Gran Paradiso National Park

Gran Paradiso National Park (also know as Parco nazionale del Gran Paradiso in Italian and Parc national du Grand-Paradis in French) is a 703 km² park in the Graian Alps located between the regions of Aosta Valley and Piedmont in Italy, named after the mountain Gran Paradiso. Initially it was created to protect the Alpine ibex from poachers and as it was a personal hunting ground for king Victor Emmanuel II.

How do I arrive to Gran Paradiso National Park?

  Gran Paradiso National Park is located in the mountains so it's not quite well connected.

• Bus: to communicate the national park with the rest of Aosta Valley there ar buses that connect Cogne with Sarre (aprox. 40 minutes) or Aosta (aprox. 50 minutes). In the side of Piedmont there are two bus lines that connect the national park, Rivarolo-Pont-Locana-Noasca-Ceresole (aprox. 1 hour 35 minutes) and Turin-Pont Canavese-Valprato Soana (aprox. 2 hours 15 minutes).
• Car: the main entrance to the Valdostan part of the National Park is via Cogne, that can be reached from places such as Aosta (aprox. 35 minutes), Courmayeur (aprox. 50 minutes) or Pont-Saint-Martin (aprox. 1 hour 5 minutes) while the Piedmontese side (the village of Noasca) can be arrived from sites such as Parella (aprox. 50 minutes), Ivrea (aprox. 1 hour 5 minutes), Turin (aprox. 1 hour 25 minutes) or Biella (aprox. 1 hour 35 minutes).

  Once in the Park the best ways to move around the park are the car or simply hiking.  

History

The history of the Gran Paradiso National Park is closely linked to the preservation of its symbolic animal, the ibex, object of indiscriminate hunting for centuries throughout the Alps. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was believed that this animal was extinct throughout Europe until a colony of about one hundred specimens was discovered in Gran Paradiso massif. In 1821 the king of Sardinia Carlo Felice prohibited hunting ibex (not inspired to protect it but by mere hunting speculations). In 1850, the king Vittorio Emanuele II decided to set up a royal hunting reserve in those valleys (officially born in 1856), making the area receive a lot of prosperity. Vittorio went to the Gran Paradiso reserve usually in August (between 2-4 weeks). His successors, Umberto I and Vittorio Emanuele III, also undertook long hunting campaigns in the reserve until the last royal hunt took place in 1913. Vittorio Emanuele III ceded the territories of the Gran Paradiso he owned with the relative rights to the State in 1919, indicating as a condition that the idea of ​​establishing a national park for the protection of alpine flora and fauna be considered. In 2014 the Gran Paradiso became part of the world Green List of protected areas, the only Italian park to have obtained this recognition.

What can I visit in Gran Paradiso National Park?

Gran Paradiso National Park is quite popular among people who like mountains, nature or simply taking trails. As the area is highly mountainous it's recommended to take the trails between May and October, where there's very snow left on the mountains and therefore it's less risky. Now it will be explained what to do in the park according to the town or village where they are or the nearest one:    

• 

  Cogne

  Cogne: 1,362 inhabitants small town in the north of the National Park, part of Aosta Valley. Cogne was an important mining center for the extraction of iron ore until the 1970s and is the main town in Cogne Valley.
  

  • Gran Paradiso National Park Visitor Center: institution where getting information about the national park and learn about the nature of the park and its dynamic evolution by means of explanatory models, multimedia systems and interactive games.
    
  • Sant'Orso Church: local church whose construction is attributed to divine will, according to a legend.
    
  • Cogne Mines (tours at 10:30 and 14; 20€/ 15€  adults/ reduced):

    

    Cogne Mines
    

    former magnetite mine whose exploitation began in the 15th century for the Bishops of Aosta and then the municipality of Cogne. It can be discovered first on a vintage train and then continue on foot into the mountain.
    
  • Stronghold of Tarambel: ruins of a medieval fortress built in 1198 by the noble Chesallet of Sarre who ceded it in the following century to the bishop-count. It was abandoned in the 16th century (like the rest of the village of Tarambel). Althought its dilapidated situation, its walls the loopholes and openings of the dovecote are preserved.

  • 

    Loïe Lake and surrounding area
    

    In the frazione of Lillaz are located Lillaz Waterfalls, some impressing falls on Urtier stream. Here there are some hikes in Bardoney Valley that are worth to be done like the loop Lillaz Waterfalls-Testa delle Goilles-Loïe Lake Trail (13 km) or the demanding Alpe di Loïe-Loïe Lake-Refuge Sogno di Berdze al Peradza Route (32.2 km). Both wander around Loïe Lake, a lake at a height of 2356 m; its landscape are magnificent and this area has higher chances of seeing chamois and ibex.
    

• 

  Alpine Garden Paradisia
  

  Going a bit into Valnontey Valley, in Valnontey (frazione of Cogne), there's Alpine Garden Paradisia (10-18:30 from Jul to Aug; 10-17:30 mid-Jun and mid-Sep; 3€/ 1.50€  adults/ reduced). This garden placed in the heart of the park (in a place rich in basins and natural valleys) that offers the best conditions for the cultivation of mountain and Alpine species. The garden is surrounded by the magnificent scenario of the Gran Paradiso massif and it's specially recommended to visit the garden from mid-June to mid-July, in the peak blossoming period. From here there are some interesting routes such as the Trail to Refuge Vittorio Sella (9.5 km), the longer Refuge Vittorio Sella-Casolari dell'Herbetet Loop (20 km),

  

  Bivouac Leonessa
  

  that covers all the trail to Refuge Vittorio Sella; or Bivacco Leonessa Route (22 km), a difficult hike that finishes at Bivouac Leonessa. Both are very nice nd allow the visitor to get in touch with nature and the mountainous flora and fauna. From both can be seen two of the top mountains in the national park, Herbétet (3778 m high) and Torre del Gran San Pietro (3692 m high).
  
