France
Mont Blanc
Welcome to the Alps! Mont Blanc, which means 'White Mountain' in French, is the tallest mountain in Western Europe, its snowy summit rising high above the border of France and Italy.
Why is it famous?
It's the highest mountain in the Alps and in all of Western Europe.
Its glistening, glacier-covered peak has drawn climbers and adventurers for over 200 years.
How was it formed?
Mont Blanc formed millions of years ago when two continents slowly collided, pushing up huge slabs of rock into the sky.
Ice and snow have carved its slopes into sharp ridges and deep glaciers ever since.
Amazing facts
It stands 15,777 feet tall, making it the highest peak in the Alps.
The mountain is covered by more than 40 glaciers, huge rivers of slow-moving ice.
Quick facts
- It stands 15,777 feet tall, making it the highest peak in the Alps.
- The mountain is covered by more than 40 glaciers, huge rivers of slow-moving ice.
- A cable car called the Aiguille du Midi carries visitors nearly to the top without climbing at all.
- The first climbers reached its summit in 1786, kicking off the sport of mountaineering.