Constructed over four years at a total infrastructure cost of 138 million euros, Skyway Monte Bianco was the world's most expensive cable car installation at the time of its completion. Officially inaugurated on June 23, 2015, by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi—who was presented with a golden ice axe by regional president Augusto Rollandin—the complex was designed by architect Carlo Rossi. Located in the Aosta Valley, the system links Entrèves in the municipality of Courmayeur to Pointe Helbronner, providing access to the southern side of the Mont Blanc massif. Its futuristic design served as a filming location for an action sequence in the 2016 spy comedy Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
What to see
The 4,500-meter route ascends 2,137 vertical meters across three stations. The base station, Courmayeur (The Valley, 1,308 meters), houses ticket facilities, underground parking, a bar, and the engine rooms. From here, 80-person cabins manufactured by Doppelmayr travel at 9 meters per second, completing a full 360-degree rotation to offer uninterrupted views of Val Veny and Val Ferret. The mid-way station, Pavillon (The Mountain, 2,173 meters), features a restaurant, a 150-seat cinema, and Hangar 2173, which traces the history of the older dismantled cableways. Outside lies the Saussurea Alpine Botanical Garden. Open in summer, it is among the highest in Europe, covering 7,000 square meters and containing over 900 alpine plant species native to Aosta Valley environments. The second cable car section passes over a massive 100-meter-tall pylon resting on a 700-square-meter base.
Pointe Helbronner (The Sky, 3,466 meters), known as the Eagles Nest, was engineered as a near zero-energy building equipped with solar panels and high-efficiency insulation. Its 360-degree panoramic terrace offers views of Mont Blanc, the Aiguille d'Entrèves, the Dente del Gigante, the Grandes Jorasses glacier, the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso, and the Barre des Écrins. Inside, visitors will find Europe's highest bookshop, operated by LaFeltrinelli, and a permanent exhibition of 150 minerals from the Mont Blanc massif. Highlights include rock quartz, hyaline and smoky morions, vesuvianites, garnets from Châtillon, native gold from Brusson, and violane from Saint Marcel—the only place in the world where this mineral has been found.
Visiting
The complete ascent takes just 15 minutes, comprising four minutes for the first leg, seven minutes for the second, and a brief transfer. At Pointe Helbronner, a 5-meter-wide, 70-meter-deep vertical shaft and a horizontal tunnel connect the terminus to the Torino Hut, a high-altitude refuge for tourists and mountaineers. To prevent structural damage to the mountain, no explosives were used; instead, a raise boring technique created a series of 40-centimeter holes. This shaft anchors cables capable of bearing 100-ton loads and holds fire-fighting water tanks at its base. From the summit, visitors can also link to the Vallée Blanche Aerial Tramway, which descends to Chamonix via the Aiguille du Midi. The Skyway was forecast to increase annual visitor numbers from 100,000 to 300,000, though its massive scale drew criticism from environmental organizations concerned about the commodification of the alpine landscape.
Our editors' tip
Take time to examine the permanent mineral exhibition at Pointe Helbronner before heading out to the observation deck. The samples of violane from Saint Marcel are particularly notable, as they originate from the only known deposit of this mineral on Earth.