• Valsavarenche (Ouahèntse in Franco-Provençal): 174 inhabitants village in Valsavarenche Valley, in Aosta Valley. The village has two frazione, Nex and Tignet, that retain the characteristic alpine architecture of the late Middle Ages.
  
  • Valsavarenche Resistance Museum (booking on advance):

    

    Sentiero Natura
    

    small documentation center located in the village of Rovenaud, birthplace of Émile Chanoux, dedicated to the fathers of Valle d'Aosta autonomy (including Émile Chanoux and Federico Chabod), to the Resistance, the theory of federalism and the European project.
  • Not far from Valsavarenche it can be seen the former Royal Hunting House at Orvieille, house built in 1862 for king Vittorio Emanuele II as a base for his hunting trips, still used by the park guards as Casotto. To arrive here there are different options, being the two best choices: Degioz-Royal Hunting House at Orvieille Trail (12.6 km), that departs from the frazione of Degioz; and Sentiero Natura (15.6 km), a loop that visits

    

    Alpine ibex close to Grivola
    

    Djouan Lakes too.
    
  • In Valsavarenche it can be observed the peak Grivola (3969 m high), the third highest in Gran Paradiso National Park.
    
• In the western part of the national park in Aosta Valley there's the municipality of Rhêmes-Notre-Dame (Noutra Dama de Réma in Franco-Provençal) with its 86 inhabitants, having some importance its woodworking for the creation of various objects (including agricultural tools). Here some hikes can be done such as the short Trail to Refuge Marmotte (4.5 km) or Refuge Federico Benevolo-Goletta Lake Trail (12.3 km), reaching the glacial Goletta Lake.
  

• 

  Gran Paradiso
  

  Advancing in Valsavarenche Valley the visitor will find the most spectacular trails and landscapes of the National Park. There's a wide variety of hikes to take but some of the most recommended ones are Refuge Vittorio Emanuele-Refuge Federico Chabod Trail (19 km), loop between two of the most valued refuges in the park and obviously the routes to the top of Gran Paradiso (4061 m high), the highest mountain in the national park and the one that names it. There are two choices to do it: Gran Paradiso Route via Refuge Vittorio Emanuele (17.6 km) and Gran Paradiso Route via Refuge Federico Chabod (22 km).
  

• 

  Road to Nivolet Pass
  

  On the way from Aosta Valley to Ceresole Real it's crossed Nivolet Pass (2641 m high), starting point of several trails and hikes and place where the artificial Nivolet Lakes are located. The approach road from one of them (Agnel Lake) was the location of several scenes in the film The Italian Job. Some of them are Punta Basei Trail via Refuge Savoia (10.2 km), one of the toughest routes with relentless ascent, descent or traverse in succession and Refuge Chiavasso-Mont Tout Blanc-Le Preuil-Refuge Vittorio Emanuele- Tresenta-Monte Giansana Route, one of the longest routes in Gran Paradiso that goes along the heart of Gran Paradiso National Park. It visits lakes like Tre Becchi Lakes or Nero Lake or the peak of mountains such as Mont Tout Blanc (3438 m high) or Monte Giansana (3047 m high). This last mountain can also be reach from the frazione of Pont via Monte Giansana Trail (15.1 km).
  

• 

  Ceresole Lake and Ceresole Reale
  

  Continuing the road from Nivolet Pass in Piedmont the visitor arrives to Ceresole Reale (Ceresòle in Piedmontese, Cérisoles in French), a 161 inhabitants village located in Orco Valley, in the north of Piedmont and in the south of Gran Paradiso National Park. The main attraction here is Ceresole Lake, an artificial lake created between 1925 and 1931 when a dam with a hydroelectric plant was built by Turin's electricity authority. On its largest parts it's 3 km long and 700 m wide. To get great views of the village and the lake it can be taken Nel Pass Loop (11.5 km), a round trail of medium difficulty.
  

  

  Noasca Waterfall
  

• Noasca (Novaska in Franco-Provençal): 116 inhabitants village located in Orco Valley, in the north of Piedmont and in the south of Gran Paradiso National Park.
  • Noasca Waterfall: 32 m high water jump formed by the Noaschetta stream, regarded as one of the most famous in Piedmont.
  • Noasca Church: parish church whose origins are unknown but it was already defined as very ancient in the 19th century.
    
  • From Noasca it begins a nice route that gets deeper into the Piedmontese side of this national park. The first part of the route is Noasca-San Lorenzo Trail (15.5 km), a trail that goes by river Orco till getting into the woods, arriving to the Sanctuary of Sant'Anna a Meinardi (a beautiful sanctuary in Neo-Gothic and Neo-Romanesque styles from the 19th century) and the frazione of San Lorenzo. From here it departs the second part, San Lorenzo-Talosio Trail (13.9 km), a difficult trail in the mountains that has nice views and gets by the artificial Eugio Lake and finishes in the frazione of Talosio.

    

    Sanctuary of Prascondù
    

    The third and shortest part is Talosio-Ronco Canavese Trail (9.1 km), a hike that has views to Monte Colombo (2848 m high) and visits the Sanctuary of Prascondù, a Baroque style sanctuary from the 17th century that is one the best known places of worship in the Canavese area and in Gran Paradiso National Park. Lastly it comes the fourth part of the route is Ronco Canavese-Sanctuary of St. Besso Trail (13.1 km), a hike in Soana Valley (easternmost valley of the national park) that finishes in the Sanctuary of St. Besso. This shrine under the cliff was comissioned by king Umberto I in 1897 that is popular for some local pilgrimages.
    

Where can I eat in Gran Paradiso National Park?

The park's food products are mainly bodeun (stuffed with pork blood and potatoes) and mocetta (chamois-based salami). The best ideas to eat in Gran Paradiso National Park are the Valdostan restaurant Lour Ressignon (Rue Mines de Cogne 22) in Cogne or the restaurant of Hotel Petit Dahu in Valnontey.

