About
Sitting below the famous Mont Blanc mountain in the French Alps is a glacier called Mer de Glace, and each year a cave is dug in the heart of the ice.
The glacier is currently about 7.5 kilometers (4.67 miles) long and 200 meters (660 feet) thick, and when all of the tributary glaciers are considered, it’s both the longest and largest glacier in France. Sitting above Chamonix, site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, it is referenced in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, written in nearby Geneva, Switzerland.
The cave itself is a smooth jewel, illuminated by well-placed lights, offering a myriad of unusual angles and reflections. Visitors can find handprints set into the ice walls, no doubt deeper each time someone places their palm on the cold surface. The carvers also build little rooms, ice furniture, and podiums to allow for memorable photography. The ephemeral nature of this cave certainly makes it all the more special for those lucky enough to visit.
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Know Before You Go
Visiting the ice cave requires a ticket to ride a modern cogwheel train from the Chamonix station about 20 minutes up to the Montenvers station. Trains depart about every 30 minutes, and the train back is often more full than the ride up, so plan accordingly.
From Montenvers, it’s a short but exhilarating gondola ride to the Mer de Glace glacier, with sweeping views of the Alps. Be aware that there are hundreds of steps down to the ice cave, often packed with skiers coming from runs on the glacier.
Published
June 13, 2025
