Passy brings together hiking destinations, protected natural areas, art and architectural history.
Nature Between a Glacial Lake and Mountain Heights
The RĂ©serve Naturelle de Passy covers 1,720 hectares in Passy and ranges in altitude from 1,347 to 2,901 metres. The contrast between limestone and siliceous rocks creates a wide variety of habitats, including meadows, heathland and wetlands. The reserve is home to chamois, ibex, marmots and bearded vultures.
Lac Vert is a glacial lake at an altitude of 1,200 metres. Its water shimmers emerald green, and the lake is designated as a classified natural site. Lac Vert lies 147 metres below the reserve’s lowest recorded altitude.
Hikes and Different Time Scales
Passy Plaine-Joux lies between 1,340 and 1,740 metres above sea level, facing Mont Blanc. In summer, it is a starting point for hikes, mountain biking and paragliding. You can set off on the Tour des Fiz from Passy Mont-Blanc; Sixt-Fer-Ă -Cheval is an alternative starting point. Depending on the route, the tour takes two to four days. By contrast, the easy walk from the Plaine-Joux car park to Lac Vert takes about 30 minutes. These times answer different planning questions: two to four days for a route on the tour, and around 30 minutes to reach the lake.
Art, Architecture and Former Sanatoriums
Construction of the Église Notre-Dame-de-Toute-Grâce began in 1937 and was completed in 1946. The church’s interior and exterior design make it a museum of modern art; artists represented there include Fernand Léger, Georges Braque and Henri Matisse. The entire church was classified as a Monument historique by decree of 11 June 2004.
The former sanatoriums on the Plateau d’Assy were built between the 1920s and 1930s and are considered a remarkable part of the region’s heritage. Several paths make it possible to approach the buildings while taking in views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding valley.
The Route de la Sculpture Ă Passy is presented as an open-air museum. It runs for 15 kilometres along the mountainside, connecting the plain with the Plaine-Joux ski area. The Route de la Sculpture Contemporaine currently features 19 sculptures.
Gardens, Leisure and Viewpoints
Allow about an hour to visit the Jardin des Cimes. The walk covers three hectares and includes around twenty areas devoted to art, nature and gardens.
The Base de Loisirs du Lac de Passy stretches for more than a kilometre and covers 50 hectares. It offers paddleboarding and pedal boating, as well as the Aquapark du Mont-Blanc, with its floating inflatable play structures. A lookout point offers a view of the Cascade de CĹ“ur.
Discover more destinations: Argonay, Verchaix, La Vernaz, Magland, Brizon, Saint-Jeoire, Saint-Pierre-En-Faucigny, Cernex
For the regional travel overview: Haute-Savoie.