To buy traditional Valdostan artcrafts is a nice idea to have a look at Le Marché Aux Puces (Rue Grand Paradis 4) in Cogne.

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Posted in: Aosta Valley,Europe,Italy,National Park,Piedmont

Aosta Valley

Aosta Valley (Valle d'Aosta in Italian, Vallée d'Aoste in French, Val d'Outa in Franco-Provençal) is a 126 thousand people autonomous region in the western part of Italy by the border with France and Switzerland. It's surrounded by the region of Piedmont in Italy and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in France. The population has a mostly Catholic Christian tradition. The official languages are Italian and French (although many people speak the local dialect of Franco-Provençal) and in touristic places, English and German are widely spoken. The main and capital city of Saarland is Aosta, with other important cities like Sarre or Châtillon. 

How do I arrive to Aosta Valley?

  Aosta Valley can be reached in many ways, both from Italy and the neightbouring countries (France and Switzerland). The main place to reach Aosta Valley is Aosta.

• Plane: Aosta Valley has a small private airport but the main airports are located in Turin and in Milan.
• Train: there are trains from Aosta to all over Aosta Valley, sites like Châtillon-Saint Vicent (aprox. 20 minutes) or Pont-Saint-Martin (aprox. 45 minutes). Aosta is also connected with other Italian cities like Ivrea (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes), Chivasso (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes), Turin (aprox. 2 hours), Novara (aprox. 2 hours 25 minutes) or Milan (aprox. 3 hours).
• Bus: there are buses from Aosta to other Valdostan towns such as Courmayeur (aprox. 1 hour) and other Italian cities like Turin (aprox. 2 hours) or Milan (aprox. 3 hours 20 minutes). Some international destinations are also available like Chamonix in France from Aosta and Courmayeur or Martigny in Switzerland departing from Aosta.
• Car: if you rented a car in Aosta you can reach from there other places in Aosta Valley like Sarre and Saint-Pierre (aprox. 10 minutes), Fénis (aprox. 20 minutes), Châtillon (aprox. 25 minutes), Courmayeur and Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses (aprox. 30 minutes), Cogne in Gran Paradiso National Park (aprox. 35 minutes), Pont-Saint-Martin (aporx. 40 minutes), Bard (aprox. 45 minutes) or Valtournenche (aprox. 50 minutes). It can also be reached from other Italian cities like Ivrea (aprox. 1 hour), Biella (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes), Turin (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes), Novara (aprox. 1 hour 45 minutes) or Frankfurt am Main (aprox. 2 hours 15 minutes); French cities like Chamoix-Mont-Blanc (aprox. 1 hour), Cluses (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes) and Annecy (aprox. 2 hours) and or even from Switzerland, like Martigny (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes) or Sion (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes).

History

Megalithic area of ​​
Saint-Martin-de-Corléans

The first human settlements, found in the Saint-Pierre area, date back to the 4th millennium BC. The megalithic area of ​​Saint-Martin-de-Corléans in Aosta and the Cromlech of the Piccolo San Bernardo are two other important prehistoric archaeological sites in the region. The first inhabitants of the Aosta Valley were Celts and Ligures, whose language heritage remains in some local placenames. Rome conquered the region from the local Salassi around 25 BC, founding Augusta Prætoria Salassorum (today's Aosta) to secure the strategic mountain passes. With the advent of Christianity at the end of the 4th century, Aosta became a bishopric belonging first to the archdiocese of Vercelli and then to the metropolitan church of Milan, up to the 8th century.

Remains of Augusta
Prætoria Salassorum, Aosta

Following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Valle d'Aosta was initially under the dominion of Odoacer and then became part of the Ostrogothic Kingdom under king Theodoric. Following the Gothic war, the Aosta Valley was finally conquered by the troops of Alboino in 568, becoming part of the Lombard Kingdom. The Merovingian Gontrano, king of the Franks of Orleans, defeated the Longobards and annexed Aosta and Susa in 575. Following the conquest of the Lombard kingdom by Charlemagne in 774, Aosta and Susa followed the fate of the kingdom of Italy. By the will of Otto I of Saxony, in 972 Aosta was assigned to his brother-in-law Corrado III of Burgundy and remained part of the kingdom of Burgundy until 1032 (with Franco-Provençal dialects being spread and developed in Val d'Aosta in the long run).

Kingdom of Savoy-Piedmont-Sardinia
in the early 18th century

From 1032 the Savoy family under Humbert I of Savoy came into possession of the Aosta Valley, subsequently incorporating it into the Duchy of Savoy and then into the Kingdom of Sardinia, maintaining its control uninterruptedly, except for brief periods of French control. The first French invasion dates back to 1691 by Louis XIV (but the valley remained under the control of the Savoy), the second French invasion took place in 1704 (during the War of the Spanish Succession) and lasted until 1706 with the Savoy victory in the battle of Turin; and the third invasion took place by Napoleon. Following the battle of Marengo in 1800, the Valley was annexed to France and then incorporated into the first French Empire, where it formed the Arrondissement d'Aoste, part of the Département de la Doire. Following the definitive defeat of Napoleon, the Aosta Valley returned to the Savoy dominion in 1814. On March 24, 1860, the Treaty of Turin ceded the county of Nice and the Duchy of Savoy to France, while the Aosta Valley remained in the Kingdom of Sardinia (the only area of ​​Franco-Provençal language and Francophone culture in the unborn Italian unitary state).

Émile Chanoux

On 17 March 1861 the unification of Italy was proclaimed.
The Valle d'Aosta took part in the First World War and hundreds of refugees from Trento and Trieste were welcomed into the valley. On December 30, 1920 the first Fascio of fighting was constituted in Aosta and following the coming to power of Benito Mussolini, the Italianization policy was initiated and massive industrialization was promoted. Thanks to immigration from the rest of Italy, more than 50% of the resident population in Valle d'Aosta were born outside the valley. In 1937 the revision of the town toponymy in Aosta began.

