In and around Valle d’Aosta
Unsurprisingly, this mountainous region doesn’t have any really big towns, with the nearest city being Turin (Torino) in Piedmont to the south. Most of the towns are ranged along the base of the valley, and the main road that winds up from Turin to Courmayeur and the Mont Blanc Tunnel: the main town here is Aosta itself.
Others lie in the tributary valleys. These include Val Gressoney (where a dialect of German is spoken) and the town of Pont St Martin and the twin resorts of Gressoney St Jean and Gressoney La Trinite. The valley is more reminiscent of Switzerland than Italy, with Alpine chalets and Monte Rosa and its glacier at the head of the valley. Val d’Ayas is a lovely valley, with Monte Rosa at one end, and its slopes thickly wooded. The main ski resort here is Champoluc. Brusson has good Alpine walking. Valtourneche has the Matterhorn (Cervino in Italian) and the big ski resort of Breuil-Cervinia.
The town of Aosta is circled by the Alps, has good access to the Gran Paradiso National Park and to the ski resorts on Mont Blanc. This is an old Roman town and there is a scattering of remains, including the Roman Bridge and the Foro Romano. The 13 valleys that carve through the region have a scattering of medieval castles, which only enhance the fairytale atmosphere, including the Castello di Sarre and castles at Verres, Fenis and Challant.
The southern part of Valle d’Aosta comprises the Gran Paradiso National Park and there are very few villages. This is stunningly beautiful countryside, with ibex, chamois and golden eagles. This is a botanists’ dream too, with numerous rare and protected flowers in the park’s three valleys (Cogne, Valsavarenche and Val de Rhemes). Any development in the park is very carefully controlled, but there are good campsites and mountain refuges (rifugi and bivacci) for climbers and hikers. Villages to look out for include Cogne, Valnontey, Pont, Breuil and Degioz. Head west to the remote and beautiful valley of Valgrisenche and the village of Arvier (remarkably it has a rail station). Other villages include Valgrisenche itself and Bonne.
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