Star trails and mountain reflections, Mont Blanc Massif, French Alps, France

A land of high beauty

Chamonix is a hiker's paradise, with mirror lakes reflecting Alpine peaks, plenty of forested foothills, fields that bloom with wildflowers in the summer, and night skies untouched by light pollution. It's also a popular destination for skiers, and its reputation as one of the world's premier winter playgrounds was cemented when it became the first place to host the Winter Olympic Games in 1924. A glance at our image clearly shows what makes the region such a terrific ski spot—incredible mountains abound here where eastern France borders Switzerland. The star attraction (besides all those star trails, of course)? Mont Blanc rises above Chamonix as the highest mountain in the Alps and the 11th most prominent in the world.