The declaration of war on France on 10 June 1940 was received by the people of the Aosta Valley with little enthusiasm. A few days after the armistice of 1943 it was organized an armed resistance leaded by Émile Chanoux against the Italian Social Republic.

Mother tongues in Aosta Valley

French forces briefly controlled the area at the end of World War II (with support of part of the Aosta Valley Resistence), but withdrew under British and American pressure and was returned by the allied military government to the administration of the Italian government. The region gained special autonomous status in 1948 and in 1981 it was passed a new financial system for the Aosta Valley, gaining more resources from the taxes collected by the state in the valley. Since the region gained autonomy, its presidents have mostly been from the centrist and regionalist party Valdostan Union (UV).

 

What can I visit in Aosta Valley?

These are plenty of many things to do in Aosta Valley despite its sizeThe most interesting city is clearly Aosta. There's a discount card, Aosta Valley Card (33€/ 15€  family/ single), that includes discounts for most of the attractions and ski resorts and schools in Aosta Valley during a year.    

• 

  Courmayeur Old Town
  

  Courmayeur (Croméyeui in Franco-Provençal): 2,744 inhabitants town in the northwestern part of Aosta Valley. It's a renowned winter and summer tourist resort in the Alps, and also hason its municipal territory there is the highest mountain in Italy and central Europe, Mont Blanc/Monte Bianco (4808 m high).
  • St. Pantaleone Church: church that was first built in the 13th century and rebuilt on its current outlook in the 18th century. The façade is asymmetrical but simple and the interior has a crucifix by Emilio Musso and a polychrome stained glass window depicting St. Pantaleone.
  • Duca degli Abruzzi Alpine Museum (9-12:30 and 16-19 Thu-Tue; 3€/ 1.50€  adults/ reduced):

    

    Exhibition at Duca degli Abruzzi
    Alpine Museum
    

    museum that relives the history of world mountaineering after centuries of challenge between man and mountain, telling stories of epic mountaineering exploits and also the daily hard work of the Aosta Valley mountain rescue. It's located in the House of the Alpine Guides that is named after its founder, the Duke of Abruzzi.
  • Passerin d'Entrèves Stronghold: medieval rural building in the frazione of Entrèves that belongs to Passerin d'Entrèves et Courmayeur family (a branch of the Passerin) since the 18th century, who still live there today.
  • Sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Guérison:

    

    Saussurea Alpine Botanic Garden
    

    sanctuary at the foot of Mont Chétif that is well-known both in Italy and abroad because of the beauty of its surrounding landscape and for being situated very close to Courmayeur. The current Neoclassical temple dates back to 1868. Many of the votive offerings are for alpinists who have escaped danger while climbing Mont Blanc or crossing many of its passes. It has been visited by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI during their holidays in Les Combes. 
  • Saussurea Alpine Botanic Garden (9-17 from Jul to Sep; 3€): Alpine garden thaat is filled with flowers in summer (and blanketed by snow in winter).

    

    Skyway Monte Bianco Cableway
    

    The garden contains a rockery, alpine pasture, talus slopes and wetlands, as well as having all the plants identified by a card. It describes itself as Europe's highest botanical garden. 
    
  • The nearby frazione of La Palud is the base station of the Skyway Monte Bianco Cableway (9-12:30 and 16-19 Thu-Tue; 52€/ 39€  round trip/ one way). This cable car is one of the most spectacular cableways in the world, although it isn't among the world's highest. It reaches threequarters of the way up to Mont Blanc/Monte Bianco before heading across multiple glaciers into France. It has new stations with glass surfaces, futuristic cantilevers and state-of-the-art 360-degree rotating cabins, making it an excellent experience. It departs every 20 minutes and its first stop is Mt Fréty Pavilion while at the top of the ridge is Punta Helbronner (3462 m high).

    

    Mont Fréty Pavilion
    

    The main attraction is a circular scenic terrace with an unique all around view over most of the highest peaks of the Western Alps (Mont Blanc/Monte Bianco, Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn/Cervino, the Gran Paradiso and the Grand Combin). From Punta Helbronner another cable car, Vallée Blanche Aerial Tramway, takes you on a breathtaking 5 km transglacial ride across the Italian border into France to Aiguille du Midi (3842 m high). From here there's another cable car that transports you down to Chamonix in France.
  • Mont Fréty Pavilion: refuge and intermediate station of Skyway Monte Bianco Cableway situated at a heigh of 2173 m. Around it there's Mont Fréty Pavilion Nature Oasis, a protected zone tucked between glaciers and mountains.

    

    Mont Blanc/Monte Bianco from TMB
    

  • Driving east from Courmayeur the visitor can find Col Ferret Trail (8.4 km), hard trail that arrives to Grand Col Ferret Pass (2537 m high), in the border between Italy and Switzerland.
• Along Aosta Valley passes the route Tour du Mont Blanc, a demanding and difficultloop with a length of 165 km circling the Mont Blanc massif (through parts of Switzerland, Italy and France), considered to be one of the most popular long-distance walks in Europe. There are some segments that go through Aosta Valley: TMB Segment 4: Elisabetta Refuge-Courmayeur (16 km); TMB Segment 5: Courmayeur-Bonatti Refuge (16.1 km) or TMB Etapa 5 bis: Courmayeur-Bonatti Refuge via Desot (12 km), and TMB Segment 6:Bonatti Refuge-La Fouly (18.9 km).
  

