Mer de Glace on Postcard

"Snaking, cracking, shimmering a brilliant blue in places and covered by mystical frost in others, the Mer de Glace displays nature in all its powerful glory. France’s longest glacier stretches for 4.3miles and is over 650 feet deep. Quite literally a sea of ice, it continues to move under its own weight; its surfaces break up, crevasses appear, and pointed columns of ice known as seracs burst from the surface. Though this glacier continues to amaze,it’s slowly being decimated byclimate change—in 1988, you only had toclimb down three steps to reach the ice grotto, which is carved out every spring; now, the ice has receded so much that you have to tackle 430 steps."

The Best Things to Do in Chamonix

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@afar

"Snaking, cracking, shimmering a brilliant blue in places and covered by mystical frost in others, the Mer de Glace displays nature in all its powerful glory. France’s longest glacier stretches for 4.3miles and is over 650 feet deep. Quite literally a sea of ice, it continues to move under its own weight; its surfaces break up, crevasses appear, and pointed columns of ice known as seracs burst from the surface. Though this glacier continues to amaze,it’s slowly being decimated byclimate change—in 1988, you only had toclimb down three steps to reach the ice grotto, which is carved out every spring; now, the ice has receded so much that you have to tackle 430 steps."

The Alpine Attractions of Chamonix

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tOngz NP

Google

Magnificent and impressive glacier located in the French Alps. The atmosphere showcases the grandeur and power of nature, making a trip to Mer de Glace a must see when in the area.

T S

Google

Didn’t find it very exciting or educational. However in a clear day it would be well worth the views. I think my favourite part was the gondolas. Probably perfect for families and kids as it’s more safe than the winter sports

Sarah Granot

Google

It was a mind-blowing experience, specifically the museum and good service! The train is cute, and there is beautiful scenery!

Murray Fenwick

Google

We purchased a Aiguille de midi multi one day pass and took the cog railway up to the Mer de Glacé glacier after we had done the Aiguille de midi gondola. The Mer de Glacé is a spectacular glacial valley with the train taking you the a high point from where you need to descend via gondola down into the valley. The glacier has receded so much that the gondola end point is no longer near the glacier. You need to descend another 500 or so steps down to the ice. This trip is well worth the effort. Every summer a cave is carved into the glacier so you can walk inside and explore the inside of a glacier. This experience was incredible. This area can get very busy with tourists The walk back up the stairs is strenuous but is suitable for families. The climb back up to the gondola on a sunny day is in full sun. Bring sunscreen, water and definitely a camera.

Robert

Google

Bittersweet experience. I went up to the top station of the rack railway thinking I would enjoy the scenery and the views from the high ground above Chamonix and the valley, and it was certainly worth it. However, I was very negatively surprised that tunnels are continually being made into the glacier to allow tourists access. I am surprised that in the current context of rising temperatures and lack of snowfall, no measures are being taken to mitigate the disappearance of the glacier, but that on the contrary, they are constantly drilling holes in it in order to continue charging tourists for entry. It is very sad that economic exploitation prevails over the conservation of the site.

Steven Kemp

Google

An amazing trip to visit, and go inside, a glacier that's unfortunately melting faster and faster every year. As the glacier has fallen by more than 800m over the years, it's a bit of a trek to get there and back. You start off on the mountain train from Gare du Montenvers. From there you take a cable car down into the valley. Then it's around 50 flights of stairs down to the glacier itself. It's well worth the effort, as long as you're fit enough. You can go at your own pace, and there are plenty of small platforms where you can stop for a rest, and pretend you're admiring the view 😊

Abdul Salam

Google

It is a great spot which you can visit from Chamonix by taking a red beautiful train. The station lies just behind the main chamonix mont Blanc station. The whole trip can be done in 3-4 hours. The train takes you from breathtaking views uphill, and then you have to take a cable car downwards. And then you need to take a lot of steps/staircase, which requires some physical fitness, especially when coming back.

