Zermatt is my favorite mountain town: it's history, it's charm, it's iconic peak, and because it was the first, and only, alpine town I was exposed to in my term abroad in college.
However, Chamonix is a very close second. In many ways for a climber, ski mountaineer, and trail runner, Chamonix is the world capital of those sports. I am excited and delighted to be heading back next summer for my fifth visit.
Take five minutes and read this short ode to Chamonix and it's special vibe, written during UTMB week and the big mountain ultra-marathons.
Of course, there are other ways to view this town; Jon Krakauer quotes alpinist Mark Twight who calls Chamonix, "The Death Sport Capital Of The World." The link below has an excerpt from that essay.