• 

  Ski resort in La Thuile
  

  La Thuile (La Tchouiille in Franco-Provençal): 822 inhabitants village in the western part of Aosta Valley, close to the border with France. It's an important resort (one of the widest of the Western Alps thanks to 160 km of ski slopes) and there are some nice trails departing from the village.
  • Berton House-Museum (; 2€/ free  adults/ people under 18): house that was owned by Robert and Louis Berton, two brothers who were in love with Aosta Valley and formed an collection with unique pieces of the Valdostan craftsmanship, about 4,000 books and the original furniture of the house.
  • St. Nicola Church: church whose origin dates back to the 12th century rebuilt during the 15th century and then again in the 18th century. Its bell tower is from the 14th-15th century and has a gilded wood tabernacle from the 18th century.
    

  • 

    Verney Lake
    

    Little St. Bernard Pass (2177 m high): mountain pass in the Alps on the France-Italy border with a road that is usually open from May to October. In a short distance there's a cromlech and from here it can be done several trails. Some of the nicest ones are Verney Lake Loop (5.4 km) or Verney Lake-Tormotta Lake Trail (10.3 km), both going by Verney Lake (a glacial lake that is one of the largest in the Aosta Valley). 
  • Going by river Rutor towards Rutor Falls (biggest waterfall in Italy with 3 major steps with a total height of 700 m), the visitor can take several hikes such as La Joux-Bella Comba Lakes Trail (16.5 km) or La Joux-Defeyes Refuge-Rutor Lake Loop (17.7 km), where it can be reached Bella Comba Lakes and Rutor Lakes.
    
  • Before reaching the village of La Thuile the visitor can take a nice trail, Arpy Lake-Pietra Rossa Lake Trail (12.1 km). This hike takes you to two lakes of glacial origin, Arpy Lake (that offers a spectacular view of the Grandes Jorasses, which is reflected in the clear waters of the lake) and Pietra Rossa Lake.
    

• 

  Interior of Sarre Royal Castle
  

  On the way east the visitor has to pass Sarre (Saro in Franco-Provençal), an 4,766 inhabitants town that is the 2nd largest in Aosta Valley. The main highlight in town is Sarre Royal Castle (9-19 Tue-Sun from Apr to Sep; 10-18 Tue-Sun from Oct to Mar; 5€/ 3.50€/ 2€  adults/ reduced/ people under 18), medieval castle that belonged to several families and rebuilt in the 18th century on the basis of a medieval manor house. King Victor Emmanuel II expanded it and made it his hunting lodge for the hunting campaigns in Cogne. It has rectangular-based tower with merlons and lattice windows and the rooms have been furnished with impressive exhibits of hunting trophies.
  

• 

  Saint-Pierre Castle
  

  Not far from Sarre there's the town of Saint-Pierre (Sen-Pière in Franco-Provençal), with 3229 inhabitants. The main highlight of the town are its two castles. One of them is Saint-Pierre Castle, a fairy-tale castle set on a crag whose origins date back to the 12th century and that has four lateral towers added in the 19th century that give it a Disney-like appearance. Today it houses the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences (), that illustrates the different aspects of the natural environment of the Aosta Valley. The other castle is Sarriod de la Tour Castle (9-19 from Apr to Sep; 10-13 and 14-17 Tue-Sun from Oct to Mar; 3€/ 2€ /free  adults/ reduced/ kids under 6), a castle was built by Jean Sarriod in 1420 as a place of reception by adding a series of wings to the existing donjon and its boundary wall was given circular defence towers in the 15th century.

  

  Exhibition at Maison Bruil
  

  The castle remained the property of the Sarriod de la Tour until 1923, currently being a property of the autonomous region Aosta Valley. Not far from these castle are placed the Ruins of Châtel-Argent, that was built in the 13th century by Dora Baltea river that had always been owned by the counts and the dukes of Savoy.
• Before arriving to Gran Paradiso National Park there are some sights that are worth to be seen. To understand more how life was in Aosta Valley it's a good idea to visit Maison Bruil (10:30-19 in Aug;10:30-18 Wed-Mon from Jun to Jul; 14-18 Mon-Fri, 10:30-18 Sat-Sun from Sep to Oct; 5€/ 2.50€ /free  adults/ reduced/ kids under 6), an ethnogrpahic museum focused on alpine nutrition and ancient techniques of conservation and transformation of food in the Aosta Valley. Another nice site is Pont d'Aël Bridge

  

  Alpine ibex close to Grivola
  

  (9-19 from Apr to Sep; 10-13 and 14-17 Sat-Sun in Oct; 3€/ 2€ /free  adults/ reduced/ kids under 6), a Roman aqueduct-bridge built in 3 BC, that had that double function (and there for was built on two different levels) and can be visited on an itinerary following the original ring.
  
• Gran Paradiso National Park: 703 km² park located between the regions of Aosta Valley and Piedmont, named after the mountain Gran Paradiso. Initially it was created to protect the Alpine ibex from poachers and as it was a personal hunting ground for king Victor Emmanuel II.

  

  View of Aosta
  

• Aosta (Aoste in French, Aoûta in Franco-Provençal): 33,613 inhabitants town in the center of the region, not far from the border with Switzerland and France. It's capital of the region of Aosta Valley and its largest city. Roman remains made Aosta earn the title of "Rome of the Alps", retaining a charming historic center. The main square in the town is Piazza Émile Chanoux.
  
  • Arch of Augustus: monument built in conglomerate blocks in 25 BC on the occasion of the Roman victory over the Salassi by Aulo Terenzio Varrone Murena. It was placed on the axis with the decumanus maximus, not far from Porta Pretoria.

    

    Arch of Augustus
    

    It has different styles (Corinthian capitals, Doric order...) and in the Middle Ages, the monument was also the destination of processions aimed at asking for intercession or to thank for a averted danger. During the 12th century the arch housed the home of a local noble family and in 1318 a small fortification was built inside it for the body of crossbowmen. The wooden crucifix displayed under the vault is a copy of what was placed there in 1449. On the other side of stream Buthier is located the Roman Bridge of Aosta, also known as Pont de Pierre, a structure of strategic important dated to the second half of the reign of Augustus (currently the torrente changed its course, leaving the bridge without water).

