When in Chamonix, Choose Cheese!

No trip to this area of France is complete without discovering the truly comforting delights of classic Savoyarde cookery. The Haute Savoie is famed for the multiple ways in which a mix of potatoes, cheese and bacon are served. This is comfort food at its very best and a must at the end of a cold day’s skiing in Chamonix.

Discover these classic cheese dishes

Raclette – essentially a hot cheese sharing platter, traditional raclette uses lait cru Savoyard cheese. This is participation food; you get to heat your cheese and pour the resulting molten loveliness over the potatoes that accompany it. Better yet, there will also be cured meat, crispy cornichons and pickled silverskin onions on offer too. Some serve it with a salad and others without

Tartiflette – in Tartiflette we trust, well certainly those who live in the Haute Savoie. Reblochon cheese is the crowning glory to this dish. A combination of onions, smoked lardons and potatoes (and some other variants depending on your chef) which is cooked in the oven. It’s all topped with a covering of Reblochon with the crust side up. The result is a rich potato dish into which the cheese has melted, complete with a crispy topping. It’s always served with a salad and we find wine’s great with it too!

Fondue – the most widely recognised of the cheese favourites, there’s more to this classic melting pot than the main ingredient alone. It needs wine, it needs care and, depending on your tastes, it might also need mushrooms. Depending on the restaurant, you’ll find fondue served with bread, cured meats and potatoes amongst other things.

Croziflette – another deep-dive into Reblochon loveliness, think Tartiflette but instead of potatoes, this oven-baked dish uses buckwheat ‘crozi’ pasta instead. It’s all just a matter of personal preference.

Croûte au Fromage – a delight from the oven, this cheesy offering includes French bread cooked with wine and cheese. Variants include cooked ham, mushrooms and even an egg on top.

Cheese-free Savoyarde Specialities

In most specialist Savoyarde restaurants, you’ll normally find some cheese-free regional specialities too, including:

Pierrade – fun food whichever way you come at this. A giant hot stone on which to cook your choice of beef, pork or chicken all served with baked potatoes and a variety of accompaniments.

Braserade – just like the Pierrade, but using the heat of a table-top barbeque rather than a stone.

For a truly local eating experience and all things cheese dining, then check out the following…

In central Chamonix chose from the La Calèche, Le Monchu, La Moraine, La Fer à Cheval, Le Sérac, Le Bivouac, La Tablée or Chez Constant.

Discover Restaurant La Robinson in the woods on the way to les Praz or Le Tremplin at the base of the ski jump in les Bossons. In Les Houches there’s Le Basilic or La Chavanne.

Related pages you may be interested in: Geneva to Chamonix Transfers – Best fast-food in town – Airport transfers Geneva 

UTMB®

The big week of the UTWT circuit everybody’s been waiting for is finally here! The UTMB®, one of the biggest events in trail running is taking place from 26th August – 1st September 2019 as well as TDS® and CCC®.

The UTMB® is one of the most iconic events in trail running. To do this race, it requires very good training and the ability to run in different weather conditions, including sometimes in high altitude.

Since the first edition, this race quickly became “the” race everybody wants to do. Therefore, it is now limited to 2 300 people.

Runners have 46h30 to finish this beautiful race of 170 km and 10 000 M+. Athletes run around the impressive Mont Blanc, the highest peak of the Alpes.

The big champions of the UTBM are the French François D’Haene and Xavier Thévenard and the Spanish Kilian Jornet. All three have won the UTMB three times already.

The title holder, Xavier, will be back this year to defend his title! But he has strong contenders such as Pau Capell, the UTWT world champion, the American Hayden Hawks and Tim Tollefson, who finished in third position in 2017. We will also see Robert Hajnal who finished second last year, Zach Miller, Marcin Swierc, Tom Owens, Diego Pazos, Andris Ronimoiss, Germain Grangier, Harry Jones, Janosch Kowalczyk and many more.

