20 Attractions to Explore Near Col de Balme

Col de la Forclaz is a mountain pass in the Alps in the Canton of Valais in Switzerland. It connects Martigny at 471 m and Le Châtelard. The road from Martigny to the Col has an average gradient of 6% but in parts is closer to 8%. After the Col, and Le Châtelard, the road leads to Chamonix in France via Vallorcine and the Col des Montets. The pass was little known in the 19th century. It was not until the rise in tourism, particularly in Chamonix, that the region became a popular tourist area.

The Lac d’Emosson reservoir, altitude 1930 metres, was created at the beginning of the 1920s by the construction of a 78 m-high gravity dam built by the SBB with the aim of covering the company’s power requirements. In 1974 this was extended with a 180 m-high arch dam, increasing the lake volume from 40 to 227 million m3 of water. The Lac d’Emosson was created to cover SBB power requirements. The lake is reached by three unusual railways. Dinosaur footprints, some 250 million years old are found

Located in the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve, one of the most beautiful mountain lakes, famous for its unique panorama facing the Mont-Blanc massif. Lac Blanc sits next to a welcoming refuge, and while hiking you will likely see Ibex and marmots in the surrounding nature reserve. One of the best picnic location and you can do so many activities in and around this place.

The Aiguille des Grands Montets, in the Mont Blanc, is the name given to one of the peaks overlooking the village of Argentiere ( 1200 meters), in Chamonix. It peaks at 3295 meters. Skiing area and also trekking is possible here.

The Argentière glacier is located in the Mont Blanc massif. It overlooks the village of Argentière. This glacier covers an area of 19 km² and an altitude range from 1600 m to 3600 m on a North aspect. Satellite images from various years give a birds’ eye view of the great river of ice retreating further into the mountains.

The Aiguille Verte is one of the most prominent mountains of the Mont Blanc range. Its huge ridges and famous couloirs make it one of the most difficult 4000 m peaks to climb in the Alps. This mythical summit can be climbed through mixed terrain and by different routes. One of the beautiful mountains which was flourished with natural beauty.

A colossal rocky pyramid belonging to the Mont Blanc Massif and situated on its Northern side, entirely in French territory. Although from a distance it looks like a monolith, it is actually composed of two nearby but separate summits. One of the nice trekking destinations and also a place flourished with natural beauty.

The Pierre Gianadda Foundation is a cultural center of international renown and, in addition to temporary exhibitions by Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas, Manet, Gauguin, van Gogh, Monet, etc., also houses a Gallo-Roman museum and tepidarium, an automobile museum, a sculpture park and a top-class concert season.

La Flégère is the slope of the Aiguilles Rouges overlooking the valley of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc to the north. The valley was linked to the Flégère by a 60-seater cable car. The latter was replaced by gondola lifts, commissioned in December 2019 1. Their starting point is located in the village of Les Praz de Chamonix. The bottom station of the Flégère gondola is located at an altitude of 1,877 m. A refuge is present next to the upper station.

The Mer de Glace is a valley glacier located on the northern slopes of the Mont Blanc massif, in the French Alps. It is 7.5 km long and 200 metres deep but, when all its tributary glaciers are taken into account, it can be regarded as the longest and largest glacier in France, and the second-longest in the Alps after the Aletsch Glacier.

Le Bréventis a mountain of Haute-Savoie, France. It is a 5.8 kilometer out and back trail located near Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France that features beautiful wildflowers and is rated as difficult. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from June until October.

Val Ferret is the name of the two separate valleys, departing from the Col Ferret on the border between Italy and Switzerland, on the southern and eastern sides of the Mont Blanc Massif. The Swiss valley drains northeastwards towards Orsières and on into the Rhône basin; whereas the Italian valley drains southwestwards towards Courmayeur and on into the Po basin. The two valleys are connected by a mountain footpath through Col Ferret which forms part of the 170 kilometres circular Tour du Mont

The Col Ferret is a mountain pass that connects Orsières in Valais with Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley, on the border between Switzerland and Italy, geographically joining the Val Ferret Switzerland with the Italian Val Ferret. This second pass is of particular importance because it separates the Western Alps from the Central Alps, as well as the Mont Blanc Massif from the much lower Grand Golliaz group.

The Mont Blanc tunnel is 11.6 km long and connects France and Italy under the highest peak in Europe. It is used by 5,000 vehicles per day on average, 68% being light vehicles. More than a structure, the Mont Blanc Tunnel is an amazing human and technological feat. It took six years, from 1959 to 1965, from the start of work to the inauguration of the Tunnel. One of the architectural wonder in this area which attracts a lot of people.

The Elena refuge or, sometimes, Hélène refuge is a mountain refuge located in the Val Ferret Valdôtain, a side valley of the Aosta Valley, in the upper Valdigne, in the Mont-Blanc massif, at 2,062 meters above sea level. The refuge is at a place called Pré-de-Bar, at the bottom of the Val Ferret, on the route to the Col Ferret, which leads to Switzerland. According to legend, it is dedicated to a little shepherdess from Pré-de-Bar, Hélène.

A mountain in the Mont Blanc mountain ranges. At 3,842 meters high from sea level, it can be accessed directly by a cable car from Chamonix. The summit contains a panoramic viewing platform, a café, and a gift shop. Even in summer, temperatures in the open viewing areas can reach −10 °C (14 °F), and visitors require both warm clothing and protection from very bright sunlight.

The Bossons glacier claims to be the "largest icefall in Europe." It is certainly the fastest moving glacier (300m/year)and it also reacts very quickly to climate change. . It has the largest altitudinal drop of all the alpine glaciers in Europe, and formerly extended much further down the valley than it does today. One of the nice trekking destination and also a nice picnic spot.

Mont Blanc du Tacul is a snow-capped mountain located in the Mont Blanc Massif, Haute-Savoie, and one of the most important amongst the summits surrounding Mont Blanc. The Normal route of Mont Blanc du Tacul is no difficult route starting from the Refuge des Cosmiques and running on the glacier which occupies the Northern slopes of the mountain with a variety of snow and ice types. One of the nine trekking destinations and also a nice camping spot.

The Grand Massif is a ski resort located in the Haute-Savoie department, France. The area provides a tremendous variety of on-piste runs, off-piste and between piste skiing, scenery, and height, providing good skiing in all types of weather and conditions. There is also a cable car to reach the summit. In the best snow conditions it is possible to ski from the Tete des Saix down to Morillon village.

Pointe Helbronner forms one part of the French and Italian border high in the mountains. It is 3,466m high and can be reached by cable car too. It forms part of the Alpine mountain border between France and Italy. The Skyway Monte Bianco station platform on Pointe Helbronner offers a remarkable view over the Aosta Valley and the Piedmont region. The French-Italian border splits this platform.