| In all the world there are, of course, a number of | | | | canvas that inspired the urbane citizens of London, |
| luxury ski holidays to be found but for the most | | | | Geneva and Paris to make their pilgrimage to the |
| discerning skiers it is ski holidays in Europe, and | | | | austere and intimidating peaks of Chamonix. |
| specifically French ski holidays, that offer the premier | | | | For most this involved simply marveling at the |
| skiing experience. Within this for a truly spectacular | | | | majesty of the mountains and musing in awe on both |
| experience you should visit Chamonix, the 'Capital of | | | | the natural and (more eerily) the supernatural - the |
| the Alps'. | | | | dragons said to inhabit the ice caves above. The |
| And the beauty of the area is not only apparent in | | | | more adventurous dared to venture out onto the |
| the day time. The celestial canvas at night is a | | | | Mer de Glace, accompanied by their local 'pirates' - |
| dazzling array of sparkling pinpricks, each flickering | | | | the nautical title the glacier guides had given |
| dot combining to illuminate the magnificent peaks of | | | | themselves - and witness the waves of ice in person. |
| the Aiguille du Midi and looming Mont Blanc in a | | | | The scientists may have been fascinated, but it was |
| monochrome mountain masterpiece. | | | | the stories they brought back, tales of immense |
| The same effect inspired Vincent Van Gogh to paint | | | | glaciers and stunning landscapes, that mesmerized the |
| his famous depiction of the night sky of Saint Remy | | | | artists. As the melodrama of the Romantic age bit |
| in 1889. | | | | deep, Chamonix became a natural wonder that had |
| If you are looking for a luxury ski chalet in a top | | | | to be beheld. Lord Byron and Percy Shelley came |
| class ski resort then you will find such | | | | here and were intensely affected by the grandeur |
| accommodation in Chamonix, offering the very best | | | | they saw. Mary Shelley sent her monster-incarnate |
| amenities to be found in French ski chalets anywhere. | | | | hero out onto the Chamonix glacier at the end of |
| Chamonix represents a perfect blend of quiet | | | | Frankenstein. As the literary reports and landscape |
| location, easy accessibility and modern luxurious | | | | paintings such luminaries sent back home captured |
| facilities, whether it is for a winter ski holiday, a | | | | the imagination of the British public, so Chamonix |
| summer activity break or an autumnal artistic retreat. | | | | became a key fixture on the European Grand Tour |
| Chamonix offers the choice on the one hand to shut | | | | and the Alpine tourist industry was borne. |
| out the stresses of life, re-charge your batteries and | | | | With a tourist legacy stretching back over 250 years, |
| experience your own retreat in one of the most | | | | Chamonix is arguably 'the capital' of the Alps. It still |
| re-energising locations anywhere; or, on the other | | | | attracts swathes of visitors each year and does so |
| hand, you can ratchet up the energy flow and spend | | | | the whole year-round. In keeping with its status, it |
| the daylight hours 'working out' in one of the world's | | | | remains a very cosmopolitan place. People from all |
| most extreme and picturesque 'gyms' before strolling | | | | points of the globe converge on the town and from |
| down to Barrd'Up or MBC to party the night away! | | | | varieties of life. Here you will see students on the |
| Chamonix is particularly suitable for: | | | | tightest of budget camping underneath the boulders |
| * Families looking for room for their youngsters, yet | | | | they will spend all day climbing or the 'high society' |
| requiring accessible restaurants and slopes | | | | from Geneva sipping on Champagne at the opening |
| * Corporate groups wanting space to focus, yet also | | | | of a local artist's exhibition. Yet the goal is common - |
| not wanting to miss out on the party | | | | to soak up and draw energy from the most stunning |
| * Groups of friends needing somewhere to chill out | | | | and extreme scenery in Europe. Frequented by the |
| before re-engaging with the frenzy of action | | | | rich and famous, poor and infamous, and every tier |
| The town of Chamonix actually owes a lot to Art. | | | | in-between, it is no wonder why Chamonix is one of |
| Science may have motivated its first Alpine visitors, | | | | the most re-visited places on the planet. |
| but it was the artistic renditions through word or | | | | |