Horace Bénédict de Saussure and Jacques Balmat

©Murray Foubister CC BY-SA 1.0. <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0/deed.fr>via Wikipedia Commons

The statue of Saussure and Balmat, in Chamonix

The statue of Saussure and Balmat is one of the most emblematic monuments of Chamonix, dedicated to the conquest of Mont Blanc. The Chamonix audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this sculpted group that celebrates the pioneers of mountaineering.

The monument to the conquest of Mont Blanc

The statue of Saussure and Balmat is one of the most famous monuments of Chamonix, erected at the end of the nineteenth century to celebrate the first ascent of Mont Blanc. The bronze group represents two essential figures of this epic: Jacques Balmat, one of the two first men to have reached the summit of Mont Blanc in 1786, his arm stretched towards the peak that he points to, and Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, the Geneva scholar passionate about the mountain who, by offering a reward to whoever would reach the summit, encouraged its conquest, and climbed it himself shortly after. This monument pays tribute to the pioneers who inaugurated mountaineering and made Chamonix its capital. The statue of Saussure and Balmat is a strong symbol of the history of the town.

What to see

You admire the bronze group representing Jacques Balmat, one of the two first to have climbed Mont Blanc in 1786, his arm stretched towards the summit, and Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, the scholar who encouraged its conquest by offering a reward, a monument erected at the end of the nineteenth century. The statue of Saussure and Balmat is a symbol of Chamonix. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The statue of Saussure and Balmat lies in the heart of Chamonix, reachable on foot. It is an open-air monument, freely visible from the public space, facing the Mont Blanc massif. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

Who does the statue of Saussure and Balmat represent in Chamonix?

Jacques Balmat, one of the two first to have reached the summit of Mont Blanc in 1786, his arm stretched towards the peak, and Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, the scholar who encouraged its conquest by offering a reward and climbed it shortly after.