For the womens race, title holder is Francesca Canepa who will be returning this year to defend her title. And this year, Nuria Picas, who won the race in 2017 will be competing also. There will also be the impressive Courtney Dauwalter, the Chinese Miao Yao and Fuzhao Xiang, Mimmi Kotka, Katie Schide, Maite Maiora, Kaytlyn Gerbin, Kellie Emmerson, Magdalena Laczak, Fernanda Maciel, Sylvaine Cussot, Sally McRae and other great runners!

‍♂️ 170 km

️ 10 000 M+

Chamonix, France

August 30th

TDS®

The TDS® is a technical race. And this year, it becomes even more technical because some important changes have been made: it is now 145 km and 9 100 M+! A new TDS® awaits us!

The race starts at Courmayeur, in Italy, and finishes at Chamonix, in France. During the run, athletes will discover the beautiful landscapes of the Beaufortain.

For this new version of TDS, we are expecting the title older Audrey Tanguy, the Russian Dmitry Mityaev, who finished third last year. We will also see Tofol Castaner, fourth last year as well as Kathrin Götz, Thomas Evans, Jordi Gamito, Ernest Ausiro, Antoine Guillon and more.

‍♂️ 145 km

️ 9 100 M+

Courmayeur, Italy

August 28th

CCC®

The CCC® used to be called the “little sister of the UTMB®” but it’s now recognized as a unique race. The race uses a lot of different path of the “Grande Randonnée du Tour du Mont-Blanc”.

For this 101 km and 6 100 M+ race, athletes from different parts of the world will be present.

The Americans Cody Reed and Timothy Feriks will be there, as well as Jiasheng Shen and the Spanish Cristofer Clemente.
There will be a great panel of women athletes as well. Will be there : the Spanish Azara Garcia and Gemma Arenas, Lucinda Bartholomew, the American Kelly Wolf and Amanda Basham, Ajda Radinja and many more.

‍♂️ 101 km

️ 6 100 M+

Courmayeur, Italy

August 30th

Volvic launches a 8L bottle 100% recycled and recyclable*!

Concerned about the problem of plastic, our partner Volvic has launched a bottle of 8L 100% recycled and recyclable*! The brand has put in place a circular process to manufacture new 100% recyclable bottles from recycled bottles to avoid the overproduction of plastic. The new 8L bottle offers families a more environmentally friendly solution to take home the purity and unique taste of Volvic natural mineral water. Designed especially for families with young children, it is also easy to transport and compact when empty.
This new bottle perfectly illustrates Volvic’s desire to offer natural mineral water in formats adapted to each person and for all occasions of the day. Thanks to the experience of hydration combining respect for the environment and ease of use that it offers, the bottle Volvic 8L will certainly find its place in homes.
This practical and family format is available in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany.

* Except for the stopper and the tap: the Volvic teams are currently working on this

For more information, visit the UTMB website

Book your transfer to Chamonix for UTMB | Alpine Lakes

Alpine Lakes around the Mont Blanc Massif

No trip to the Alps in summer is complete without exploring the wonder of mountain lakes. Here is our top 12 from in, around and high above the Chamonix valley.

Chamonix Valley

A hiker’s paradise, the iconic Lac Blanc is the stuff of picture postcards and an Instagram heaven. At 2,353 metres facing Mont Blanc and the Aiguilles (the needles that surround Europe’s highest mountain), the views are sublime. So is the colour of the water – generally cobalt due to the concentration of minerals that are accumulated there. It’s certainly an amazing place to cool off hot feet.

For Summer 2019 you will need to double-check your hiking route with the Chamonix Tourist Office before setting off. The work that’s taking place at Flegere to build the new lift system means there are deviations in place. So, either take the lift from Brevent to Plan Praz and then the high traverse or consider the routes available from the Col du Montets or Tre le Champ.

