Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

Take the world’s highest vertical ascent cable car from the town centre to the summit of Aiguille du Midi at almost 4000 metres; the view from the needle-sharp peak is unforgettable.

Arts and culture

Catch the Mont Blanc Express through breath-taking scenery from Chamonix to Martigny on the Swiss side of the border. There you’ll find the Fondation Pierre Gianadda which has fantastic mosaics by Chagall and sculptures by Rodin and Moore among its permanent collection. There are regular concerts as well as temporary exhibitions, too (www.gianadda.ch).

Something for nothing

We love the Austin Powers Alp-chic graphics of Charlie Adam; we stood in front of the shop window chuckling at them for ages. The two official dealers in Chamonix are Design House and Aart’s Masters Galerie, both on Rue Paccard (www.bungalowgraphics.com).

Shopping

There’s a great Saturday market in Chamonix selling all manner of tasty local specialities; if you want local Beaufort, Reblochon or Morbier cheeses then this is the place to come. There are stalls selling some excellent woodcarving as well. There are seasonal markets on Mondays in Les Houches and Sundays in Argentière, too.

Daytripper

A short distance outside town is the Mont Blanc tunnel. An adventure in itself, the longest road tunnel in Europe connects the Chamonix valley with Courmeyeur on the Italian side of the Alps. There are some fantastic hot springs at Pré-Saint-Didier; there’s a wellness centre complete with hydro-massage, Turkish bath and saunas (www.termedipre.it).

Perfect picnic

The sunny south-facing side of the valley is best. There’s also an area of lakes and woodlands just outside the centre of Chamonix on Route du Bouchet where you can enjoy lunch as the paragliders drift down around you.

Walks

The valley has 200 miles of hiking trails to choose from. There are several fantastic walks downhill to Chamonix from the Montenvers train station above the Mer de Glace glacier.

Children

There are plenty of ski slopes suitable for beginners including at Les Planards where there‘s also a great summer toboggan run as well as zip wires, trampolines and go-karts. The Chamonix Ski School will take children from three years old (www.esfchamonix.com). Paradis des Praz is an excellent children’s ski park with a whole host of winter activities including snow rafting, which looks so much fun it will make the adults jealous (www.paradis-des-praz.com).

Activities

Chamonix is one of the best locations in Europe for active holidays, with a wide range of Alpine sports to choose from year-round. There are almost 100 miles of ski runs in the immediate vicinity and the resort has some of the best off-piste skiing in the Alps, particularly around Les Grands Montets. Evolution 2 organise many activities including snow-shoeing and husky mushing (www.evolution2.com). In the summer thrill-seekers can enjoy paragliding, mountaineering, hiking, mountain biking and white-water rafting. If you have the right equipment and a guide then hiking the Mer de Glace glacier is a real adventure, too. Lake Geneva is only about 40 minutes away so waterskiing and sailing are popular as well.

And

It’s possible to ski all the way to Italy from Chamonix via the Aiguille du Midi and the Vallée Blanche tramway to the Helbronner border point. From there you can ski down to Courmayeur in Italy’s Aosta Valley. Don’t forget your passport.