| French Alps | |
| Range | |
 |
|
| Countries | France, Italy |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Mont Blanc |
| - elevation | 4,810.9 m (15,784 ft) |
| - coordinates | 45°50′01″N 06°51′54″E / 45.83361°N 6.865°E |
| Geology | Bündner schist, flysch, molasse |
| Orogeny | Alpine orogeny |
| Period | Tertiary |
 Ranges of the French Alps,
with the Prealps ranges highlighted in orange. |
|
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions.
Mont Blanc (Italian: Monte Bianco), located on the French-Italian border, is the highest mountain in the Alps as well as the highest mountain in Europe at 4,810 metres (15,781 ft).
Notable towns in the French Alps include Grenoble, Chamonix, Annecy, and Chambéry.
Contents |
| Chain | Range | Highest Summit | Elevation (m/ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graian Alps | Mont-Blanc Massif | Mont Blanc | 4,810 metres (15,781 ft) |
| Graian Alps | Beaufortain Massif | Roignais | 2,995 metres (9,826 ft) |
| Graian Alps | Lauzière Massif | Lauzière Peak | 2,829 metres (9,281 ft) |
| Graian Alps | Grand Paradis Massif | Grand Paradis | 4,061 metres (13,323 ft) |
| Graian Alps | Vanoise Massif | Grande Casse | 3,855 metres (12,648 ft) |
| Dauphiné Alps | Belledonne | Belledonne Peak | 2,977 metres (9,767 ft) |
| Dauphiné Alps | Grandes Rousses | Bayle Peak | 3,465 metres (11,368 ft) |
| Dauphiné Alps | Arves Massif | Aiguilles d'Arves | 3,514 metres (11,529 ft) |
| Dauphiné Alps | Taillefer Massif | Taillefer Peak | 2,857 metres (9,373 ft) |
| Dauphiné Alps | Écrins Massif | Barre des Écrins | 4,102 metres (13,458 ft) |
| Cottian Alps | Mont Cenis Massif | Pointe de Ronce | 3,612 metres (11,850 ft) |
| Cottian Alps | Cerces Massif | Grand Galibier | 3,229 metres (10,594 ft) |
| Cottian Alps | Queyras Massif | Rochebrune Peak | 3,320 metres (10,892 ft) |
| Cottian Alps | Ubaye Massif (Orrenaye) | Aiguille de Chambeyron | 3,411 metres (11,191 ft) |
| Maritime Alps | Mercantour Massif | Cime du Gélas | 3,143 metres (10,312 ft) |
| Maritime Alps | Pelat Massif | Mont Pelat | 3,050 metres (10,007 ft) |
| Maritime Alps | Massif des Trois-Évêchés | Tête de l'Estrop | 2,961 metres (9,715 ft) |
| Ligurian Alps | Ligurian Alps | Pointe Marguareis | 2,651 metres (8,698 ft) |
| Savoy Prealps | Chablais Alps | Hauts-Forts | 2,464 metres (8,084 ft) |
| Savoy Prealps | Haut-Giffre Massif | Haute Cime | 3,257 metres (10,686 ft) |
| Savoy Prealps | Aiguilles Rouges | Aiguille du Belvédère | 2,965 metres (9,728 ft) |
| Savoy Prealps | Bornes | Pointe Blanche | 2,438 metres (7,999 ft) |
| Savoy Prealps | Aravis Range | Pointe Percée | 2,750 metres (9,022 ft) |
| Savoy Prealps | Bauges | Arcalod | 2,217 metres (7,274 ft) |
| Savoy Prealps | Chartreuse Mountains | Chamechaude | 2,082 metres (6,831 ft) |
| Dauphiné Prealps | Vercors Mountains | Grand Veymont | 2,341 metres (7,680 ft) |
| Dauphiné Prealps | Diois Mountains | Mont Jocou | 2,051 metres (6,729 ft) |
| Dauphiné Prealps | Dévoluy Mountains | Grande Tête de l'Obiou | 2,789 metres (9,150 ft) |
| Provence Prealps | Bochaine | Mont Céüse | 2,016 metres (6,614 ft) |
| Provence Prealps | Digne Prealps | Les Monges | 2,115 metres (6,939 ft) |
| Provence Prealps | Baronnies | Mont Mare | 1,603 metres (5,259 ft) |
| Provence Prealps | Vaucluse Mountains | Signal de Saint-Pierre | 1,256 metres (4,121 ft) |
| Provence Prealps | Luberon Mountains | Mourre Nègre | 1,125 metres (3,691 ft) |
| Maritime Prealps | Castellan Prealps | Puy de Rent | 1,996 metres (6,549 ft) |
| Maritime Prealps | Nice Prealps | Pointe des Trois Communes | 2,080 metres (6,824 ft) |
The largest connected ski areas are :
(ski areas ranked according to the number of marked runs; figure more reliable than the traditional number of km given by the resorts themselves). (2005).
The other large alpine ski areas are:
The French Alps are part of the large European chain of mountains know as the Alps. They are primarily known for their outdoor activities, which include skiing and mountaineering. Lesser know but still popular sports in the region include white water rafting, golf and paragliding. The region is also noted for its stunning beauty, including many alpine lakes, the largest being Lake Geneva (Lac Leman), Lac d'Annecy and Lac de Bourget; these lakes are year-round attractions for their beauty and access to numerous water sports.
The French portion of the mountains are also home to famous resorts towns Chamonix, St. Gervais, Albertville, Grenoble where the Olympic Games took place in 1968, and Annecy with its old city and lake.
The French Alps are well connected to the rest of the country. It has an international airport nearby of Grenoble (Grenoble Isère Airport) [1], also Lyon and every cities has a direct TGV (fast train) to Paris. Many towns are also connected by TGV or ordinary trains. There are also highways in many valleys. There is also the international airport of Geneva (Switzerland) nearby.
More French Alps ski resorts [2]
The beautiful terrain around the French Alps means that there is plenty to do all year round and that people can try a range of diverse and exciting activities. The area is of course most famous for its skiing however visitors flock to the area for a variety of other activities including mountain biking.
The French Alps have also great many restaurants and are especially famous for its numerous varieties of cheese.
In recent years the over popularity of the Alps, particularly for skiing has led to very high prices, especially for drinks. It is not unusual to pay more than €4 for a small glass of beer in a mountain bar.
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