Other options accessible from the Brevent and Plan Praz lift stations are Lac Cornu and Lac Noir. Normally quieter than Lac Blanc. The setting is no less beautiful and made all the easier by lift access.

One of the Mont Blanc Massif’s lesser-known lakes can be found on a short diversion from the classic Grand Balcon Nord traverse between the Plan d’Aiguille and Montenvers. Another lake fed by glacial, mineral-rich waters it remains at a frigid temperature even in the height of summer.

If you prefer somewhere beautiful to sit and simply take in the mountain views, then Lac des Gaillands should appear on your hit-list. There’s no swimming here, but for those who like to fish, this is the local spot. Close to the famous les Gaillands climbing wall, you’ll find locals and visitors alike gathering here.

Wider Area

Lac Vert is another great destination. Sitting high above Passy, it offers a great introduction to hiking for those with young children. The two-kilometre route involves about 170 metres of climb and descent and takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete. The reward is breath-taking views of Mont Blanc and Mont Jolly and of course ice-cream or other sweet treats at the Buvette.

If you prefer a lake experience that involves beaches and swimming, then there is no shortage of options to choose from.

Up in Combloux on the St Gervais side of the massif, the newly created, mountain bio lake offers water which has been naturally purified by more than 10,000 plants. It promises water temperatures in August, thanks to the sun’s continuous presence, of some 26°C.

Lake Passy is about a 30-minute drive from the centre of Chamonix. It has dedicated swimming areas, sandy beaches and water-based children’s play areas too. Lake Passy also has no shortage of stunning views to enjoy whilst soaking up the sun. You can also dingy sail, paddleboard and even windsurf here too.

Whilst, in Sallanches you’ll find a choice of three lakes, one for fishing, one for swimming and one for windsurfing together with all manner of activities surrounding them from picnic spaces to fitness trails.

Lac du Montriond is a little further away – approximately an hour by car – but rings the changes once again. Alpine and surrounded by trees, it is a family favourite. It comes with a great menu of different ways to relax and really does have something for everyone. You can stroll, run or bike along its trails. Or, take to the water with swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding and even yoga on water available.

Other content you may be interested in: Chamonix shuttles | Chamonix summer travel tips

Chamonix music festivals

Whilst Chamonix retains its reputation as an iconic ski destination, in the Spring, it’s also a bustling destination for some major music festivals.

Unlimited Festival 2019

There are two incredible events on offer in April 2019. Unlimited Festival (formerly the Black Crows Weekend) kicks-off on Tuesday 2 April and is an homage to all things electronica. This event has grown year on year and is set to be bigger and better than ever. What distinguishes it from similar events around the Alps is the location of the parties. They are set in some of the most stunning locations you’ll find anywhere on the globe like: the top station of the Aiguille du Midi lift; Plan Praz on the Brevent at sunset and new for 2019, the Skyway Monte Bianco in Courmayeur.

Unlimited Festival promises the opportunity to ski, party, repeat! This event takes place over six-day with sessions running at venues the length and breadth of Chamonix. Those include favourites like the Plan Joran lift station at Grands Montets, and down in Chamonix itself at Les Aiglons Refuge, Les Caves and the Le Vert Hotel as well as the newcomer in town, La Folie Douce.

Find out about the full artistic line-up which includes:  2manydjs, Adriatique, Anetha, Asa Moto, Dave Clark, Dixon, Greg Boust, Laurent Garnier, Mira, Purple Disco Machine, Roger Sanchez, The Shape Shifters and Vince.

Musilac Mont-Blanc

The end of April 2019 sees the return for its second year of Musilac Mont-Blanc. This festival may be rooted firmly to the bottom of the valley but boasts a knock-out backdrop featuring the Aiguille du Midi and Mont-Blanc!

Headlining in 2019 are The Editors, Two Door Cinema Club, The Kooks, The Blaze, Aya Nakamura, Eagle Eye Cherry, Eddy de Pretto, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Charlie Winston, HF Thiéfaine, Zazie, Roméo EElvisand Gaëtan Roussel.

