Due east from Annecy, and 60km south of Évian, looms Mont Blanc , western Europe's highest peak, right on the Italian border. First climbed in 1786, this mountain is the biggest tourist draw in the Alps, but its grandeur is undiminished by the hordes of visitors, and if you're walking in the area, you can soon get away from the crowds. Annecy is the easiest place to approach the mountain from, and, of the two road routes, the one due east via the old ski resort of Megève is the more interesting. The two main approach roads to Mont Blanc come together at Le Fayet, a village just outside St-Gervais, where the tramway du Mont Blanc begins its 75-minute haul to the Nid d'Aigle , a vantage point on the northwest slope (€20.13 return). Chamonix-Mont Blanc , the base camp for all Mont Blanc activities, is just 30km further on.
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