FAMILY HIKES: Lacs des Ilettes, la Cascade de l’Arpenaz & Luzier
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
BUGGY WALKS & FAMILY STROLLS: La Réserve Naturelle du Bout-du-Lac (Doussard, Lac d’Annecy)
🏞 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)
BUGGY WALKS & FAMILY STROLLS : 10 winter ones au Pays du Mont-Blanc
You LOVE the beautiful ❄️ SNOW, but sometimes you feel frustrated as it is restricts your movements with a buggy? You’re tired of heading to 💦 Lac de Passy (lovely as it is!), where you do loop after loop with a buggy, because you are in need of some ground without ❄️ SNOW ? I’m sure you’re not alone! ❄️ Wintertime can feel ever so LONG … Continue reading BUGGY WALKS & FAMILY STROLLS : 10 winter ones au Pays du Mont-Blanc
10 OUTDOOR WINTERTIME ACTIVITES (apart from ski alpin!) au Pays du Mont-Blanc
Aside from 🎿 alpine skiing and snowboarding, there are still a multitude of outdoor activities that are NOT 🎿 alpine skiing and snowboarding to enjoy en famille here🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc. In this article, I highlight some of the ❄️ alternative outdoor winter activities that you can indulge in 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc over the winter months . . . Colour code for … Continue reading 10 OUTDOOR WINTERTIME ACTIVITES (apart from ski alpin!) au Pays du Mont-Blanc
BAPTÊME SNOOC au DOMAINE des PLANARDS (Chamonix)
In March 2020, the week before life was to change across the world due to Covid-19, a friend and I had a super morning in Chamonix: we had been invited to try out the 🛷 snooc au ❄ Domaine des Planards! At the time, the ❄ Domaine des Planards was the only ski station 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc set up to use it safely. … Continue reading BAPTÊME SNOOC au DOMAINE des PLANARDS (Chamonix)
SEASONAL ICE-SKATING au Pays du Mont-Blanc
It’s that time of year when the ⛸ seasonal ice-skating rinks begin to appear in town centres throughout the 🏔 Pays du Mont-Blanc . . . a lovely way to spend some time en famille . . . Sometimes, next to the ice-skating rink, you might find yourself rewarded with 🥃 a vin chaud stand or a small 🎄 Christmas market! Some of these ⛸ seasonal ice-skating rinks will be … Continue reading SEASONAL ICE-SKATING au Pays du Mont-Blanc
BOIS du BOUCHET – strolls, bike rides, a parcours d’orientation, snowy options & MORE !
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 !
10 ideas for NATURE GAMES & CREATIVITY en famille
Living in the 🏔 Pays du Mont-Blanc, we always have some 🌳 woodland or green space nearby, so here are some ideas for 🌳 nature-inspired activities for your next outing! 1. Build a CABANE We don’t all live near 🌳 woodland with copious branches available to make a solid cabane, but if you do . . . this activity will keep your brood amused for a … Continue reading 10 ideas for NATURE GAMES & CREATIVITY en famille
FAMILY HIKES: Les Golettes, La Vigne & La Fley (SALLANCHES)
During the 🏡 second confinement last year, we all (apart from those lucky mountain leaders and other sporting folk!) had to find 🏡 walks within a 1km radius from home . . . I was lucky to find one 🏔 local hike that adhered to the distance and time authorised (if I ran part of it, which iwas a major challenge for someone not keen on … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: Les Golettes, La Vigne & La Fley (SALLANCHES)
FAMILY HIKES: Boucle de la Chapelle d’Ormaret (Combloux ⇒ Ormaret)
This is a lovely bucolic family hike, a boucle leaving from ⛪️ the baroque church of Combloux, and heading to ⛪️ the little chapel in the hamlet of Ormaret. It’s an easy stroll, with 🌿 wide open spaces for running, little bridges to cross, 🐄 farm animals to see (and the possibility of visiting a farm along the way), and ⛪️ a small chapel to … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: Boucle de la Chapelle d’Ormaret (Combloux ⇒ Ormaret)
10 MORE ideas for AUTUMN FAMILY HIKES & STROLLS with small children (beyond le Pays du Mont-Blanc)
This is the follow-up article for 10 ideas for 🍁 autumn stroll with young children 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc (see here). Autumn is certainly arriving, and I love this season of 🍁 burnt seasonal colours adorning the trees and covering the ground accompanied by early ❄️ snow powdered on the nearby 🏔 summits! And so, here are some ideas to head out and enjoy those 🍁 dazzling colours … Continue reading 10 MORE ideas for AUTUMN FAMILY HIKES & STROLLS with small children (beyond le Pays du Mont-Blanc)
10 ideas for AUTUMN FAMILY HIKES & STROLLS with small children au Pays du Mont-Blanc
🍁 Autumn, before ❄️ the snow arrives (and even when ❄️ the snow arrives!), is a lovely time for a family stroll or hike here 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc . . . the temperatures are (usually) fresher than the ☀️ summertime, and 🍁 the burnt seasonal colours adorning the trees and scattered on the ground are just beautiful. Next to a lake, you’ll perhaps see 🍂 autumn … Continue reading 10 ideas for AUTUMN FAMILY HIKES & STROLLS with small children au Pays du Mont-Blanc
FAMILY HIKES: La Passerelle Himalayenne ⇒ Lac Vert (Passy)
I have now been on this hike a few times en famille, and with friends. 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 hike for families with young children or older … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: La Passerelle Himalayenne ⇒ Lac Vert (Passy)
« Le Mystère de la Montre » : a treasure hunt in Mont-Saxonnex!
