Touring Mont Blanc but in comfortable conditions (yes, some of you might be disappointed, but I won’t be talking about mountaineering in this post…), is an experience and a little trip that I hope everyone gets to do someday, because personally, it was a marvel. As a Lyonnaise, I obviously know how beautiful the mountains can be in summer, but it still gives me that “wow” effect every time I’m there.
So, I am going to take you both to France, and to Italy, near the Aosta Valley for a short road trip around the highest mountains in Europe, in the Western Alps.
The former association Hôtels-Chalets de Tradition was a group of 28 family-owned, “traditional chalet” style hotels in the mountains (in France, Italy, and Switzerland) that all held the alpine hotel tradition dear, with values centered around hospitality, sharing, friendliness, well-being, and local gastronomy (quite a program, right?!). At the end of 2017, 14 of the 28 hotels joined the The Originals Hotels brand.
All the hotels have their own unique identity, strongly linked to the values of the family that founded the establishment and continues to manage it today, sometimes for several generations. “The mountains, a source of well-being“, an adage that takes on its full meaning when staying in Hôtels-Chalets de Tradition.
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Table of Contents
Practical Information for Mont Blanc
Getting there: To get to the Alps from Paris, the simplest way is to take the train to Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet or Bellegarde (direct from the capital with TGV Lyria). Then, to cross from the French side to the Italian slope, the easiest (but not the cheapest) way remains taking the famous Mont Blanc Tunnel.
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Auberge de la Maison in Courmayeur, Italy, 4-star hotel
This charming hotel run by Alessandra Garin is located in Entrèves, the most characteristic hamlet of Courmayeur, at the foot of Mont Blanc and facing the Brenva Glacier, offering a magnificent view of the glaciers and mountains.
Inside this elegant chalet, the all-wood interior immediately creates a very warm atmosphere.
The establishment has a La Maison d’Eau spa, which offers hay and mountain herb treatments, as well as expert massages for the guests’ greatest pleasure. In addition to the spa, all hotel guests can enjoy free access to the wellness area, which features a hydromassage bath, a mountain hay bio-sauna, an indoor/outdoor pool, and more.
To try: the relaxing massage with hot oils scented with natural essences (70 € for 50 min or 45 € for 30 min).
A quick tour of my room:
The extra touch: the beautiful balcony of my room with a direct view of the mountain, a perspective one never tires of.
The hotel restaurant, L’Aubergine:
This restaurant, which offers gourmet local cuisine, is part of the Saveurs du Val d’Aoste Label, for establishments that highlight gastronomic tradition and local products in a typical setting.
To taste:
- Jambon des Bosses DOP from the Aosta Valley, served with hot apple fritters, a delight!
- Homemade burrata ravioli with spinach emulsion and mountain-scented oils.
- Veal cheek slowly cooked in Blanc Fripon (a local wine) with thyme juice and mashed Brenva potatoes.
- You must also obviously take a look at the regional cheese platter, which is a wonderful gustatory discovery.
- The Auberge’s delicacies for dessert, a beautiful assortment of several desserts (including an absolutely divine whipped cream!) inherited from the former neighboring restaurant, now closed, Chez Phillipon.
L’Aubergine restaurant price between 40 and 66 €
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- You should also absolutely discover the wines of the region, which are very typical! Especially the wines from the Cave du Vin Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, whose vines thrive right at the foot of Mont Blanc.
- For breakfast, I recommend you try some local cakes, Uvetta e Mandorle, as well as Valdôtaine jams.
Auberge de la Maison Fraz, Entrèves 11013 Courmayeur, Italy Price starting from 75 € / 110 € half-board Starting from 429€/pers. for 3 days and 2 nights
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Things to do in the hotel’s vicinity:
- Take the new Mont Blanc cable car, the Sky Way, to get a magnificent panoramic view of the surroundings and the Mont Blanc range, at the very top of the roof of Europe.
You start from Entrèves (1300 m altitude), make a first stop at Pavillon du Mont Fréty (2200 m) to then arrive at Punta Helbronner (3466 m), the 360° panoramic terrace that allows you to see Mont Blanc, the Aiguille Blanche, the Dent du Géant, the Grandes Jorasses, and so many others…
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- Go for a ride on an e-bike (electrically assisted mountain bike) in the Val Ferret, the perfect place to discover this sporting activity accessible to all and designed for all kinds of trips, with family, friends, both sporty and non-sporty people.
What’s great about this is that even without exceptional physical condition, you can go on beautiful rides with somewhat steep hills without being totally exhausted at the end.
Plus, you still exert physical effort, since the “pedal-assist” mode only kicks in when you pedal.
Rental possible at Club des Sports (Val Ferret, 11013 Courmayeur) Our MTB guide: Luca Marino (tel 00393393362228 / luccmareun@yahoo.it) Price: 30 € / person for 1 hour rental, decreasing prices thereafter
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L’Hermitage in Chamonix, France, 4-star hotel
This establishment, again very family-oriented as it is run by Sophie and Michel Paccard assisted by their 2 daughters, offers 3 types of accommodation according to everyone’s needs: the hotel (where I stayed), the Chalet, or the Maisonnée.