Rowan Johnson

Google

Very good. Ice sculptures were excellent and your could drink the water and lick the ice inside of the glacier itself. Overall i would definitely recommend this place,But the glacier isn't an all day thing look at spending 30 minutes to an hour here.

tOngz NP

Google

Magnificent and impressive glacier located in the French Alps. The atmosphere showcases the grandeur and power of nature, making a trip to Mer de Glace a must see when in the area.

T S

Google

Didn’t find it very exciting or educational. However in a clear day it would be well worth the views. I think my favourite part was the gondolas. Probably perfect for families and kids as it’s more safe than the winter sports

Sarah Granot

Google

It was a mind-blowing experience, specifically the museum and good service! The train is cute, and there is beautiful scenery!

Murray Fenwick

Google

We purchased a Aiguille de midi multi one day pass and took the cog railway up to the Mer de Glacé glacier after we had done the Aiguille de midi gondola. The Mer de Glacé is a spectacular glacial valley with the train taking you the a high point from where you need to descend via gondola down into the valley. The glacier has receded so much that the gondola end point is no longer near the glacier. You need to descend another 500 or so steps down to the ice. This trip is well worth the effort. Every summer a cave is carved into the glacier so you can walk inside and explore the inside of a glacier. This experience was incredible. This area can get very busy with tourists The walk back up the stairs is strenuous but is suitable for families. The climb back up to the gondola on a sunny day is in full sun. Bring sunscreen, water and definitely a camera.

Robert

Google

Bittersweet experience. I went up to the top station of the rack railway thinking I would enjoy the scenery and the views from the high ground above Chamonix and the valley, and it was certainly worth it. However, I was very negatively surprised that tunnels are continually being made into the glacier to allow tourists access. I am surprised that in the current context of rising temperatures and lack of snowfall, no measures are being taken to mitigate the disappearance of the glacier, but that on the contrary, they are constantly drilling holes in it in order to continue charging tourists for entry. It is very sad that economic exploitation prevails over the conservation of the site.

Steven Kemp

Google

An amazing trip to visit, and go inside, a glacier that's unfortunately melting faster and faster every year. As the glacier has fallen by more than 800m over the years, it's a bit of a trek to get there and back. You start off on the mountain train from Gare du Montenvers. From there you take a cable car down into the valley. Then it's around 50 flights of stairs down to the glacier itself. It's well worth the effort, as long as you're fit enough. You can go at your own pace, and there are plenty of small platforms where you can stop for a rest, and pretend you're admiring the view 😊

Abdul Salam

Google

It is a great spot which you can visit from Chamonix by taking a red beautiful train. The station lies just behind the main chamonix mont Blanc station. The whole trip can be done in 3-4 hours. The train takes you from breathtaking views uphill, and then you have to take a cable car downwards. And then you need to take a lot of steps/staircase, which requires some physical fitness, especially when coming back.

Rowan Johnson

Google

Very good. Ice sculptures were excellent and your could drink the water and lick the ice inside of the glacier itself. Overall i would definitely recommend this place,But the glacier isn't an all day thing look at spending 30 minutes to an hour here.

Julie C.

Yelp

The Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) is the largest glacier in France, 7km long and 200m deep and is one of the biggest attractions in the Chamonix Valley. To access the Mer de Glace and the Ice Cave in Chamonix, take the train of the Montenvers from Chamonix town center (Gare du Montenvers). The 20 minute train ride is relaxing, but once you reach the top, you'll have to take a cable car down & continue to climb down about 400 steps to see the ice cave.

Ramesh D.

Yelp

Beautiful place we took the Montenvers train from Chamonix and reached the mer de Glace only to know that they closed early due to olympic light activities. The views at the top were gorgeous!! The 20-minute train ride was one of the beautiful rides !!

J L.

Yelp

Visited on a Wednesday, early January 2023. Cute little red train, with big windows takes you to the top. From there you take a gondola down to the bottom, from there walk to glacier. Extremely beautiful.

Jennifer S.

Yelp

A must see. Bring water and a jacket for inside the cave. Squeeze this into your multi-pass. This 1,913m glacier will have your jaw dropping from this unique sites. Allow for enough time to enjoy this beautiful place.

Mer de Glace

Mer de Glace

Photos

Highlights

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