6 Day Classic Catered Package - Chamonix Valley

Chamonix is not a resort that was designed around skiing. It is a mountain town with centuries of history, and that distinction is part of its appeal. Sitting beneath Mont Blanc, it has long attracted climbers, guides, alpinists and adventurers from around the world. For decades it was known as the ski-bum capital of the world — a place where serious mountain people came for the climbing, skiing and freedom, and often stayed for the lifestyle.

That spirit has not disappeared, although Chamonix has changed considerably. Today the town is distinctly cosmopolitan, with an international crowd, smart hotels, independent shops, excellent restaurants and a surprisingly good collection of micro-brasseries. Yet walk a few streets away from the centre and there is still something wonderfully rough around the edges. You can sit outside with a beer, watch guides carrying ropes through town and feel that you are part of a story that began long before modern ski tourism arrived.

Chamonix is also home to ENSA, the École Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme, where France's ski instructors and mountain guides are trained. The presence of the school reflects something fundamental about the valley: this is a place where the mountains are taken seriously. If you want to understand Chamonix properly, it is worth experiencing it with a local mountain guide. Whether that means ski touring, an off-piste day or simply discovering parts of the valley beyond the marked pistes, a guide can reveal a side of Chamonix that is easy to miss from the lifts.

The skiing itself is another story. Chamonix's lift system is old-fashioned in comparison with the slick, interconnected network of somewhere like the Three Valleys. Getting between the different areas can involve buses, queues and a little patience, and you certainly cannot spend the day cruising effortlessly from one end of the valley to the other. But that is also part of the character. The reward is a collection of very different mountain experiences, from the high-alpine terrain around Grands Montets to the wooded slopes of Les Houches and the legendary off-piste routes that have made Chamonix famous.

Back in town, the après-ski scene is lively without feeling manufactured, while the restaurant scene has developed into one of the valley's real strengths. Alongside traditional Savoyard cooking, you will find ambitious contemporary restaurants, intimate bistros and atmospheric micro-brasseries where the emphasis is as much on good food and local atmosphere as it is on being seen.

Chamonix is therefore difficult to sum up as simply a ski resort. It is a living mountain town with an unmistakable identity — part alpine history, part international meeting place, and still, underneath it all, a little bit wild.