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Rick Steves: French Alps cheaper, but still thrilling

Stretching across roughly 1,207 kilometres, Europe鈥檚 highest mountain range, the Alps, arcs across eight countries, from the Mediterranean coast of France to the eastern fringes in Austria and Slovenia.
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The walk along the ridge between Mannlichen and Kleine Scheidegg in Switzerland is dramatic, relatively easy and comes with fine company. Take the narrow-gauge train from Lauterbrunnen up to the town of Wengen, then a gondola to Männlichen.

Stretching across roughly 1,207 kilometres, Europe鈥檚 highest mountain range, the Alps, arcs across eight countries, from the Mediterranean coast of France to the eastern fringes in Austria and Slovenia. Along the way, alpine cultures and landscapes offer a fascinating variety of experiences.

France may be home to the tallest peak (Mont Blanc), but it鈥檚 Switzerland鈥檚 Alps that are the high point for most travelers. With snow-capped summits, waterfall-laced cliffs and picturesque lakes, they have hiker-friendly amenities 鈥 well-marked trails, restful mountain huts and a system of lifts and trains that let you effortlessly ascend to dramatic mountaintops.

As famously great engineers, as well as ardent nature lovers, the Swiss know how to make alpine thrills accessible to almost everyone, regardless of stamina or skills.

My favourite region in the Swiss Alps is the Berner Oberland, south of Bern and crowned by a trio of formidable peaks: the Eiger, M枚nch and Jungfrau. A good, easy hike is along the ridge between M盲nnlichen and Kleine Scheidegg, which separates the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys.

To do this hike in a reasonable amount of time and with minimal exertion, I recommend taking the narrow-gauge train from the valley base of Lauterbrunnen up to the town of Wengen, then a gondola to M盲nnlichen. From there, the trail winds gently downhill past staggering mountain views, contented cows, a perfect picnic spot and a fine restaurant.

You鈥檒l get a loftier view of those same mountains from the 3,000-metre Schilthorn summit, across the valley from Wengen. The Schilthornbahn cable car takes riders up effortlessly in four stages. At about $136 Cdn round-trip, it鈥檚 a pricey trip, but when you鈥檙e surrounded by cut-glass peaks and breathing fresh mountain air, it鈥檚 one of Europe鈥檚 great deals. Whether it鈥檚 filled with skiers in winter or hikers in summer, there鈥檚 a happy energy as you ascend in that glass-and-steel bubble of mountain joy.

The Swiss love to cap their peaks with restaurants, and one of the most popular is the Schilthorn鈥檚 revolving Piz Gloria. Before opening to the public in 1969, it was the setting of key scenes in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty鈥檚 Secret Service. Today, there鈥檚 a fun 007 exhibit 鈥 and even Bond-themed toilets.

While gravel trails lead down from the Schilthorn, casual hikers prefer taking the cable car down to Birg station. The station, while a fine springboard for hikes, is also entertaining, offering the Skyline Walk, a viewing platform with a transparent floor that juts out over the cliff edge, and the Thrill Walk, a fun, 200-metre course with a steel-and-glass-bottom floor, rope bridge and tunnel. From Birg, you can walk down to the rustic hamlet of Gimmelwald, a great place to enjoy a post-hike beer 鈥 or better, spend the night.

The French Alps are no less dramatic than Switzerland鈥檚 鈥 and come at less of a premium to travelers (as Switzerland is Europe鈥檚 most expensive country). My pick of the region is the range that hovers just above the resort town of Chamonix 鈥 near the junction of France, Switzerland, and Italy.

In Chamonix, if the weather is right, there鈥檚 nothing better than riding the cable car to the Aiguille du Midi, the 3,840-metre rock 鈥渘eedle of midday鈥 high above town and across from Mont Blanc. Up here, the air is thin, visitors are giddy and even when the sun鈥檚 out, it鈥檚 still bitterly cold in July.

From here, a cute red gondola 鈥 Europe鈥檚 highest lift 鈥 glides slowly along a 4.8-kilometre cable, dangling silently over the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) to Helbronner Point, at the border of Italy.

Above Chamonix Valley, the Grand Balcon Sud hike is lovely. Being a hiking lightweight, I prefer a trail where I can ride a lift to one end, enjoy high-mountain kicks all along (with minimal altitude gain) and then ride the lift down from the other end. This three-hour walk comes with unforgettable views of Mont Blanc, glaciers and wildflowers 鈥 and a fraction of the Aiguille du Midi crowds.

Much farther east, near the Austrian border, Italy鈥檚 Dolomites offer an entirely different alpine flavour. Dolomite 鈥 a sedimentary rock similar to limestone 鈥 gives these mountains their distinctive shape and colour. This region 鈥 part of Italy only since the First World War 鈥 is also unique for its Austrian roots, which still survive here, from the food to the bilingual German-/Italian-speaking locals.

The city of Bolzano (鈥淏ozen鈥 in German) 鈥 blending Austrian tidiness with an Italian love for life 鈥 is the Dolomites鈥 gateway. But I prefer settling in higher up, in Kastelruth (鈥淐astelrotto鈥 to Italian speakers) 鈥 right in the midst of mountain splendor, yet without that empty ski-resort-in-the-summer feeling.

Both towns provide easy access to the Seiser Alm (鈥滱lpe di Siusi鈥 in Italian), Europe鈥檚 largest alpine meadow. Undulating rather than flat, broken by rushing streams, and dappled with shapely evergreens, the Seiser Alm is a well-run national park.

It boasts shuttle buses, well-kept huts, trails and lifts, along with spectacular views of the surrounding Dolomite peaks and lots of cows 鈥 who produce 7.5 million litres of milk annually. Being here on a sunny summer day comes with the ambience of a day at the beach.

No matter which corner you鈥檙e exploring 鈥 Switzerland, France, Italy or beyond 鈥 the Alps provide a symphony of experiences that can endlessly delight lovers of culture, history and nature. They certainly have for me.

Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.