It is ideally located 5-10 minutes’ walk from the center of Chamonix, which is very convenient for going out at night or going for a walk in town. The entire hotel sports typical Savoyard decor with a cozy little accent that makes you feel immediately at home in this establishment.
A quick tour of my room:
From the balcony of my room (with typical Savoyard decor as you can see), I had a magnificent view of Mont Blanc (yes, even with the clouds)!
The wellness extra:
In the basement, there is a small wellness area currently being developed, with a sauna, jet shower, yoga room (Thursdays at 6 PM / 12 €), a children’s play area, and a massage room (treatments between 45 and 100 €).
Breakfast:
Hermitage Paccard 63 chemin du Cé 74400 Chamonix Summer price starting from 140 € / winter price starting from 210 €
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Things to do in the hotel’s vicinity:
Visit the Mer de Glace, via the Montenvers station
The ascent (about twenty minutes) to the Mer de Glace (one of the oldest glaciers in Europe) is done by an old small red cogwheel train, in operation since 1909. The railway climbs the mountainside in the middle of the forest, via tunnels dug into the rock.
The final destination, at 1913 m altitude, offers a feeling of desolation when looking at the panorama of this inexorably disappearing glacier, which reminds us forcefully of the climate changes of our era and their consequences.
To visit the Ice Cave carved directly into the glacier, you have to descend the long stairs (440 steps); I do not recommend it if you do not have decent physical condition or if you have a lot of vertigo.
However, if you are able, you absolutely must go down to visit the ice cave, in the bowels of the dying glacier. Inside, a few ice sculptures and photos retrace the life of mountaineers in the 19th century.
Mer de Glace Time required for total visit: approximately 2h30 including round-trip train Price (including round-trip train, cable car, and cave visit): 31 € for 1 adult (16+ years) / 26.40 € for 4-15 year olds)
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Splendeur des hauts Sommets Exhibition
We also went to visit the exhibition “Splendeur des hauts sommets” by Marcel Wibault, a 20th-century Chamonix mountain painter, at the Wibault Museum, during the summer of 2016.
Musée Wibault open every day from 3 PM to 7 PM, from June 18 to September 18, 2016 Chemin du Cé, Chamonix Price: 3 € / free for under-25s_
Visit Chamonix
Since the hotel is only a 5-10 minute walk from the Chamonix city center, it would be a shame not to go for a stroll there to discover the city, do some shopping, or sit at one of its many terraces.
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Notre Maison, in Cogne, Italy, 3-star hotel
It is on the side of the Italian Alps in the Aosta Valley, which I was discovering for the first time, that the home of the Celesia family is located. The good news is that all the residents of the valley also speak French, so no worries about being understood there.
This eco-hotel has a biomass power plant that produces electricity and heating for the entire establishment, using renewable sources.
A quick tour of my room:
Superior room 30 m² (with balcony) between 107 and 129 € depending on the season in half-board (full-board supplement at 25 €)
To taste at the restaurant:
A typical high-quality restaurant with local products and dishes is located in the main chalet and allows you to discover “Cogneintse” gastronomy.
The restaurant is also part of the Saveurs du Val d’Aoste Label, which I mentioned just above for the other Italian address in the Aosta Valley.
- A nice assortment of cured meats from the region.
- Barley gnocchi with Toma cheese and thyme, a “Paradisia” specialty (11 €).
- Stone-cooked meats, one of the house specialties (between 14 and 19 €).
- Stuffed guinea fowl supreme served with mashed potatoes (14 €).
- Seupetta de Cogne, a typical dish based on rice and Fontina (local cheese).
- Tegole, a typical little biscuit that can be enjoyed with Cogne cream (5 €).
- Succulent homemade ice creams (5 €).
- A large selection of regional cheeses.
- The beautiful selection of Valdostan wines (Chambave Muscat at Anselmet, Coteau Barrage and Gewürztraminer at Lo Triolet, Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle) that you absolutely must discover!
The pro tip: in the price of half-board and full-board, you can eat à la carte without restriction in the restaurant (and given the choice, it’s a great advantage).
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The extra touch: the wellness center (open for free to guests from 4 PM to 8 PM) with an indoor hydro-massage pool, sauna, Turkish bath, and a magnificent heated outdoor pool. It is also possible to book massages and treatments.
It’s also the perfect time to try a Notre Tisane honey herbal tea (3 €) to go a little further in relaxation.
Notre Maison Fraz, Cretaz 11012 Cogne, Italy Summer and winter price starting from 110 € / half-board at 82 € The extras: free wifi and a small library about Cogne and its history, accessible for free_
Things to do in the hotel’s vicinity:
- Go for a hike in Gran Paradiso, one of the valleys of the Gran Paradiso National Park, which, for the record, was formerly the hunting reserve of the House of Savoy.
It will be an opportunity to admire (from a distance, obviously) some ibexes and marmots and take a little tour to the Di Lillaz waterfall.
I hope that with all this, I have made you want to also take a trip around Mont Blanc to discover the beautiful Hôtels-Chalets de Tradition addresses, and if you also have your own tips for visiting this region, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!
Photo credits: Mademoiselle Bon Plan Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