    

    Interior of Sant'Orso 
    Collegiate Church

  • Sant'Orso Collegiate Church (9-17:30): intriguing church that dates back to the 10th century, part of a still-operating monastery. It was altered on several occasions, most notably when Giorgio di Challant of the ruling family ordered the original frescoes to be painted over and a new, lower roof installed in the 15th century (what left the upper levels of the Romanesque frescoes intact, being able to clamber up by asking the warden). The church also has a 12th century bell tower in Romanesque style and numerous missals and reliquaries (including the relics of St. Ursus of Aosta and of St. Gratus of Aosta).
  • Fromage Tower: tower erected in the 12th century that owes its name to the Du Fromage or Casei family. The building was subject of a series of alterations, extensions and restorations over the centuries. Here it was held in 1549 an official lunch in honor of Ferrante I Gonzaga (governor of Milan on behalf of Charles V).
    

    

    Fromage Tower
    

  • Tower of the Balivi: tower that was remodeled in the 12th century by the local noble family De Palais. At the beginning of the 15th century the tower became the seat of the bailiff (bailly), and the court and prisons were transferred there. The structure was expanded between the 15th and 16th centuries, keeping only the prision since 1626 (until the 1980s).
    
  • Roman Threater of Aosta: theater believed to have been built a few decades after the founding of the city, being able to accommodate around 4,000 spectators on its better days. The wall of the scene was decorated with Corinthian columns and statues and covered with marble. Today some concerts and shows take place at the theater during the summer season, while in the winter season it hosts the Christmas markets.

    

    Roman Threater of Aosta
    

    Not far from the theater used to be located the amphitheater, dating back to the time of the Emperor Claudius. Both buildings, as they were reserved for the show, were built in the north-eastern area of ​​the city.
    
  • Roman Villa of the Consolata (9-12:30 Tue, 14-18 Sun from Apr to Sep; 9-12:30 Tue from Oct to Mar; free): villa from the Roman era from the late Republican period that is protected as an archaeological site. It was also a summer residence of a patrician and many slaves worked there. Then it was abandoned and graves were built nearby between the 4th century and the 5th century AD. 
    
  • Aosta Cathedral (6:30-12 and 15-19; 4€): cathedral first built in the 4th century that has a Neoclassical façade and impressive Gothic interior, episcopal seat of the Diocese of Aosta.

    

    Façade of Aosta Cathedral
    

    The carved 15th century walnut-wood choir stalls are particularly beautiful; the structures remaining from the Romanesque period are two clock-towers, the remaining part of an Ottonian fresco cycle on the church ceiling and the crypt. Next to the cathedral there's Aosta Cathedral Treasury, where finding some of the treasures of the cathedral displayed (some of them are 13th century masterpieces) and sacred art from various churches in the region like the consular diptych of Anicio Petronio Probus.
  • Regional Archaeological Museum of Aosta (10-13 and 14-18 Tue-Sun; free):

    

    Interior of the Regional  
    Archaeological Museum of Aosta

    small museum about the town of Aosta, explaining its Roman history with a scale model of Aosta’s Roman layout plus various antediluvian remains and some fascinating finds from a necropolis discovered at the gates of the Roman city. Its building are the ex-Challant barracks and former monastery, founded in 1633 by the Marquis Pierre-Philibert Roncas that was modified to the current appearance in the 18th century. It hosts temporary exhibitions too.
    
  • St. Stefano Church: church with origin in the 15th century that was rebuilt in the 18th century. It has numerous elements of artistic interest,

    

    Croix-de-Ville

    in particular for the frescoes on the façade, the great Baroque high altar, the gigantic wooden statue of St. Cristoforo and for the precious pipe organ.
    
  • Croix-de-Ville: monument built in 1541 in memory of the expulsion of the Calvinists from Valle d'Aosta. It's said that Calvino secretly arrived in Valle d'Aosta in 1536 to convert the inhabitants to Protestantism and persuade them to join the Swiss Confederation.
  • Roman Walls of Aosta: defensive system that dates back to the Roman era, used to protected Augusta Praetoria. The wall was built in cement mortar and river pebbles, having been preserved almost intact (although originally it reached a height of 6.5 m). Today the walls are partly incorporated into other modern buildings, but many sections are still visible from the outside and from the inside. Some of its gates are very well preserved such as the eastern gateway, Porta Pretoria,

    

    Porta Pretoria
    

    made up of two series of arches from 25 BC.
  • St. Croce Chapel: chapel built in 1682 that is characterized by the trompe-l'œil façade depicting a fresco depicting the legend of the Finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena and on the inside by the valuable Baroque altar in the Valsesian style. It also preserves furnishings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
  • Tour du Lépreux: tower was built on the remains of an ancient Roman tower that was first mentioned in 1191. Its name is translated as tower of the leper because here lived Pietro Bernardo Guasco da Oneglia, a leper who was locked up

    

    Tour du Lépreux
    

    there until death with his sister to avoid the contagion of Aosta. Today it's an exhibition venue.
    
  • In one of the frazione of Aosta it's located Bridge of Grand Arvou, an aqueduct-bridge from the 13th-14th centuries. Close to the bridge there's Tsatelet Natural Reserve, an interesting area from a geomorphological and archaeological point of view, that is an excellent place for birdwatching during the migratory periods too.
  • In the outskirts of Aosta there's Saint-Martin-de-Corléans Megalithic Area (9-19 Tue-Sun from Apr to Sep; 10-13 and 14-17 Tue-Sun from Oct to Mar; 7€/ 5€/ 2€  adults/ reduced/ people under 18).

