Chamonix - No Chance To Be Bored!

The main attraction in Chamonix � Mont Blanc is obviously the Alps, which allow the resort to offer 71 exhilarating ski trails. The most popular skiing and snowboarding areas are found in Valle-Blanche, Grands Montets, and Le Brevent. With 20 red runs and 13 black runs to ski on, even the best skiers will find interesting challenges to face. Beginners will find nice nursery slopes in any of the three smaller ski areas of the resort, and confirmed adventurers will certainly love the off-trail skiing opportunities. Snowboarding, snowmobiling, sleigh riding and other fun winter activities are all readily available for those in need of a break from ski.

Chamonix is not just a skiing paradise. It is an attractive mountain town where, thanks to a robust tourism business, one can find the genuine charm of a traditional French village in a very sophisticated way. It is easily accessible from Italy and Switzerland so it makes a convenient stopover for travelers. Confirmed history aficionados will be happy to spend hours in the Alpine Museum, where great discoveries are to be made. Photographers will love to ride in the red cog-wheel train that allows them to take pictures of the magnificent Sea of Ice, which is also known as the Mer de Glace glacier.

Then, if you want to see photos of other photographers, try Galerie Mario Colonel. Mario Colonel specializes in mountain photography, for he is a professional photographer as well as a professional mountaineer. He has been living in Chamonix for the past 20 years but cannot stay in place, he is a authentic summit explorer. He literally trekked all over the world, including Bolivia, Canada, Patagonia and the Himalayas.

If you are into graphic arts, Gallery Midnight is definitely not to be missed to discover the artistic offer of this ski resort. Featured are the modern oils and lithographs from the resident artists Andy Parkins and Johny Midnight. This gallery enjoys a central location and certainly takes advantage of it: every Wednesday night is drink night where you can go to meet artists and, you would've guessed, have a drink. This gallery, located right behind the Alpine Museum in Rue Whymper, opens every afternoon except Mondays.

The aprs-ski in Chamonix can be exhilarating. Dedicated partygoers have plenty of choices: there is the today very popular Arbat with live pop and folk music and, for live jazz or country music, The Blue is the place to go. Le Pele disco gathers a very young crowd and is open until the early morning hours. Le Choucas Video Bar, a popular English-speakers meeting joints, is normally also quite crowded. These days, one of the most popular places to go out in Chamonix is the Jeckyll Bar and Restaurant where party animals keep coming back because, even with its widescreen plasma TV and its new menu, it has preserved a touch of its Irish influence.

If your hard-core partying days are over, you might find the crowd at Le Privilge more enjoyable, on rue des Moulins. Live acoustic bands play in its very interesting dcor and there are also regular DJ nights for people who want to dance. Aficionados of ales, pilsners and other beers need not to miss the collection of MBC, a microbrewery.

After doing all that, you will certainly want to end your day in one of the many hotels or residences of Chamonix � Mont Blanc, to replenish your energy reserve in preparation for tomorrow!