Chalets to Rent Alps

Chalets in the Alps are often required for tourists who want to visit the region. Some tourists may want to visit the region to see the culture, history, tourist attractions and landscapes of the famous Alps mountain range. Some tourists may want access to luxury chalets or cheap chalets. Some may want access to chalets on mountains or in valleys. Some may want access to high status chalets in high status regions of the mountain range.

The Alps (French: Alpes; Occitan: Arpes; German: Alpen; Italian: Alpi; Romansh: Alps; Slovene: Alpe) is the name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east; through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany; to France in the west. The word "Alps" was taken via French from Latin Alpes (meaning "the Alps"), which may have been influenced by the Latin words albus ("white") or altus ("high"), or more likely a Latin rendering of a Celtic or Ligurian original.

The highest mountain in the Alps is Mont Blanc, at 4,808 metres (15,774 ft), on the Italian–French border. All the main peaks of the Alps can be found in the list of mountains of the Alps and list of Alpine peaks by prominence.

he Alps are generally divided into the Aziz Western Alps and the Eastern Alps. The division is along the line between Lake Constance and Lake Como, following the Rhine. The Western Alps are higher, but their central chain is shorter and curved; they are located in Italy, France and Switzerland. The Eastern Alps (main ridge system elongated and broad) belong to Austria, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Switzerland.

The highest peak of the Western Alps is Mont Blanc, at 4,808 metres (15,774 ft). The highest peak of the Eastern Alps is Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres (13,284 ft). The Dufourspitze, 4,634 metres (15,203 ft) and Ortler, 3,905 metres (12,812 ft), are the second-highest, respectively.

The Eastern Alps are commonly subdivided according to the different lithology (rock composition) of the more central parts of the Alps and the groups at its northern and southern fringes:

Northern Limestone Alps (from the Wienerwald to Bregenzerwald), including the Flyschzone; peaks up to 3,000 metres (9,840 ft)
Central Eastern Alps (Austria, Switzerland); peaks up to 4,050 metres (13,290 ft)
Southern Limestone Alps

The border between the Central Alps and the Southern Limestone Alps is the Periadriatic Seam. The Northern Limestone Alps are separated from the Central Eastern Alps by the Graywacke Zone.

The Western Alps are commonly subdivided with respect to geography:

Ligurian Alps, Maritime Alps, Cottian Alps, Dauphiné Alps, Graian Alps, Chablais Alps, Pennine Alps, Bernese Alps, Lepontine Alps, Glarus Alps, Appenzell Alps.

Series of lower mountain ranges run parallel to the main chain of the Alps, including the French Prealps. (See Alpine geography.)

The geologic subdivision is different and makes no difference between the Western and Eastern Alps: the Helveticum in the north, the Penninicum and Austroalpine system in the center and, south of the Periadriatic Seam, the Southern Alpine system and parts of the Dinarides. Geographically, the Jura Mountains do not belong to the Alps; geologically, however, they do.

The main chain of the Alps is the central line of mountains that forms the water divide of the range. Main chains of mountain ranges are traditionally designated in this way, and generally include the highest peaks of a range; the Alps are something of an unusual case in that several significant groups of mountains are separated from the main chain by sizable distances. Among these groups are the Dauphine Alps, the Eastern and Western Graians, the entire Bernese Alps, the Tödi, Albula and Silvretta groups, the Ortler and Adamello ranges, and the Dolomites of Bolzano-Bozen, not to speak of the lower Alps of Vorarlberg, Bavaria and Salzburg.

The Alps are generally divided into Western Alps and Eastern Alps, cut along a line between Lake Constance and Lake Como, following the Rhine valley. The Western Alps are higher, but their central chain is shorter and much curved; they are located in France, Italy and Switzerland.

The Eastern Alps (main ridge elongated and broad) belong to Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland. The highest peak of the Western Alps is Mont Blanc (4810 m), in the Eastern Alps Piz Bernina, 4052 meters.

Western Alps

Starting from the Col d'Altare or di Cadibona (west of Savona), the main chain extends first south-west, then north-west to the Col de Tenda, though nowhere rising much beyond the zone of coniferous trees. Beyond the Col de Tenda the direction is first roughly west, then north-west to the Rocher des Trois Eveques (2840 m), just south of the Mont Enchastraye (2932 m), several peaks of about 3000 metres rising on the watershed, though the highest of all, the Punta dell' Argentera (3265 m) stands a little way to its north. From the Rocher des Trois Eveques the water divide runs due north for a long distance, though of the two loftiest peaks of this region one, the Aiguille de Chambeyron (3373 m), is just to the west, and the other, the Monte Viso (3813 m), is just to the east of the divide. From the head of the Val Pelline the main chain runs north-west, and diminishes much in average height until it reaches the Mont Thabor (3157 m), which forms the apex of a salient angle which the main chain here presents towards.the west. From here the divide extends eastwards, culminating in the Aiguille de Scolette (3478 m), but makes a great curve to the north-west and back to the south-east before rising in the Rochemelon (3509 m). From there the direction taken is north as far as the eastern summit (3536 m) of the Levanna, the divide rising in a series of snowy peaks, though the loftiest point of the region, the Pointe de Charbonel (3730 m), stands a little to the west. Once more the chain bends to the north-west, rising in several lofty peaks (the highest is the Aiguille de la Grande Sassiere, 3726 m), before attaining the considerable depression of the Petit Saint Bernard Pass.