    

    Étroubles

    This archaeological site is considered of major importance for the study and knowledge of European prehistory and protohistory, containing megalith dolmen and cist tombs,oriented alignments of holes in wooden poles and anthropomorphic stele dating back to the Neolithic era through the Bronze Age. 
• Going north from Aosta, 23 km far, there are some attractive villages that are located in Gran San Bernardo Valley and are part of the Via Francigena. One of them is Étroubles (Étroble in Franco-Provençal), a village with 493 inhabitants that is placed in the list of the most beautiful villages in Italy and where there's Étrouble Church,

  

  Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses

  a church from 1815 that has the remains of the Romanesque bell tower. The other is Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses (Sèn Rémi eun Boursa in Franco-Provençal), 337 inhabitans village where the ham Vallée d'Aoste Jambon de Bosses, protected with DOC, is produced. Continuing the way towards Switzerland it crosses in the border Great St. Bernard Pass (2469 m high), one of the main and oldest-known gateways in the Alps.
  
• Fénis (Fin-ic in Franco-Provençal):1769 inhabitants small town by Dora Baltea river. The main tourist attraction is its castle, an Italian national monument. Critics believe that the castle is among the most representative symbols of the Aosta Valley Middle Ages.

  

  Fénis Castle
  

  • Fénis Castle (9-19 Tue-Sun from Apr to Sep; 10-18 Tue-Sun from Oct to Mar; 7€/ 5€/ 2€  adults/ reduced/ people under 18): medieval castle that is one of the most famous in Aosta Valley. It was first built in the 13th century as a property of the Challant family (Viscounts of Aosta) and expanded under the lordship of Aymon of Challant and of his son Boniface I of Challant. The castle has a pentagonal layout with towers at the corners and its interior has a nice staircase with frescoes attributed to the school of Jaquerio, near the inner courtyard. On the first floor it is possible to visit the weaponry, the kitchen, the woodshed and the storage tank to collect rainwater; on the second floor there were the rooms of the lords of the castle, the chapel and the third floor isn't visitable.
    
  • Museum of the Valdostan Traditional Craftworks

    

    Museum of the Valdostan
    Traditional Craftworks

    (10-18 Tue-Sun from Jul to Aug; 10-12:30 and 13:30-17 Tue-Sun from Apr to Jun and from Sep to Oct; 5€/ 2€  adults/ reduced): museum that is the heart of the traditional local handicraft and all the cultural heritage and the rituals belonging to Aosta Valley. The museum is a journey through materials, techniques and craft know-how to follow in order to safeguard the regional art and identity and disclose them to the public. 
  • St. Maurizio Church: church originally built with three naves in the 15th century in

    

    Starry night at the Astronomical
    Observatory of Aosta Valley
    

    classic Valdostan style, with a masonry canopy, with a cross vault and supported in the front by two or four columns in rough stone, smooth or in dark marble, which serves to block the snow.
  • Not far from Fénis it can be arrive to Astronomical Observatory of Aosta Valley (guided tours on request; 13€/ 11€/ 8€  adults/ retiree/ kids under 12). This
    observatory placed in the Saint-Barthélemy Valley whose instruments and resources are among the most impressive in Europe (an Heliophysics Laboratory for observing the sun, the Teaching Balcony with seven 250 mm telescopes and theUssel CaslteStar Theatre for observing the sky with the naked eye. As an astronomical observatory, it's situated in a perfect place for stargizing.

• 

  Ussel Castle
  

  Continuing by Dora Baltea river it's placed Châtillon (Tschahtéyón in Franco-Provençal, Géschtullju in Walser German, Cas-cion in Piedmontese), a 4483 inhabitants town in the eastern part of Aosta Valley. Here the main attraction is Châtillon Castle, 18th century castle that is privately owned, having kept the important archive of the Challant family (one of the most influential in the history of the Aosta Valley). The castle is surrounded by a park embellished with monumental trees and open to the public during the summer months. But the main castle in the area is Ussel Castle. This fortress that overlooks Châtillon was built by Ebalo II of Challant in the mid-14th century, passing on numerous occasions from the Challants to the Savoys and vice versa, then becoming a prison, until it was abandoned.
  

• 

  Matterhorn/Cervino from
  Breuil-Cervinia

  In the north of Aosta Valley the visitor can get close to Matterhorn/Cervino (4,478 m high), one of the highest and most important mountains in Europe because of its shape. A first stop may be Petit Monde Local History Museum (9:30-12:30 and 15-18 Sat-Sun from Jul to Aug; free), a small ethnographical museum which tells the story of man, the origin and evolution of the village, the life and social organisation of the inhabitants of this little corner of the past. Keeping the way is Valtournenche (Vótornéntse in Franco-Provençal), 2,277 inhabitants town. Here the visitor can visit the Gouffre des Busserailles, a geosite privately owned but open to the public; Sant'Antonio Abate Church, a church from the 15th century that was reformed in the 19th century and Maison de l'Alpage (on request; free), a small museum that provides an overview of mountain pastures. Around here some trails can be taken such as the difficult Via Ferrata Gorbeillon-Valtournenche (2.8 km) or Bec Pio Merlo-Matterhorn/Cervino-Grandes Murailles Trail (7.5 km).
  

• 

  Issogne Castle
  

  Another nice stop that can be done before reaching Bard is Issogne Castle (9-19 from Apr to Sep; 10-13 and 14-17 Tue-Sun from Oct to Mar; 5€/ 3.50€/ 2€  adults/ reduced/ people under 18). This Renaissance style castle that belonged to the Bishops of Aosta, whose current appearance was developed in the early 16th century under George of Challant. It has remains of the frescoes that used to decorate the façade and the visit of the apartments includes the rooms on the ground-floor (where you can admire a beautiful stone fireplace with the Challant crest alongside a lion and a griffin, painted wooden beams on the ceiling and frescoes on the walls), a chapel on the first floor with a Gothic altar and a Flemish triptych. Close to the castle it can be enjoyed the nature of Mont Avic Natural Park, a reserve established to preserve the resources of the high valley of Torrente Chalamy, with extremely picturesque landscape features and settings that have only been marginally modified by humankind.
  

