15 inspiring photos of Mont-Blanc viewed from afar

Mont-Blanc is Western Europe’s highest mountain at an altitude of 4.810 m (15,781 ft) above sea level. Located on the French-Italian border, its breathtaking peaks and glaciers overlook the lively resort town of Chamonix and the Arve Valley. The summit of Mont-Blanc is a snow dome where temperatures rarely rise above 0 °C (32 °F). Considered the birthplace and symbol of modern mountaineering, its massif covers a surface of approximately 400 km2 in three countries: France, Italy and Switzerland. Here is a selection of 10 photos of Mont-Blanc seen from afar…

Mont-Blanc is visible from far away

Mont-Blanc is the first mountain I’ve been to when I was 5 years old. Since then I have been fascinated by the snow-capped peaks of the Alps. I would get excited each time I saw the white mass of Mont-Blanc, whether from the Jura or from the Vosges. This post is about this little thing I have for mountain views and is a collection of photos of Mont-Blanc I took in the East of France.

17 peaks have an altitude of at least 4,000 m above sea level, including Mont-Blanc de Courmayeur (4,748 m), Mont Maudit (4,465 m), Dôme du Goûter (4,304 m), Mont-Blanc du Tacul (4,248 m), Grandes Jorasses (4,208 m), Aiguille Verte (4,122 m) and Dent du Géant (4,013 m). The needle called ‘Aiguille du Midi’ rises at 3,843 m and is reached by one of Europe’s highest cable-cars.

The Mont-Blanc massif is visible from many places in or outside the Alps: from Geneva to Grenoble and from Lyon to Dijon. From the summits of the Vosges, the Jura and the Massif Central, the iconic mountain is also visible under good weather conditions. However, contrary to urban legend, it has never been possible to see Mont-Blanc from the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris partly due to atmospheric refraction and mainly because the two sites are too far away from each other. Here are 10 photos showing the spectacular white mass of Mont-Blanc emerging above the surrounding mountains of the Alps and their location.

10 Photos of Mont-Blanc viewed from afar

1. Semnoz Mountain (Haute-Savoie)

Mont-Blanc from the summit of the Semnoz Mountain above Annecy (Haute-Savoie) – 60 km in a straight line:

2. Sous-Dine Mountain (Haute-Savoie)

Mont-Blanc from the Sous-Dine mountain near Thorens-Glières and Annecy (Haute-Savoie) – 45 km in a straight line:

3. Parmelan Mountain (Haute-Savoie)

Mont-Blanc from the Parmelan mountain between Thorens-Glières and Annecy (Haute-Savoie) – 50 km in a straight line:

4. Mount Salève (Haute-Savoie)

Mont-Blanc from the summit of the Salève Mountain above Geneva (Switzerland) – 63 km in a straight line:

5. Sallanches (Haute-Savoie)

Mont-Blanc from the hamlet of Lintre above Sallanches (Haute-Savoie)  – 24 km in a straight line.

6. Aravis Pass (Haute-Savoie, Savoie)

Mont-Blanc from the Aravis Pass (Col des Aravis), altitude 1,486 m above La Clusaz (Haute-Savoie/Savoie) – 30 km in a straight line:

7. Le Môle Mountain (Haute-Savoie)

Mont-Blanc from the summit of Le Môle (Haute-Savoie) in the Genevois area – 44 km in a straight line:

8. Les Arcs (Savoie)

Mont-Blanc from the ski resort of Les Arcs (Savoie) in the Tarentaise – 29 km in a straight line:

9. Village of Cercier (Haute-Savoie)

Mont-Blanc from the village of Cercier (Haute-Savoie) in the Genevois area – 66 km in a straight line. The bridge seen is the monumental Pont de la Caille:

10. Grand-Ballon (Haut-Rhin)

Mont-Blanc from Grand-Ballon, the highest summit of the Vosges mountains in Alsace – 231 km in a straight line.

Only 10 photos? Well, that’s not enough really… here are a few more pics from other photographers:

11. Col de la Faucille (Ain)

Mont-Blanc from the Faucille Pass (Col de la Faucille) in the Jura mountains above Gex and Geneva – 88 km in a straight line:

12. Lyon (Rhône)

Mont-Blanc from Lyon – 157 km in a straight line:

13. Geneva (Switzerland)

Mont-Blanc from the lakefront of Geneva (Switzerland) – 70 km in a straight line:

14. Mount Grand Colombier (Ain)

Mont-Blanc from the summit of the Grand Colombier mountain (Ain) – 85 km in a straight line:

15. Grenoble (Isère)

Mont-Blanc from the Bastille fort above Grenoble (Isère) – 113 km in a straight line:

Lastly, this website is incredible! It gives you all the spots in Europe from where you can see the summit of mont Blanc (the clear areas of the map). 

If you are enjoying photos of Mont-Blanc, these articles might interest you too: Chamonix, Mont-Blanc and the French Alps.

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