Lovers of the outdoors would relish a moment of fresh air, peace, quiet, and the numerous activities and pleasures hidden in a summer mountain exploration. This summer, we have decided to take you on a discovery of some of our favorite mountain destinations.
Le Grand-Bornand, Haute-Savoie
Winter and summer alike, Le Grand-Bornand is the French family resort par excellence. Located between Chamonix and Annecy, this typical Haute-Savoie village offers a large number of summer activities for young and old alike: climbing, golf, Nordic walking or hiking, paragliding, tree climbing, fishing, tennis… Summer in Grand-Bornand promises to be sporty!
Here, nature is generous. It is especially for the landscape that visitors come to Grand-Bornand. They will observe in the background the Aravis Range, whose harmonious curves descend towards the village, all overlooked by the Pointe Percée, the summit of the massif which culminates at 2750 meters.
Our favorite thing to do here is the Via Ferrata La Tour du Jalouvre. Here, visitors climb along this 1100m course. Here they enjoy an exceptional panorama of the region! It takes about 5 to 6 hours if you follow the whole route, but for those who want a less difficult experience, it is possible to go out earlier, so the route only takes 2 to 3 hours.
Via Ferrata
Via Ferrata is a mix between hiking and climbing. Equipment is attached to the rock face to facilitate the ascent. It is necessary to go there with a harness and equipment. For the novices, we recommend going along with a guide.
Annecy and Its Lake, Northern French Alps
Summer is undoubtedly the period when Annecy and its lake, the purest in Europe, receive the most visitors. The main interests are usually the activities and hiking trails to do around there.
Enjoying the lake’s pure blue color is a satisfying event on its own, and diving is always tempting. Visitors however are not just restricted to starring and swimming – following the hiking trails all along the lake, taking a paragliding flight a few meters above, paddling and rowing remain perfect ways to pass time. For total relaxation, visitors would be delighted to find the beaches around the lake to be ideal for laying down a towel and sunbathing all day.
Paragliding in Annecy
Our recommendation is Boucle des Gorges du Fierp, a 60-kilometer route to cycle. This is an easy-level route adapted for most age groups. It starts from the Bonlieu parking lot in Annecy, follows Cran-Grevier, then the route des Creuses and the departmental road 31. Cyclers will cross beautiful mountain villages such as Chavanod, and Vallière-Fier and pass by the Saint André bridge. Visitors may even take a break in the middle of the route, on the lake in Rumilly.
Cycling in Annecy
Chorges, Hautes-Alpes
Here is a mountain destination easily accessible by train! As soon as you leave the train station, you are in the center of Chorges, a charming village in the Hautes-Alpes in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur. Against a backdrop of high mountains, Chorges is above all a concentration of heritage: cobbled streets, a fountain dating from 1548, a 12th-century church with its Romanesque bell tower…
Chorges, Hautes-Alpes
As for nature, Chorges is located at the gateway to the Ecrins Natural Park, which will delight lovers of hiking and high-level mountaineering. As for the Serre Ponçon lake, it is no exception to the rule and offers a multitude of water sports activities.
Ecrins Natural Park hike
While visiting, we recommend that visitors leave for 7 hours of bike (or electric bike) rides on the big tour of the Colombis (the small tour is also accessible to beginners). From the Camping de la Viste, where you can rent an assisted bike, set off for the day on these 53 kilometers embellished with panoramic views of the lake, breaks in the shade of the forest of the Moyenne Durance, swimming in the 3 lakes or tasting local products!
Gérardmer, Vosges Départements of Eastern France
What we love about the mountains in summer is being able to enjoy the alpine air, and the hiking trails in the heart of Mother Nature, while still being able to take a cool break – this is all possible in Gérardmer. This Vosges resort is ideal in summer, as it borders the lake of Gérardmer.
Le lac de Gérardmer
On site, visitors would love the family hike around the lake, the Mérelle observatory and its waterfall, and other hiking trails such as the Saut de la Bourrique or Saut des Cuves. As far as activities are concerned, nautical on the lake or perched in the trees, there is an abundance!
Hiking trails
For visitors, we love to recommend the hike that passes by the Mérelle observatory. This wooden tower was built by the Scouts de France in the 1960s. At the top, the view is breathtaking on the lake of Gérardmer and its surroundings. You won’t find a more beautiful panorama!
View of the lake from the hill
Font-Romeu, Pyrénées-Orientales
This summer, visitors looking for an adventure may be brave enough to venture to the sunniest resort in France, with its 3,000 hours of sunshine per year: Font Romeu! The resort is very popular with the people from Perpignan in summer, who flee the coast to come and cool off in altitude.
Font-Romeu
On the spot, there is no lack of activities, between marked paths in the forest, aquatic spaces, horseback riding, climbing of summits, amongst others.
The Museum Without Walls is one not to miss. This cultural path, located in the communal forest, proposes sculptural works realized by local artists. The ideal visit to Font-Romeu combines culture and nature.
Learn More About France
We invite you to learn more about France, its beautiful regions, and the experiences we love the most. You would find resources in our educational platform Decouvertes University very helpful. If you found this article helpful then you would enjoy our webinars on:
You could always simply send us a request at . We also encourage you to read more from Decouvertes’ Blog. As always, we look forward to hearing from you and sharing our love for France with you.