Discover The best picnic spots in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc

Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc offers a wide variety of places for a fantastic mountain picnic! Discover our selection of the best places to picnic in summer, spring or autumn. Whether you’re with family, friends, as a couple or on your own, accessible by gondola, shuttle bus, at the end of a long hike or just a leisurely stroll, you’re bound to find a picnic spot to suit your fancy!

Lac de joux A picnic by the water

A rare sight in the region, Lac de Joux is an artificial lake created for snowmaking in winter and to supply water to the Alpage de Joux in summer. Although swimming is not permitted, it’s the ideal setting for a 5-star picnic! Accessible on foot or by mountain bike, via the Mont d’Arbois gondola for a short itinerary or from various hiking trails for a longer approach walk, picnicking at Lac de Joux will delight everyone. At lunchtime, during the summer months, you can end the day with a delicious homemade dessert on the terrace of the nearby joux mountain pasture. In the evening, the sunsets over the Aravis range offer a breathtaking spectacle and the most beautiful light to enjoy an open-air dinner (don’t forget your headlamp for the return to the valley).

Le Mont d'Arbois A gondola-accessible picnic

Mont d’Arbois is probably the most accessible spot for a picnic at the top of the mountain! During the gondola season, you can take to the top quickly and effortlessly thanks to the gondolas. Departing from Saint-Gervais or Le Fayet, or from the last section at Le Bettex, this great accessibility makes it an ideal spot for a picnic facing Mont-Blanc with small children or those in poor physical condition! The little extra for a picnic at Mont d’Arbois: the ninja course, a fun play area for young and old alike, where they can exercise their agility on various modules, a zip line, slides and more. A short walk to the ” lunch stone” mountain pasture, among cows and horses, will allow you to stock up on fresh mountain cheese direct from the producer.

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The summit of Mont-Joly A picnic for sports enthusiasts

For hikers and picnickers, Mont-Joly is the place to be! With a breathtaking view of Mont-Blanc and its massif on one side, the Fiz on the other, and the Aravis range on the other, a 360° panorama awaits you for a sensational show during your well-deserved picnic once you’ve reached the summit. Mont-Joly is a demanding hike, but it can be done in many different ways. The least strenuous itinerary starts from the Bettex/Mont d’Arbois gondola, as the gradient is less and the more gradual approach via the Mont Joux ridges provides a gentler start. There’s also a signposted itinerary from Saint-Nicolas de Véroce: a grandiose hike guaranteed!

Mont-Joly from Saint-Nicolas de Véroce +

The Miage circus A picnic in the heart of the mountains

There are places in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc that leave no one indifferent, and Miage is undoubtedly one of these unique places – perhaps even the most beautiful picnic spot in the Alps! Located in a hidden valley, in the heart of a protected natural area, the hamlet of miage offers an idyllic setting for your picnic tête-à-tête with the iconic peaks of the Mont-Blanc massif, such as the Dômes de Miage and the beautiful Aiguille de Bionnassay, which rises to over 4,000 meters! There are several ways to get to Miage, the most classic being from La Gruvaz, but you can also start from the hamlet of Champel, from Bionnassay, from La Frasse (in Contamines Montjoie) or even make loops via the Col de Tricot or Mont Truc…. In short, there are numerous itineraries to choose from, depending on your mood and physical condition!

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Le Prarion A picnic on the Mont Blanc Tramway

What’s not to love about the Tramway du Mont-Blanc when you’re visiting Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc in summer? In operation for most of the summer season, taking the tramway can allow you to wait for several destinations, saving you precious hours of approach to the most remote spots. Le Prarion is an ideal place to enjoy a breath of fresh air during your picnic, allowing you to admire a panorama straddling the Chamonix valley with its Aiguillles and the Montjoie valley with its Mont-Blanc massif and the normal route taken to reach the roof of Europe! Once you’ve reached the summit, either from the Col de Voza station for tramway users, or from the Crozat parking lot for non-vehicle hikers, all that’s left to do is enjoy the imposing mountain in front of you, and why not respectfully explore the protected natural areas in the area, such as the Espace Naturel Sensible du Mont-Lachat.