Mountains in France

France's ten major mountain ranges are beautiful and varied, from the mighty Alps in the east and southeast to the granite landscapes of the Morvan in Burgundy.

All offer winter and summer playgrounds. In the summer you can hike, swim and fish, in the winter you can ski and practice a range of exciting sports. Sightseeing and photography are possible. At Mont Blanc, a panoramic railway leads through pastures and forests to the Bellevue Plateau.

The winter sports on offer in France go beyond skiing and snowboarding. In the French Alps you can go paragliding in Alpe d'Huez, bobsledding in La Plagne or ice skating in Val Thorens.

1- The French Alps

The French Alps are located in the eastern part of the country and border Switzerland and Italy. The highest peak is Mont Blanc. With a height of 4.At 808 meters it is also the highest mountain in Western Europe. Mont Blanc was first climbed in August 1786 by Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard. Today it is a popular destination for mountaineers who choose one of the two routes from Chamonix.

At the foot of Mont Blanc, in the Chamonix Valley, you will find some of the best winter sports in the world. But it is also one of the most beautiful regions in France for summer activities such as hiking in the high mountain pastures, mountaineering and cycling in the Tour de France.

The Alps are one of the largest mountain ranges in the world. It took hundreds of millions of years for the Alps to form as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided, pushing up rocks and boulders to form the jagged peaks we see today.

They stretch over around 1200 km and cover eight countries: Austria and Slovenia in the east, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany and France in the west and Italy and Monaco in the south.

2 - Massif Central and Auvergne

The volcanic central massif is geologically the oldest part of the country. It covers a large part of central France, about 15% of the country's area. The massif is part of the earth's crust, which is characterized by faults. When the earth's crust moves, the massif maintains its structure and moves as a whole. The term also refers to a group of mountains that form a massif.

There are four major volcanic massifs: the Chaîne des Puys, the Monts Dore, the Monts du Cantal and the volcanic Velay, all different and spectacular in their own way. The highest peak is the Puy de Sancy at 1.885 meters, one of the youngest volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys. There are around 450 extinct volcanoes in the massif.

The Auvergne Volcanoes National Park, founded in 1977, is the largest and oldest regional park in Europe. It stretches from Clermont Ferrand in the south almost to Aurillac in the west and just beyond St-Flour in the east. If you want to learn more about the region and volcanoes, visit Vulcania, an educational theme park nearby.

The Auvergne is still relatively unknown among tourists. It is a beautiful place with its gentle mountains, rivers, valleys and forests. Here you can go hiking, cross-country skiing, bird watching, fishing and cycling. There is a large ski area, Super Besse in the south, which connects to the Le Mont-Dore ski area and is frequented by cross-country skiers.

Several of France's most important rivers have their source in Auvergne: the Loire, the longest river in France, the Allier, the Cher and the Sioule.

3 - The Pyrenees

The Pyrenees mountains stretch from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean coast in southern France and form the border between France and Spain, with the small country of Andorra nestled in the mountains.

The mountain range is 430 km long, its widest point is 129 km. The highest point is Pico Aneto on 3.404 meters in the Maladeta massif of the central Pyrenees, and there are many more peaks over 3.000 meters.

The two ends of the spectrum have very different cultural characteristics. In the west the region is Basque-speaking, while in the east, on the Mediterranean coast, it is Catalan-speaking. The Languedoc-Roussillon region in the southwest is best known as the land of the Cathars, where the heretical Cathars lived and hid before being conquered by French crusaders in the 13th century. If you're in the area, don't miss Montsegur and the castle where the heretics performed their final heroic deed.

At the foot of the Aspe Valley, on the French-Spanish border, lies the Pyrenees National Park, a paradise for hikers. Numerous small hiking trails cross the Pyrenees, with the main hiking trail, the GR 10, running from coast to coast.

4- Law

The Jura Mountains stretch over 360 km in France and Switzerland, from the Rhone to the Rhine. A large part of the western part is in France. The highest peaks are in the south, near Geneva, with the Crêt de la Neige in the Ain at 1.718 m and the Reculet with 1.717 m in France.

