Increasing numbers of visitors are discovering that summer at high-altitude offers so much more than two weeks lazing on a beach.

The legendary Tramway du Mont-Blanc, Le Fayet and Saint Gervais to the Nid d’Aigle.

Specialist activity company Undiscovered Mountains introduces the exhilerating and increasingly popular sport of canyoning. People of all ages can take part in summer or winter with a knowledgeable local guide.

Discover the classic touring itinerary the Route des Grandes Alpes. We start on the shores of Lac Léman and discover classic Alpine villages of the northern Alps.

After the impressive fortress at Briançon, we continue through the Queyras and enter the Vallée de l’Ubaye and the town at it’s heart, the vibrant Barcelonnette.

When holiday crowds are jostling for position beside the Mediterranean or simmering uncomfortably among the tourist hotspots inland, in the Alpes d’Haute Provence things can be refreshingly civilised.

Four of France’s ten National Parks lie within mountainous zones. We take a look at what makes the Vanoise, Ecrins, Mercantour and Pyrenees National Parks so special.

Annecy’s irresistible lakeside setting and proximity to top class ski resorts have created one of the most desirable locations in which to live in France.

In the high alpages beside Mont-Blanc we go in search of an award-winning producer of Beaufort, one of the most highly-prized of all mountain cheeses.