The French Alps(; ; ; ) are the portions of the Alps mountain range that stand within France, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such as the Mont Blanc massif, are shared with Switzerland and Italy.

At , Mont Blanc, on the France–Italy border, is the highest mountain in the Alps, and the highest Western European mountain.

Notable towns in the French Alps include Grenoble, Chamonix, Annecy, Chambéry, Évian-les-Bains and Albertville.

The French Alps will host the 2030 Winter Olympics, marking the fourth occasion when the Winter Olympics were held in the region. The games were previously held in Albertville in 1992, Grenoble in 1968, and the very first in Chamonix in 1924.

Ranges and summits Chain Range Highest summit Elevation (m/ft) Graian Alps Mont Blanc Massif Mont Blanc Beaufortain Massif Roignais Lauzière Massif Grand Pic de la Lauzière Vanoise Massif Grande Casse Graian Alps central group Pointe de Charbonnel Dauphiné Alps Belledonne Massif Grand Pic de Belledonne Grandes Rousses Pic Bayle Arves Massif Aiguilles d'Arves Taillefer Massif Le Taillefer Écrins Massif Barre des Écrins Cottian Alps Massif du Mont-Cenis Pointe de Ronce Cerces Massif Grand Galibier Queyras Massif Rochebrune Peak Ubaye Massif (Orrenaye) Aiguille de Chambeyron Maritime Alps Mercantour-Argentera Massif Cime du Gélas Pelat Massif Mont Pelat Massif des Trois-Évêchés Tête de l'Estrop Ligurian Alps Ligurian Alps Punta Marguareis Savoy Prealps Chablais Alps Hauts-Forts Haut-Giffre Massif Haute Cime Aiguilles Rouges Aiguille du Belvédère Bornes Pointe Blanche Aravis Range Pointe Percée Bauges Arcalod Chartreuse Mountains Chamechaude Dauphiné Prealps Vercors Massif Grand Veymont Diois Mountains Mont Jocou Dévoluy Mountains Grande Tête de l'Obiou Provence Prealps Bochaine Mont Céüse Digne Prealps Les Monges Baronnies Mont Mare Vaucluse Mountains Signal de Saint-Pierre Luberon Mountains Mourre Nègre Maritime Prealps Castellan Prealps Puy de Rent Nice Prealps Pointe des Trois Communes

Ski areas

The largest connected ski areas are:

Les Trois Vallées (Courchevel, Méribel, La Tania, Brides-les-Bains, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, Les Menuires, Val Thorens and Orelle): 338 slopes, 600 km of pistes. Portes du Soleil (Avoriaz, Châtel, Morzine, Les Gets, Saint-Jean d'Aulps, La Chapelle d'Abondance, Abondance, Montriond, Swiss resorts): 288 slopes, 650 km of slopes not entirely connected. Paradiski (La Plagne, Peisey-Vallandry, Les Arcs), Champagny-en-Vanoise: 239 slopes, 420 km of slopes. Via Lattea (Montgenèvre, Italian resorts): 214 slopes, 400 km of slopes. Évasion Mont-Blanc (Combloux, Megève, Saint-Gervais, Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce, Les Contamines Monjoie): 183 slopes, 420 km of slopes not entirely connected. Espace Killy (Tignes, Val-d'Isère): 137 slopes, 300 km of slopes. Grand Massif (Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon, Samoëns, Sixt): 134 slopes, 265 km of slopes. Les Aravis (La Clusaz, Manigod, La Croix Fry, Merdassier, Le Grand-Bornand): 133 slopes, 220 km of slopes not entirely connected. Les Grandes Rousses (L'Alpe d'Huez, Vaujany, Auris-en-Oisans, Oz-en-Oisans, Villard-Reculas): 117 slopes, 236 km of slopes. Serre Chevalier: 111 slopes, 250 km of slopes. La Forêt Blanche (Risoul, Vars): 104 slopes, 180 km of slopes. Les Sybelles (Le Corbier, La Toussuire, Les Bottières, Saint-Jean-d'Arves, Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves, Saint-Colomban-des-Villards): 96 slopes, 310 km of slopes. Valloire and Valmeinier: 83 slopes, 150 km of slopes. Grand Domaine (Valmorel, Saint-François-Longchamp): 82 slopes, 150 km of slopes Espace San Bernardo (La Rosière, La Thuile - Italy): 73 slopes, 150 km of slopes. Les Deux Alpes and La Grave: 69 slopes, 220 km of slopes. (+ Freeride Zone)

The other large ski areas are:

Le Val d'Arly (Praz-sur-Arly, Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe, Flumet): 150 km of slopes. L'Espace Cristal (Les Saisies, Crest-Voland): 80 km of slopes L'Espace Diamant is a combination of Espace Val d'Arly and Espace Cristal with 185 km of slopes Villard-de-Lans et Corrençon-en-Vercors: 125 km of slopes Valberg - Beuil les Launes: 90 km of slopes Espace Lumière (Pra-Loup, Val d'Allos): 170 km of slopes Superdévoluy - La Joue du Loup: 100 km of slopes Orcières-Merlette: 150 km of slopes

Activities A range of winter and summer activities are available in the French Alps. In the winter, these include skiing and snowboarding; alternative activities include snowshoeing and sledging. There is a range of other activities that happen such as gliding, which is more popular during the summer months. Summer activities include hiking, mountaineering, biking and rock climbing.

Gallery

See also La Grande Odyssée 1924 Winter Olympics 1968 Winter Olympics 1992 Winter Olympics 2030 Winter Olympics List of highest paved roads in Europe List of mountain passes List of national parks in the Alps List of ski areas and resorts in Europe

References

Bibliography Raoul Blanchard (1938–1956), Les Alpes Occidentales. Paris: Édition Arthaud. (French) Roger Frison-Roche (1964), Les montagnes de la terre. Paris: Flammarion. (French) Sergio Marazzi (2005), Atlante Orografico delle Alpi. SOIUSA. Pavone Canavese (TO): Priuli & Verlucca editori. (Italian) Sergio Marazzi, La "Suddivisione orografica internazionale unificata del Sistema Alpino" (SOIUSA) - article with maps and illustrations, PDF (Italian)