Summary
Chamonix is far more of a town than the vast majority of ski villages. It is an all year round resort, with just as many visitors in the summer as winter. It offers a bowling alley, a small movie theatre, an indoor rock climbing gym and plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from with live music being played somewhere every night of the week. The static population is about 15,000. 15% English speaking, 15% Swedish speaking. During peak season the town hosts up to 45,000 visitors.
History
Until the 1700's Chamonix was a small rural village, cut off for most of the year with snow. It became a popular destination in the early 1800's with the advent of mountaineering and Victorian exploration. It is now almost wholly dependent on tourism with winter & summer being equally popular.
Nightlife
Chamonix is a thriving and vibrant town with lots going on for après-ski as well as late into the night fun.
Our favorite bars…
Chambre Neuf - wild après ski with live music most nights. Chambre Neuf is very Scandanavian with an excellent value -for-money lunch menu. It is located just opposite the train station.
Café Terrasse – A two story bar which hosts good bands on the main floor and has an excellent wood panelled upstairs bar with views over the main square in town and lovely views of Mont Blanc
The Jeckyll – a pretty chilled, laid back bar that is a good place to watch rugby and listen to live music.
MBC – lively micro brewery, Canadian influenced. They host live music every Friday night and offer, great home brew, burgers, nachos and other types of North American food. It’s located close to the ice rink. www.mbchx.com
La Cantina – lively night club, pretty local scene. They host a variety of DJs. Located close to the Super U in town. www.cantina.fr
Le Garage – highly cheesy nightclub that is open till the wee hours of the morning. Located close to Aiguille du Midi lift.
Les Choucas - if you are looking to extend your partying, Les Choucas is one of the only bars that has a license to stay open until 4am. They offer live music most weekends and great DJ's late at night.
Lots, lots more bars in town to suit all tastes; plan your après-ski carefully around the various happy hours!
Other Things To Do
Indoor swimming pool, indoor climbing wall, hiking, snow-shoeing, gym, hockey matches, bowling