Where in the World is Chamonix?

Before the wedding invitation arrived, I had never heard of Chamonix. Upon learning where the wedding was taking place, my initial reaction was something like, "Sha-moo-what?!" I proceeded to look it up on Google maps to ascertain its geographic location. After all, France is one of the larger European countries in terms of land area. I discovered that Chamonix (formally called Chamonix-Mont-Blanc), is a popular destination for winter sport enthusiasts located in the Haute Savoie department of the Rhône-Alpes region in the southeastern corner of France. The first Winter Olympics in 1924 was held here.

Very close to the Swiss and Italian borders, Chamonix's location shaped the itinerary of the rest of our trip.

Since we were there in August, our experience was not of a winter wonderland run amok with ski bums. Instead, it was characterized by heavy green foliage, sunny breaks and downpours, and hikers and rock climbers. During the summer months, visitors enjoy an incredible amount of hiking and mountain biking trail options.

Participants of the Fête des Guides savoring the elusive sunshine by the Lacs des Gaillands.

While there is a village called Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Chamonix is actually a commune comprised of 16 villages and hamlets.  The chateau that we stayed at with most of the wedding party was located in one called Les Gaillands. It was not that far from Chamonix proper, or what they call Centre Ville. It was about a 20-minute walk for my short legs to get there.

S looking out from our attic room's window towards Route des Gaillands.

This place is a nature-lover's mecca. The mountains tower over everything, and the Arve river cuts and tumbles through town at an impressive clip. The center of town itself is a busy network of narrow streets and pedestrian-only alleys with plenty of shops, hotels, and restaurants. We didn't get to explore as much as we had wanted in the three nights that we were there, but we did get the chance to dine out twice. To some extent, this place reminded me of Whistler in British Columbia. S also commented, "This is what Leavenworth (WA) wants to become."

Took this photo of the bustling main street of Centre Ville on our first night as we walked around looking for a place to eat dinner at.

The River Arve looked angrier on our last day.

 I would love the opportunity to come back in the winter when the ski runs are open and the whole place is covered in snow. Chamonix is ideally located in the corner of France that is blessed with great beauty, guarded by dizzying mountains, and straddled by borders of two other countries giving visitors more options for exploring.