The sea of Ice

You don't have to travel to another planet to discover a new universe. In the French Alps, near our Annecy campsites and the Swiss and Italian borders, sits the largest glacier in France: the Mer de Glace. Along with Mont Blanc, this extraordinary natural site is one of the jewels of the Chamonix valley. Travel to the heart of this 12 km long glacier whose thickness in places reaches 300 meters.

The Montenvers train

It's difficult to allow more than a million people to contemplate the Mer de Glace every year. If you do not practice mountaineering, do not panic: everything has been thought of to guarantee you a unique experience without much effort. From Chamonix, you just need to take a funicular train that will take you there: the Montenvers train. This train was put into service in 1908. Before boarding, reach the terrace of the station café and enjoy your hot drink to warm up. From the terrace, the panorama is magnificent, with several peaks over 3400 m above sea level in front of you such as the Grandes Jorasses, the Drus and the Aiguille du Grépon. Have you dreamt of this moment? Take the train, the glacier is waiting for you.

The Ice Cave

Did you have a good trip ? Once again, enjoy the scenery offered by the Mer de Glace. Inside the glacier, you can visit an ice cave. Nature does things well, but man is also capable of great prowess: mother nature is the one who carved this cave with her own hands. And she has to get back to work to resist the advance of the glacier, 70 meters each year. Yes, the more than 400 steps of ice to climb to access the cave are worth the effort.

The Glaciorium

Admit that it would be a shame to turn around without knowing the secrets of the Mer de Glace. All the mysteries linked to 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 about the fragility of glaciers and, more generally, of our planet. It illustrates wonderfully the impact of human activity on the environment, and shows us how humans have learned to adapt to this atypical environment. The glaciorium was designed for educational purposes so that all visitors, including children, can find all the answers to their questions.

Have you recovered from your emotions? Continue your Savoyard exploration by visiting the Seythenex cave and waterfall !