Trient

A tiny village at 1279 m with a distinctive pink church, in the bowl below the Col de Balme.

The place

A very small village at 1279 m with a bright pink church, sitting in a bowl below the Col de Balme. There is not much here: a couple of places to sleep, a couple to eat, and a great deal of quiet.

Its value is entirely positional. Trient is the last Swiss night, at the foot of the 900 m climb back into France over the Col de Balme — and that climb, taken early with the light behind you, delivers the single best moment of the return half: you arrive at the col and the whole Chamonix valley and the Mont Blanc massif are laid out in front, seen properly for the first time since day one. Sleep here, leave early, and have the col to yourself.

Getting there

Booking

This stop is not on the Tour du Mont-Blanc booking portal — it takes its own reservations, so there is no live availability for it in the planner. Contact it directly, early: the well-known ones fill months ahead.

Other places to stay nearby

• Auberge la Grande Ourse Auberge · 1300 m
  0.1 km further along the Tour, at 1300 m. Bookable on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal, so the planner shows its availability night by night.
• Auberge Mont-Blanc Auberge · 1300 m
  0.1 km further along the Tour, at 1300 m. Bookable on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal, so the planner shows its availability night by night.
• Refuge Le Peuty Refuge · 1328 m
  1.3 km further along the Tour, at 1328 m. Bookable on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal, so the planner shows its availability night by night.
• Hôtel du Col de la Forclaz Hotel · 1527 m
  2.1 km back down the Tour, at 1527 m. Bookable on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal, so the planner shows its availability night by night.

For when this stop is full. These book themselves and are not on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal — contact each directly and confirm before you rely on it.

Stages passing this stop

• Stage 8: Champex-Lac → Trient
• Stage 9: Trient → Tré-le-Champ