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, 🦌 wildlife along the way . . . The hike that I am about to outline has VARIOUS points of interest – something for the whole family! I did a recce … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: Jardin des Cimes to Refuge de Varan (Passy)
With a now eight year old and a five 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 general tips on hiking with small children see MBFF post . . . FAMILY HIKES – … 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)
There are plenty of 🚵♂️ SPORTS EVENTS for families and children au Pays du Mont-Blanc coming up in 2019 – short runs, parcours for draisiennes, fun runs, obstacle races, colourful runs . . . In this updated article, you will find a list of the various options! (I have included a few events that don’t have specific children or family events, incase there is the odd … Continue reading SPORTS EVENTS for families au Pays du Mont-Blanc (2019)
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 a post exclusively about this lovely alpine lake! A family visit is a great day out: a short walk, with fun wooden walkways and some scrambling too, boulders to climb,🌲trees and 🏔 snowy mountain peaks reflected in the green waters of the lake, and … 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)
According to the 🌳 Marronier de la Treille’s first blossom (Geneva), yesterday – Tuesday 12th March 2019 – was 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 blossoms appear in their splendid hues of pink, when magnolia trees blossom in splendid glory, when spring flower … Continue reading SPRINGTIME BLOSSOMS & FLOWERS au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
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)
❄️ DECEMBER SNOWFALL ❄ au Pays du Mont-Blanc . . . often we have a snow flurry in October or November, but the snow of autumn 2018 is teasing us! 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) . … 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 the … Continue reading BUGGY WALKS & FAMILY STROLLS: lakes in autumn au Pays du Mont-Blanc
The 18th edition of 🎭 Les Petits Asticots – the annual children’s festival 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc, taking place during the 🍁 Toussaint school holidays – will be yet again offering families six inspirational days of theatre, music, dance, circus and workshops from 20th to 26th October! The MBFF team absolutely LOVE 🎭 Les Petits Asticots – not only are the shows of high quality, the festival is local and its timing during … Continue reading Festival « Les Petits Asticots » (Pays du Mont-Blanc)
🗓 WEDNESDAYS are once again – 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc – 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. To join ⚽️ local sports clubs, or to sign up for activities at the MJC Chamonix, FJEP Passy, MJC Saint-Gervais or Le Palais in Megève, you will largely need to … Continue reading LES MERCREDIS – sport, workshops & creative activities (and relaxation!) for children au Pays du Mont-Blanc
2019 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 children to 🏔 LOVE hiking in the … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES – 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 areas . . . … Continue reading SOFTPLAY, INDOOR PLAY & BOUNCY CASTLES au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
💦 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 in the 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 (NB 🐶 dogs are not permitted at the beach or criques ends of the lake during … Continue reading Lac de Passy
What you’ll find in this post, is a list of baby & toddler playgroups au Pays du Mont-Blanc that you can just pop along to for FREE! For a much more detailed list of 🌈 Baby & Toddler Activities au Pays du Mont-Blanc, see separate post. Colour code for listings: Chamonix Valley (Chamonix, Argentière, Les Houches, Servoz & Vallorcine) Passy & environs Sallanches, Combloux, Cordon & Domancy St Gervais, Le … 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. Chamonix Chamonix’s 🎥 Cinéma VOX is a bit of an institution. There are VO films … Continue reading Cinemas au Pays du Mont-Blanc
Jardin des Cimes in Plateau d’Assy This is not a conventional playground – and neither is it free (as you have to pay an entrance fee to enter the gardens) . . . but I’ve included it in this Passy Playgrounds post, as you can’t find many playgrounds with such an incredible view of 🏔 the Mont-Blanc massif . . . These wooden structures at 🌷 Le … Continue reading Passy Playgrounds
