The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière stands on Fourvière Hill above Lyon. It was built between 1872 and 1896 with money from local people, in thanks to the Virgin Mary for protecting the city. Its white exterior has four towers, and its interior is covered with rich mosaics and gold. The terrace gives a panoramic view over Lyon.

Vieux Lyon is the old town of Lyon, at the foot of Fourvière Hill on the bank of the Saône. It is one of the largest Renaissance districts in Europe. Its narrow streets are linked by traboules, hidden passageways through buildings and courtyards. The Cathedral of Saint-Jean stands here. It is part of Lyon's UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lake Annecy is a clear alpine lake in Haute-Savoie, often said to be one of the cleanest in Europe. It is surrounded by mountains and villages. The town of Annecy at its north end has an old town of canals and pastel houses, with the Palais de l'Isle, a former prison, in the middle of the Thiou canal. Cycling paths ring the lake.

The Aiguille du Midi is a rocky peak of the Mont Blanc massif, rising to 3,842 metres above Chamonix. A cable car, opened in 1955, climbs about 2,800 metres in around 20 minutes. At the top, terraces give close views of Mont Blanc. A glass box called Step into the Void hangs over a drop of about 1,000 metres.

Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps and in Western Europe, at about 4,806 metres, on the border of France and Italy. Its snowy dome rises above the valley of Chamonix. The first ascent was made in 1786, which is often seen as the birth of modern mountaineering. Climbers take two or more days to reach the summit; others enjoy views from nearby cable cars.

The Mer de Glace, the Sea of Ice, is the longest glacier in France, about seven kilometres long, on the north side of Mont Blanc. A rack railway from Chamonix climbs to the Montenvers station above it. Visitors go down stairs to an ice cave carved into the glacier each year. Signs show how much the glacier has shrunk since the 19th century.