Musée Alpin Chamonix

This diverting two-level museum allows you to wander through Chamonix history, from butter moulds and farming tools of yore to the dawn of the 18th-century tourism boom. There's mountain history galore, including the early days of the high mountain guides and fascinating stories of the first female alpinists, as well as 19th-century oil paintings of the valley's timeless landscape. Hang on to your entrance ticket, it shaves a euro off the price of the Musée des Cristaux.