Mountain Drop-offs is delighted to be the official transfer partner for both the valley’s major spring music festivals. We’re looking forward to transferring musicians, technical team and visitors alike from Geneva Airport to Chamonix.

We love working hand-in-glove with the major events in the valley. April’s music festivals may embrace different genres, different locations and different styles of delivery, but we know they’ll both be hugely popular. At the end of a busy season, the team enjoy being involved, both in helping make these events run smoothly and having the chance to enjoy the biggest parties in town too.

For all the details, packages and tickets, head to Unlimited Festival and Musilac Mont-Blanc. Promo Code CHAMUF is valid for travel between Monday 1 and Tuesday 9 April for Unlimited Festival. The code MUSILCHX is valid for trips between Wednesday 24 and Monday 29 April 2019 to attend Musilac Mont Blanc whether you want a shared, private or VIP transfer. Offer applies to airport transfers from Geneva in core hours and the usual terms and conditions of business apply.

Team Mountain Drop-offs has huge experience in helping partner events of every kind run smoothly as well as arranging trips for visitors – a fact underpinned by the company’s three consecutive TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence.

Our super-friendly and helpful customer service team are based in the centre of Chamonix, so are always on hand to help with trips to and from the valley and around the valley too.

Booking is quick and simple and secure via the website at www.mountaindropoffs.com. Mountain Drop-offs phone lines are open 24-hours for emergencies.

Chamonix Valley Winter Season

All of the valley’s ski areas are now open and there’s more snowfall on the forecast. You can find all of the opening dates for the ski areas covered by Chamonix Le Pass or Chamonix Unlimited lift passes for the winter season 2018-2019 below.

Brevent and Plan Praz, Flegere, Domaine de Balme at Le Tour and Vallorcine are all covered by Chamonix Le Pass and will stay open until 14 April 2019. Grands Montets is also covered by this pass and will be open until 5 May 2019.

Despite the devastating fire that destroyed the iconic lift, there is still lots to explore in this famous ski area. There is a new chair life, extended beginners area and new piste arrangements to be explored.

If you are feeling energetic, then the top of Grands Montets is still accessible, but you will have to earn your turns and ski tour your way to the top!

Whether you are exploring for the first time or a seasoned Chamonix visitor, you can have ski adventures inside and outside the valley when you buy a Chamonix Unlimited lift pass. It will give you access to over 1000km of piste including all the areas mentioned above and Les Houches too.

Chamonix Unlimited also unlocks the chance for a ski safari that covers resorts in three countries. The French ski resorts of St Gervais, Les Contamines and Megeve are all set to remain open until 14 April 2019. In Switzerland, Verbier will be operating until 28 April 2019 and, in Italy, they hope to keep Courmayeur open until 22 April.

Whilst Chamonix has a reputation as a destination for snow sports experts, what many people don’t realise is that there are lots of beginner ski areas to choose from too. There are the Planards and Le Savoy areas close to the centre of the town as well as La Vormaine at Le Tour, Les Chosalets in Argentiere, Le Tourchet in Les Houches and La Poya over in Le Buet.

As well as offering transfers from Geneva Airport to Chamonix, we also offer in-valley trips too. So, if you need to get to a lesson, explore another ski area or want to head out for an evening, then we can help with that too. Find out about all the airport transfer services we offer.

As well as the opportunity to ski, the valley also boasts some bucket-list of other adventures that shouldn’t be missed. What’s more they are all included in your Chamonix Unlimited forfeit and include: The iconic Aiguille du Midi lift and the chance to Step into the Void; The Montenvers Train and access to the Mer de Glace, the Tramway du Mont Blanc which passes through Les Houches on its way to the Nid du Aiguille from the nearby town of St Gervais (until 31 March 2019).

For more information on Chamonix and events this winter, check out our Chamonix destination guide