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!
THEATRE & SPECTACLES au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
We are so lucky here 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc to have such high quality 🎭 theatre on our doorstep ! I sometimes have to pinch myself as I’m watching acrobats flip across the stage, or listening to a well-known musician, when I realise I am a 5mins walk from home, and NOT in a big city like 🇫🇷 Lyon or 🇨🇭 Geneva ! And … Continue reading THEATRE & SPECTACLES au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond)
« Le Chevalier Maudit »: medieval knightly fun and Geocaching® en famille! (Châtillon-sur-Cluses)
In February this year, we headed to ⛰ Le Reposoir to do one of the Cluses Arves & Montagnes 🗺 jeux d’orientation (we’ve also done the jeux L’Œuf de Plume la Gypaète – see here for MBFF article), and we really enjoyed it! As well as the fun of the orienteering game, we really delighted in getting to know a new mountain village and the … Continue reading « Le Chevalier Maudit »: medieval knightly fun and Geocaching® en famille! (Châtillon-sur-Cluses)
FAMILY HIKES: la Gorge du Glacier (Argentière)
I don’t know about you, but I like to stay off 🏔 the busy mountain paths in ☀️ the summertime, social-distancing regulations in place or not! Last summer, my boys were at their 🎨 Art & Nature workshop with local artist Cat Kartal in Argentière, and so I took the opportunity to have a day out by myself, hiking and then reading my book in nature. I decided … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: la Gorge du Glacier (Argentière)
Site des Ponts de la Caille (CRUSEILLES)
You may well have spotted these two bridges – the 🌁 Ponts de la Caille – from the motorway (A41 Annecy-Genève) on a trip to 💦 Lac d’Annecy from the 🏔 Pays du Mont-Blanc? Have you ever come off the motorway to explore? MBFF certainly has – my curious nature would never leave such incredible looking bridges unexplored! The 🌁 Ponts de la Caille are two … Continue reading Site des Ponts de la Caille (CRUSEILLES)
FAMILY HIKES: « Sur les traces des Graniteurs » (COMBLOUX)
MBFF has now hiked the short themed walk ⚒ « Sur les traces des Graniteurs » in Combloux a couple of times . . . Every autumn, a group of volunteers goes to tidy up the paths for you! So what exactly is the themed walk ⚒ « Sur les traces des Graniteurs » ? It is a short hike with explanatory panels, which explains … Continue reading FAMILY HIKES: « Sur les traces des Graniteurs » (COMBLOUX)
20+ SUMMER TERRACES for families in the Chamonix Valley!
A few summers ago, I put together this article, detailing some 🥗 Chamonix Valley restaurants & cafés with terraces, that are particularly suitable for families with little ones. By this I mean that they either have 🌈 a play area for children, a grassy area for games, have suitable children’s menus and are NOT located next to main roads (unless there is a secured area). … Continue reading 20+ SUMMER TERRACES for families in the Chamonix Valley!
An AIRE de JEUX, a MARE aux TÊTARDS and a PARCOURS ORIENTATION (Argentière)
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)
ACCROBRANCHES ®, GRIMPE d’ARBRE & TYROLIENNES au Pays du Mont-Blanc
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
SPORTS EVENTS for families au Pays du Mont-Blanc ( autumn 2023 )
So, the UTMB has come and gone, so now we can focus on September and 🍁 later autumn sports events . . . September kicks off every year with the Fêtes du Sport of our local communes au Pays du Mont-Blanc and in the Chamonix Valley, a chance to try out new sports and possibly sign up to a club for the coming year. You’ll find lots … Continue reading SPORTS EVENTS for families au Pays du Mont-Blanc ( autumn 2023 )
FAMILY HIKES: La Cascade de Bérard (LE BUET)
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)
FAMILY HIKES: La Cabane du Cerro (CHAMONIX)
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)
Mont Blanc Family Fun 