Salève mountain Jura Crêt de la neige
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Last Updated: 5 March 2020

Crêt de la Neige is the highest mountain of the Jura Mountains and oversees the Pays de Gex and Lake Geneva.


The Crêt de la Neige in the Jura mountains

Salève mountain Jura
The Jura mountains seen from the Salève mountain © French Moments

The mountain is situated between the communes of Lélex and Thoiry in the département of Ain (Rhône-Alpes). It rises 1,720 m above sea level but 1,348 m above Lake Geneva.

It names literally means ‘Snow Crest’ for even in the hottest summers, pockets of snow can still be present on its summit.

Crêt de la Neige is part of a range called Monts Jura that forms a ridgeline between France and Switzerland from the Givrine pass in the North to Bellegarde sur Valserine in the South. It borders Lake Geneva to the East and looks like a natural rampart from Geneva and Nyon. The neighbouring summits of Crêt de la Neige includes Le Reculet (1,718m), Grand Crêt (1,702m), Colomby de Gex (1,688m), and La Dôle (1,677m).

The Monts Jura are included in the Jura Mountains Regional Natural Park and the Natural Reserve of the Haut Jura Range.

The summit offers a 360 degree view to the region of Gex, Lake Geneva, the Valserine Valley, Mont-Blanc and the Alps.

Crêt de la Neige in Winter © Pmau - licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons
The summit in Winter © Pmau – licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons

The mountain’s summit is crossed by the GR9 long-distance walking route which connects Saint-Amour, Jura to Port Grimaud on the French Riviera.

Crêt de la Neige © Juraastro licence CC-BY-SA-3.0 from Wikimedia Commons
The summit © Juraastro licence CC-BY-SA-3.0 from Wikimedia Commons

Crêt de la Neige © Tom Corser - licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons
View to the Geneva region from the summit © Tom Corser – licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons
Crêt de la Neige view to Jura © Tom Corser - licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons
View to the Jura from the summit © Tom Corser – licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons
The Monts Jura are best seen from the Salève mountain:

Salève mountain Monts du Jura
The Monts Jura seen from La Croisette (Salève mountain) © French Moments
Salève mountain Jura
The Monts Jura seen from the Salève mountain © French Moments

For more info, visit the website of the Pays de Gex Tourist Board.


 

Gems of Paris by French Moments
About the author

Pierre is a French/Australian who is passionate about France and its culture. He grew up in France and Germany and has also lived in Australia and England. He has a background teaching French, Economics and Current Affairs, and holds a Master of Translating and Interpreting English-French with the degree of Master of International Relations, and a degree of Economics and Management. Pierre is the author of Discovery Courses and books about France.

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