Chamonix, what can I say about this delightful town?
•Its small and quaint and charming.
•Its located in a picturesque setting in a valley surrounded by mountains.
•Its at the base of the tallest mountain in the Alps mountain range.
Do I need to say more?
I could go on but that mainly covers the just of it, so from this point on you can stop reading and just look at the pictures if you're pressed for time and/or you only care about the visuals.
Don't worry, I get it.
But also feel free to continue reading if you want to know more.
In terms of a brief history I'll say that the city became a part of France in 1860 at the time of Napoleon III's reign.
It is one of the oldest ski resort communities in France and was also the location of the first ever Winter Olympics, back in 1924.
The town feels like it has a character or identity that even over time has stayed close to its roots. Skiing and hiking and general outdoor activities are the name of the game there. How could they not be in that setting?
The buildings are an eclectic mix of red wood Alp style chalets, intermixed with ski resort style low rise hotels, along with Belle Epoque style buildings, the latter of which are very common throughout the country.
The main city center has been pedestrianized so you can walk around in peace without worrying about vehicles,
and there are lots of shops down the main street selling ski and hiking equipment, outdoor apparel, and souvenirs - both of the artisinal and mass produced varieties.
There is a good amount of dining options in town too, with different varieties and styles of restaurants, and there are lots of bars with outdoor patios along the main strip. The patio bars were always bumping when we passed by them in the afternoon and evening.
I saw some cafes scattered around as well and at least two ice cream parlors for a snack before or after dinner, or whenever you like really - you do you, no ice cream judgement on my part.
In the warmer months the streets and bridges and balconies are lined with planter boxes filled with colorful flowers.
Flowers really do make any setting prettier.
The Arve river passes directly through the city and the bridges that span it also make for some great look out points with some nice views.
I'd say that a river is just as good as a canal, I say that because I love canals in any city.
My sister and I spent two nights in town and casually toured it during the day between our excursions and in the evenings before and after dinner.
I saw a few houses that I thought were pretty unique, like the one below with all its windows.
I really liked this building as well with its squiggly looking architecture and the massive pot of flowers set between a forked staircase.
That's a lot of flowers!
Our meals in town were decent I'd say. We didn't make reservations but instead opted to just pop in wherever we could, so we weren't able to sit outside unfortunately.
It's pretty standard in any touristy location that you need to make a reservation if you want to eat somewhere specific and if you want to sit in a prime location like outside on the terrace.
The first dinner was actually quite good. It was at a more modern style restaurant. I had fish and the best panna cotta I've ever tried (photos above and below).
Our second meal was only so so. I have no complaints about it at all, it just wasn't very memorable. It was completely forgettable actually, as I have no idea what I ate and didn't bother taking a photo of it.
The restaurant was decorated in a large ski chalet fashion with an eclectic cottage, antique ornament decor. It felt warm and homey and would have great vibes in the colder months after spending the day skiing.
After dinner we just walked around a little to explore the town and work off some of the calories we just ate.
The walk along the river was particularly nice in the evening.
We didn't stay out late though. We had another big day of excursions on day two of our trip, so we needed to get some rest for the activities and adventures that lay ahead. But that's a story for another day.
