The reflection
The whole of Mont Blanc on the water on a still morning.
Florian Pépellin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Christophe Jacquet — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Florian Pépellin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Florian Pépellin — CC BY-SA 4.0
Yes, and it is **the best in the Chamonix valley** for exactly that. Most of what you visit here needs a cable car, a climb or rocky ground, but Lac des Gaillands is **flat**, the path around it is short and largely surfaced and takes twenty unhurried minutes, and there are meadows to sit on and a small playground. Add watching the climbers on the neighbouring rocks, free entertainment that holds children's attention. And the reflection gives the adults their photograph without paying for a lift.
Allowed **at your own risk**, with no lifeguard and no organised facilities, and people do swim in summer. But note two things: **the water is very cold**, being mountain-fed, and even in August the shock on entry is real, so it suits neither long stays nor small children. And the bed and edges are **natural**, not made up. For most visitors the sensible use is to sit on the grass and dip your feet — anyone wanting a proper swim will find a municipal pool in Chamonix.
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A small lake on the southern edge of Chamonix, and **the easiest thing to do in this valley**: flat ground, a short path circling it in about twenty minutes, meadows and trees — and on still days the whole of **Mont Blanc** reflected in its surface. That reflection is why it is known: most views of Mont Blanc in Chamonix require a cable car or two hours of climbing, but here you arrive by bus or on a half-hour walk from the town centre and take the same photograph from valley level. Right beside it are the **Gaillands rocks**, a training crag counted among the best-known climbing schools in France, on which generations of Chamonix climbers have learned. Sitting on the grass watching climbers on the wall is part of the pleasure of the place. The lake is **open for swimming** in summer at your own risk, and its water is very cold. Around it are picnic areas and a small playground. This is a place for the people of Chamonix more than for tourists — which is its advantage.
The whole of Mont Blanc on the water on a still morning.
Climbers on the neighbouring crag all season.
The valley's best option for families and pushchairs.
Les Gaillands, 74400 Chamonix