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FRENCH ALPS
The Alps, of all French regions, can truly claim to be of year-round interest. Cloaked in a snowy blanket all winter, by spring the mountains start revealing their hidden charms.
Environment dictates the way of life; the rural economy evolved around the seasonal migration of animals from high summer pastures to overwinter in traditional Alpine houses. Today, tourism offers outdoor activities to suit every season. However the old ways are preserved in the food and architecture. In the south, on the banks of the Isère, lies the medieval city of Grenoble, now an industrial centre. Its attractions include the Musée de la Résistance, a reminder that the wild countryside of the nearby Vercors was a wartime refuge. South-east lies the skiing area of Alpe-d'Huez and les Deux-Alpes, the Ecrins National Park and Europe's highest town, Briançon. Although snow can linger for six months in St Veran, close to the Italian border, this charming medieval village basks in 300 days of sunshine per year. North from Grenoble is Chambéry and the scenic Chartreuse countryside which lends its name to a green liqueur. To the east lies Albertville and medieval Conflans; Beaufort, famed for its tasty cheese and, high up, the ski resorts of Courcheval and Val d'Isère and Vanois National Park. Continuing northwards, on Lac du Bourget lies Aix-les-Bains; visitors have sought the restorative powers of its waters since Roman times. As the contours climb, the famous Mont Blanc peak can be spied and, ultimately, the lakeside town of Annecy is reached, giving access to the ski areas of Megève and Chamonix, while by vast Lac Leman Lake Geneva sit medieval Yvoire and the spa towns of Évian and Thonon-les-Bains.
main pic Lake Annecy
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