The divide then briefly turns north to the Col de la Soigne, and then north-east along the crest of the Mont Blanc chain, which culminates in the peak of Mont Blanc (4807 m), the loftiest in the Alps. A number of high peaks line the divide before it attains Mont Dolent (3823 m). From there, after a short dip to the south-east, the chain takes, near the Grande Saint Bernard Pass, the generally eastern direction that it maintains until it reaches Monte Rosa, whence it bends northwards, making one small dip to the east as far as the Simplon Pass. It is in the portion of the watershed between the Grande St Bernard Pass and the Simplon that the main chain maintains a greater average height than in any other part. But, though it rises in a number of lofty peaks, such as the Mont Velan (3736 m), the Matterhorn (4470 m), the Lyskamm (4502 m), the Nord End of Monte Rosa (4575 m), and the Weissmies (4000 m), many of the highest points of the region, such as the Grand Combin (4283 m), the Dent Blanche (4330 m), the Weisshorn (4477 m), the true summit or Dufourspitze (4602 m) of Monte Rosa itself, and the Dom (4518 m), all rise on its northern slope and not on the main chain. On the other hand the chain between the Grande St Bernard and the Simplon sinks at barely half a dozen points below a level of 3000 metres. The Simplon Pass corresponds to what may be called a dislocation of the main chain. From there to the St. Gotthard the divide runs north-east, all the higher summits (including the Monte Leone, 3533 metres, and the Pizzo Rotondo, 3172 m) rising on it, a curious contrast to the long stretch just described. From the St Gotthard to the Maloja the watershed between the basins of the Rhine and Po runs in an easterly direction as a whole, though making two great dips towards the south, first to near the Vogelberg (3220 m) and again to near the Pizzo Gailegione (3085 m), so that it presents a broken and irregular appearance. But all the loftiest peaks rise on it: Scopi (3175 m), Piz Medel (3178 m), the Rheinwaldhorn (3371 m), the Tambohorn (3250 m) and Piz Timun (3176 m).

Eastern Alps

From the Maloja Pass the main watershed dips to the south-east for a short distance, and then runs eastwards and nearly over the highest summit of the Bernina Range, Piz Bernina (4049 m), to the Bernina Pass. Then to the Resia Pass the main chain is ill-defined, though on it rises the Corno di Campo (3305 m), beyond which it runs slightly north-east past the sources of the Adda and the Fraele Pass, sinks to form the depression of the Ofen Pass, soon heads north and rises once more in the Piz Sesvenna (3221 m).

The break in the continuity of the Alpine chain marked by the deep valley, the Vinschgau, of the upper Adige (Etsch) is one of the most remarkable features in the orography of the Alps. The little Reschen Lake, which forms the chief source of the Adige is only 4 metres below the Reschen Scheideck Pass (1494 m), and by it is but 5 miles (8 km) from the Inn valley. Eastward of this pass, the main chain runs north-east to the Brenner Pass along the snowy crest of the Ötztal and Stubai Alps, the loftiest point on it being the Weißkugel (3746 m, Ötztal), for the highest summits both of the Ötztal and of the Stubai districts, the Wildspitze (3774 m) and the Zuckerhütl (3511 m) stand a little to the north.

The Brenner (1370 m) is almost the lowest of all the great Carriage-road passes across the main chain, and has always been the chief means of communication between Germany and Italy. For some way beyond it the watershed runs eastwards over the highest crest of the Zillertal Alps, which attains 3523 metres in the Hochfeiler. But, a little farther, at the Dreiherrenspitze (3505 m), the chain splits, and it is unclear whether the higher peaks branching off to the south or the smaller divide that continues on the same eastward path as the earlier mountains should be considered the main chain.

Valleys of the Alps ; Aosta Valley, Val Brembana, Val di Sole, Emmental, Engadin, Haslital, Höllental, Kleinwalsertal, Lötschental, Lower Engadine, Maltatal, Mattertal, Maurienne, Val Müstair, Occitan Valleys, Ötztal, Passeier Valley, Paznaun, Valle Po, Prättigau, Puster Valley, Saastal, Safien valley, Valsassina, Schächental, Sernftal, Simmental, Stubaital, Susa Valley, Val Taleggio, Tarentaise Valley, Ulten Valley, Urserental, Val Bregaglia, Val Camonica, Val d'Hérens, Val d'Illiez, Val Ferret, Val Fex, Val Lumnezia, Val Mesolcina, Val Poschiavo, Val d'Anniviers, Val di Non, Valle Grana, Valle Maggia, Valle Spluga, Valle Verzasca, Valsugana, Valtellina, Valtorta (valley), Wipptal, Zillertal

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