To reach the largest French glacier, La Mer de Glace, 7 km long and 200 meters thick, just get to Courmayeur and then travel the 24 km of the Mont Blanc tunnel; thus you arrive in Chamonix, from which the super characteristic red cogwheel train, inaugurated in 1909 with a steam locomotive, takes you directly to Montenvers. The convoy, starting from the famous French ski resort, climbs for 20 minutes up to an altitude of 1913 meters, and from here the real show begins!
La Mer de Glace (the sea of ice) was so named in the 19th century due to the enormous extension it had in the beginning. Today, when you arrive at the 1913m altitude station, you can enjoy the view of the glacier from the panoramic balcony that shows the rest of it. Unfortunately, global warming has shrunk the glacier considerably, but not the Ice Cave below it. The latter used by local administrations to sensitize patrons about the environmental problem.
From the glacier, by cable car or half-hour walk, you reach the mysterious ice cave. Really interesting and impressive is the signage along the descent that highlights the narrowing of the glacier in meters with relative vintage. Arriving at the Grotta station, through 400 steps, you reach the end of the Glacier and enter the 100-meter long cave; from here you are amazed by the dazzling blue colors, ice sculptures, and even frames of the ice composition dating back to the past, to make visitors reflect on the environmental problem. The visit to La Mer de Glace is absolutely a must; having already retreated 140 meters from the 19th century, it becomes a necessity to realize the gravity of the situation and at the same time let oneself be enchanted as soon as possible!
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