8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Grande Dixence Dam
At 285 m the world's tallest gravity dam seals the Val d'Hérémence with more concrete than the Great Pyramid; a cable car rides to the crest, with guided gallery tours and a zip line across the wall.
22 km · about 25 min drive
mountain pass
Sanetsch Pass
A spectacular dead-end climb from the Rhône vineyards above Sion past the Tsanfleuron glacier to 2,242 m; because no through road exists it stays near-empty, and only a cable car continues to Gsteig.
26 km · about 30 min drive
mountain pass
Col du Pillon
A 1,546 m pass in the Vaud Alps between Les Diablerets and Gstaad, the gateway to the Glacier 3000 cable car and a smooth, scenic link on any western Swiss Alps road trip.
28 km · about 30 min drive
mountain pass
Great St Bernard Pass
At 2,469 m, this ancient pass between Switzerland and Italy shelters the hospice that bred St Bernard rescue dogs; travellers have crossed here since Roman times, Napoleon among them.
29 km · about 35 min drive
natural wonder
Mer de Glace
France's largest glacier, reached by a red rack railway from Chamonix to walk into an ice cave.
29 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
The legendary Alpine resort town nestled at the foot of Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak at 4,808 meters.
30 km · about 35 min drive
waterfall
Cascade du Rouget
Known as the 'Queen of the Alps,' this dramatic 90-meter double waterfall cascades down a cliff face in Haute-Savoie.
33 km · about 40 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Aiguille du Midi
A vertiginous 3,842-meter granite needle reached by a spectacular cable car, offering face-to-face views of Mont Blanc.
33 km · about 40 min drive