arrives, the delight and excitement is catching: walks knee-deep (or shoulder-deep for the little ones!) 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 team regularly head up … Continue reading PISTES de LUGE au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
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 to the Americas; SIZE – the gypaète barbu … Continue reading Bon Anniversaire, Gypaète Barbu! (© Antoine Rezer Photography)
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, gold and orange covering the trees, crunching under my feet and reflected in … Continue reading BUGGY WALKS & FAMILY STROLLS: lakes in autumn au Pays du Mont-Blanc
[ ⭐️ 2020 update ⭐️ this appears to be a very popular article on the MBFF website, so I have updated it with a few new suggestions for family walks! ] ⛰ FAMILY HIKING with small children is not a simple task! Well, perhaps it is for some families . . . perhaps your children were born hikers! But for many of us, getting our … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES – tips for hiking with small children
