The Aiguille du Midi, the highest point in Chamonix

The Aiguille du Midi distributes the Panoramic Mont-Blanc cable car over the Giant glacier and is also the starting point for the Vallée Blanche ski descent to Chamonix and Montenvers, via the Mer de Glace.

Facing the Aiguille is the roof of Western Europe, the 4,810.02 metre-high Mont Blanc. Overlooking the Vallée Blanche, the Aiguille offers a unique panoramic view of Mont Blanc and the Swiss, Italian and French Alps. Most of the 4,000-metre peaks are within easy reach: the Matterhorn, the Chamonix Needles, Mont Rose, the Grandes Jorasses, the Dôme du Goûter...

To get there, a cable car links the centre of Chamonix to the summit: the Aiguille du Midi cable car. Its top station is at an altitude of 3,777 metres, on the north summit. It is open all year round, except for a few days in November when it is serviced.

To reach the summit, simply take the footbridge leading to the lift, the ice gallery and the Mont Blanc terrace. From there, there are many points of interest to explore.

If you want to experience perhaps the most thrilling part of your stay in Chamonix, head for "le pas dans le vide" which, as its name suggests, will suspend you in the void. Take the lift 42 metres up to the top terrace. Here you are at an altitude of 3,842 metres, at the closest point to the summit of Mont Blanc, which is a thrill in itself.

The "step into the void" attraction awaits you there. It's a viewpoint in the shape of a glass box suspended above the void into which you'll step, suspended 1,000 metres above the nearest mountains. The view is breathtakingly beautiful and the feeling of floating in the sky unique. For thrill-seekers, this attraction is sure to make you dizzy. Sensitive souls, please refrain!

If you're passionate about mountains, nature and wide open spaces, l'Aiguille has the first immersive 4D cinema dedicated to the mountains. The 42-seat cinema awaits you at the Aiguille du Midi departure station. To whet your appetite, take a look at the teaser for the film "L'oiseau des Cimes", currently showing.

Then, if you're looking for a moment of contemplation in the warmth of the Alps, turn your steps towards the Espace Mont Blanc, where large windows await you. The Tacul, Mont Maudit and Mont-Blanc are sure to be a sight to behold, especially if the weather that day turns blue!

If you're in the mood for a bit of culture before giving yourself over to the raw impulses of nature, there are 3 areas for you: the Espace Histoire, the Espace Vertical and the Palier Hypoxie. In the first, you'll find a retrospective on the construction of the cable car. You'll also get a view of the machinery. The second is a mountaineering museum, the highest of its kind (free admission). As for the Hypoxia Level, it explains why you run out of air as you gain altitude. And it has nothing to do with Covid!

These 4 areas are free.

Above the cable car station is the restaurant "Le 3842 ", the second highest in Europe. the second highest in Europe, the Chamonix terrace, a cafeteria and the Arvis terrace. The restaurant serves delicious, refined, traditional, home-cooked cuisine using fresh produce. The main course + dessert menu costs €39, while the entrée menu costs €51. As the restaurant is intimate (seating for 26), you will need to make a reservation.

The Summit 3842 cafeteria serves tartiflettes, homemade soups, hot and cold sandwiches, vegetarian dishes and Savoyard aperitifs.

Stopping for lunch in this unique setting, high above the peaks and their eternal snows, is sure to leave a lasting impression on your retinas, and your taste buds!

In winter, you can ski from the Aiguille du Midi down to the pretty village of Chamonix. Known as the "Vallée Blanche" descent, this off-piste itinerary is for experienced skiers only.

Guides will be on hand to guide you through the 20 km of piste and its 200 metre vertical drop. With your skis or snowboard on, enjoy an extraordinary slide between crevasses and seracs at the foot of the massif. Further down, you can also ski on the Mer de Glace, a highly reputed destination that is none other than the largest glacier in France.

The Aiguille du Mont Blanc is also a stopover on the way to Pointe Helbronner, which you can reach by the Mont Blanc cable car (Panoramic Mont-Blanc cable car). It's a grandiose experience in itself, as the cable car, suspended 3,000 m above the ground, takes you in a straight line over the Vallée Blanche and the Géant glacier to the Italian border. Once on the Helbronner peak, you're at an altitude of 3,462 metres, overlooking the Aosta Valley. Magnificent!