Les-Praz-de-Chamonix (more commonly known as Les Praz) is a mountain village in the French

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...

, part of the commune of

Chamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Chamôni), more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2019, it had ...

. Altitude: 1060 m (3477 ft.).

Geography

Les Praz is located in the middle of the valley of

. It is connected to Switzerland by the pass over the Col des Montets, and the Col de la Forclaz to

Martigny Martigny (; german: Martinach, ; la, Octodurum) is the capital city of the district of Martigny, canton of Valais, Switzerland. It lies at an elevation of , and its population is approximately 15000 inhabitants (''Martignerains'' or "Octoduriens ...

in the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

valley. Les Praz is the starting point for the cable car up to La Flégère, which is well known for skiing and snowboarding in winter or hiking and mountain biking in summer. Peaks on the west side of the village include the Aiguilles Rouges, much of which are a nature reserve. On the east side, the sky is dominated by the

Aiguille du Dru The Aiguille du Dru (also the Dru or the Drus; French, Les Drus) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. It is situated to the east of the village of Les Praz in the Chamonix valley. "Aiguille" means "needle" in French. The m ...

and to the south by

Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (french: Mont Blanc ; it, Monte Bianco , both meaning "white mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and ...

. Villages in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourism in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes {{RhoneAlpes-geo-stub