French Alps © Martin F@flickr CC-BY
The beautiful mountain ranges of the French Alps are a superb and well-known destination for anyone who loves winter sports with towns like Chamonix, Grenoble, Albertville and others attracting visitors from all over the world during the season. But these mountain ranges have so much more to offer tourists and this includes outdoor activities that take place all the year round.
The region is stunningly beautiful and of course with Mont Blanc as the focal point of the Alps, it is one of the most favoured mountaineering ranges in the whole of Europe. Lac Leman, the largest of the lakes is picture postcard perfect but so are Lac d’Annecy and Lac de Bourget where visitors can enjoy some of the best water sport activities they could ever hope for.
Getting to the French Alps has to be by car or by train, but there are airports not too far away in Grenoble and Lyon. By train there is the TGV and ordinary trains that all go to many of the major towns in the Alps. However, by far the best way to enjoy this region is by driving through it, because you really do get to enjoy the wonders of it that much better.
Goat in French Alps © Martin F@flickr CC-BY
There is a lot to see and do in the French Alps, with outdoor activities that include paragliding or white water rafting to name but a few. For a more leisurely activity there is golf and mountain trekking through some of the most beautiful countryside imaginable. This is where you see nature at it’s very best in a landscape that’s outstandingly beautiful.
For culinary delights the French Alps has it all, superb cuisine, lovely wines and some of the best cheeses and jambons in the whole of France. There are gastronomic restaurants dotted around the area and the ones you find in the mountains have to be the best you would ever hope to eat at all serving local produce and traditional fare that is well-known to the region.
Waterfall in French Alps © Richard Allaway@flickr CC-BY
We all think of the French Alps as a winter holiday destination, but in reality this region of France is so much more interesting during the summer too. I have spent many happy days hiking through various parts of the French Alps and have enjoyed every minute of it. I always come back from a trip here with the car fully laden with goodies and especially cheeses.
The French Alps out of season is a delightful place to visit too and although the area has become expensive to visit due to the popularity of the winter sports, you can still find some wonderful bargains when you go to the weekly markets in the villages and towns. I always think these are the best places to go and buy any supplies we might need, not only for our stay but to bring home with us too.
Town in French Alps © James Stewart@flickr CC-BY
France is a superbly diverse country that offers visitors so much in the way of tradition and culture. The French Alps are just a small part of this lovely part of Europe that has so much to offer travellers to the region. The superb landscapes and mountains as well as the food, the wines and of course the French hospitality make it a destination that has to be on the top of anyone’s list of places to visit in France.