You don’t have to travel to another planet to discover a new universe. In Haute-Savoie, close to our Annecy campsites and the Swiss and Italian borders, France’s largest glacier, the Mer de Glace, sits enthroned. Together with the Mont Blanc massif and the Bossons glacier, this extraordinary natural site is one of the jewels of the Chamonix valley. Journey to the heart of this 12 km-long glacier, which in places is 300 metres thick.
The Montenvers train
It’s not easy to allow over a million people a year to contemplate the Mer de Glace. If you’re not a mountaineer, and you’re not used to an alpine refuge, don’t panic: everything has been thought out to guarantee you a unique high-mountain experience without too much effort.
From Chamonix, all you have to do is take a funicular train to get there: the Montenvers train. This train first went into service in 1908. Before boarding, join the terrace of the station café and enjoy a hot drink to warm you up. From the terrace, the panorama of the white valley is breathtaking, with several 3,400 m peaks in front of you, including the Grandes Jorasses, the Drus and the Aiguille du Grépon. Have you captured the moment? Take the Compagnie du Mont Blanc train up to the glacier.
The Ice Grotto
Did you have a good trip? Enjoy the scenery of the Mer de Glace once again. Inside the glacier, you can visit an ice cave.
Nature does things well, but man is also capable of great feats: he carved this cave with his own hands. And he’s having to get back to work to resist the glacier’s advance – 70 metres every year due to global warming, among other factors.
Yes, the 400-plus ice steps you have to climb to reach the cave are well worth the effort. Access is by gondola.
The Glaciorium
You’ve got to admit, it would be a shame to turn back without discovering the secrets of the Mer de Glace. All the mysteries associated with the glacier and its formation are solved in an interpretation center: the Glaciorium. Birth, evolution, movement, color, a precious indicator of climate change: the Glaciorium is a cultural space for learning, understanding and raising awareness of the fragility of glaciers, ice crystals and, more generally, our planet. It is a perfect illustration of the impact of human activity on the environment, and shows us how man has learned to adapt to this atypical environment. The glaciorium has been designed with education in mind, so that all visitors, including children, can find answers to their questions.
Have you recovered from your emotions?
Continue your Savoyard exploration with a visit to the Seythenex cave and waterfall, take the Aiguille du Midi cable car or explore the Arve valley!