The mountains consist of fossiliferous limestone. The explorer, naturalist and geographer Alexander von Humboldt gave it the name Jurassic limestone, hence the name Jurassic period, which refers to rocks that were formed at the same time, 200 to 145 million years ago. The calcareous soils make the region ideal for viticulture, and wine tasting in the Jura is very popular with tourists.

The Jura covers most of the Franche-Comté region and extends in the south to part of the Rhône-Alpes region and ends in Savoie. In the north, the Jura extends to the south of Alsace. A large part of it is protected by the Montagnes du Jura Regional Natural Park.

5- Vosges

The gently rolling mountains of the Vosges are divided into three categories: the Hautes Vosges (whose curved peaks are called balloons), the Vosges moyennes and the Basses Vosges. These mountains are located in eastern France, near the German border in Lorraine. They extend along the western side of the Rhine Valley from Belfort to Saverne.

In the north, the red sandstone cliffs have been used as building material over the centuries, giving rise to the region's magnificent cathedrals, castles and churches. Glacial lakes fill the area, forests cover the slopes and the Hautes Chaumes are rich pastureland.

There are excellent hiking trails, including the Grande Randonnée or GR5, GR7 and GR53, as well as cycle paths. In winter, 36 different ski areas offer cross-country skiing opportunities and several downhill slopes.

6- Corsica

The island of Corsica is located approximately 170 km from mainland France and is predominantly mountainous, with two thirds of the island covered by mountain ranges. The Greeks called Corsica the "island of beauty" and the "mountain in the sea".

The highest mountain is Monte Cintu at 2.710 meters. Twenty more mountains are above 3.000 meters high. Corsica has the highest mountains and the most rivers of all the Mediterranean islands. The mountains practically divide the island in half, and there are no roads between the two capitals, Bastia in the north and Ajaccio in the south.

The “Parc Naturel Régional de la Corse” encompasses the important mountain ranges and is a spectacular place. The Office National des Forêts offers excellent guided hikes, while the ancient paths, cycle paths and the routes known as GR 20 attract the more serious hikers.

7- Morvan massif in Burgundy

The Morvan massif is the smallest of the French mountains, although it is generally considered one of the main mountains of France.

It is a high massif in Burgundy, west of the Côte d'Or, known for its wines and wine tourism. The granite and basalt band is actually the northwestern extension of the Massif Central.

The Morvan Regional Nature Park protects its heart. The park includes small communities and 10 cities with around 35,000 inhabitants. The highest peaks range from 400 meters at Haut-Folin to 901 meters at 2.956 feet. There are 40 km of cross-country ski trails.

8- Mount Cinto

Corsica is not famous for any particular mountain, but for the strenuous GR20 that crosses the island from north to south. This iconic hiking trail passes through wild and remote landscapes and offers breathtaking views of rugged mountains and the Mediterranean. This trail is certainly not for beginners, but for those who are already reasonably experienced hikers, it may be a unique opportunity. It takes about two weeks to complete the entire route. The highest peak on the trail is Monte Cinto at 2.706 meters.

9- Large Colombian

Located on the French-Swiss border, the Jura massif offers gentle climbs, far from the crowds of other better-known mountain ranges in France. The highest peak, the Grand Colombier, reaches a height of 1.534 meters and offers a spectacular view of Lac du Bourget and the Alps glittering in the distance. Another popular mountain in the area is Mont d'Or, a mountain that suddenly disappears into a 200 meter high cliff. A popular local cheese is also named after this mountain.

10- The Mount Sainte Victoire

Further south, towards Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, lies the Montagne Sainte-Victoire. Fans of Paul Cézanne will certainly be familiar with this mountain, which offers excellent climbing opportunities. The artist saw him from his home and painted him several times between 1877 and his death in 1906. The region is known for its good weather. The temperature rarely drops below zero, even in winter, and in summer it can reach up to 35°C. In summer temperatures can reach up to 35°C. However, this region is exposed to strong mistral winds.