• 

  Bard Old TOwn
  

  Bard (Bar in Franco-Provençal): 123 inhabitants village in the south of Aosta Valley, placed in the list of the most beautiful villages in Italy. In addition to the historic fort, Bard has the typical urban layout of a medieval village, with appreciable buildings dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries.
  
  • Fort of Bard (10-18 Tue-Fri, 10-19 Sat-Sun; 3€): fortified complex built in the 19th century by Charles Albert of Savoy of the House of Savoy to replace a 10th century castle(whose origin date back to a structure founded by Theodoric in the 5th century). It has been restored after disuse since the end of the 19th century and today it has been used in films such as Avengers: Age of Ultron. The castle currently hosts Museum of Alpi Nel Forte (9€/ 7€/ 5€  adults/ reduced/ people under 18),

    

    Fort of Bard
    

    museum that is an important center for the dissemination of Alpine culture equipped with important collections of objects and artifacts, stones and finds.
    
  • St. Maria Assunta Church: 19th century church, whose history dates back to the 12th century, that has maintained a bell tower has with Romanesque shapes.
    
  • Driving 12 km west from Bard the visitor arrives to the Sanctuary of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges. This sanctuary built in the 17th century, one of the most important in Aosta Valley, with a nice portal and portico, plus a frescoed dome by the painters Artari. It's a pilgrimage site once a year in August. In the village of Chardonney it can be found an ethnographic hemp museum, built under an old 18th century barn, that teaches about weaving of hemp and its relationship with the locals (using it to make underwear, drapes and sheets, among others).
    

  • 

    Pont-Saint-Martin Bridge
    

    In the south of Bard, in the border with Piedmont, it's located the town of Pont-Saint-Martin (Pon Sèn Marteun in Franco-Provençal, Pont San Martìn in Piedmontese, Martinstäg in Walser German), 3528 inhabitnats. Here it can be seen Pont-Saint-Martin Bridge, a Roman bridge that dates back to the year 25 BC that is considered one of the largest and most daring bridges of antiquity (has been used for road traffic for more than 2000 years). The town has also the Ruins of Pont-Saint-Martin Castle, remains of a 13th century castle abandonened three centuries later that can be explored.

• 

  Fountainemore

  Only 10 km far from Pont-Saint-Martin, in Lys Valley, there's the easternmost municipality in Aosta Valley, Fountainemore (Fontènemore in Franco-Provençal, Pischu in Walser German) with its 442 people. This area is proud to be one of the most important active emigration hubs tied to construction (with men of this community having worked as master builders in Savoy, Turin, Marseilles, Lyon, Grenoble and even Paris). The village itself has nice stone houses and more than 100 farmhouses. The frazione of Farettaz is one of the best preserved villages, practically abandoned, made up of various groups of houses joined by well-tended paths. Close to Fountainemore it's located Monte Mars Nature Reserve, a reserve around Monte Mars (2600 m high), at the head of the Pacoulla stream Valley.
• In the way to Gressoney-Sain-Jean the visitor has to cross the Valley of Saint Gratus, the first area inhabited by Walser people. The visitor may stop at Sanctuary of Vourry, a place of pilgrimage that gained fame especially from 1833. It has an important main altar in the Baroque style and the 18th century organ.
  

• 

  Gressoney-Saint-Jean

  Gressoney-Saint-Jean (Greschòney Zer Chilchu in Walser German, Gressonèy-Sèn-Dzan in Franco-Provençal): 825 inhabitants village in the northeastern of Aosta Valley. Its main square is Òbre Platz.
  • Savoy Castle (9-19 from Apr to Sep; 10-13 and 14-17 Tue-Sun from Oct to Mar; 5€/ 3.50€/ 2€  adults/ reduced/ people under 18): Neo-Baroque style castle that was erected between 1899 and 1904 for by Queen Margherita of Savoy, wife of the Italian king Umberto I. The castle has a rectangular body and four Neo-Gothic towers, each different from the others; on the ground floor are located the living quarters and the noble floor, on the second floor lived the gentlemen of the court.

    

    Savoy Castle
    

    The castle has an alpine botanical garden too, created by Queen Margherita, that is focused on the aesthetic appearance of its species which are planted in rocky beds.
  • Gressoney-Saint-Jean Church: church built in 1515 (although with origin in the 14th century) that only keeps part of the original façade with the late Gothic portal. Its interior is grand and elegant, with nice high and minor altars, and has a 18th century bell tower too.
  • Regional Museum of Alpine Fauna: museum of ethological content that has the oldest nucleus of the collection of hunting trophies of the Beck-Peccoz baronial house (of Walser origin). The collection includes antlers and antlers mounted on shields of chamois, ibex, deer, roe deer and other fauna from the Alps and other continents whose first pieces date back to the 18th century.

  • 

    Traditional Walser architecture
    

    The mountain valleys that surround the Monte Rosa were populated, up until the Middle Ages by a population of Germanic origins coming from Swiss Valais, the Walser. A good idea to learn about Walser people is visiting Walser Ecomuseum (on request; 3€/ 2€/ free  adults/ reduced/ people under 18) in Tache. Here it's explained Walser culture in three different buildings: Puròhus (typical house from the 18th century with one part used as a shelter for the animals and the other for the family), Pòtzschhus (exhibitions on the local area are held like about the evolution of the glaciers, the peaks conquest) and Binò Alpelté mountain hut. An architectural trace of their widespread travels can be seen by the stadel, rural buildings that lean on columns that was used to isolate the hayloft from humidity and rodents. All over upper Lys Valley there are traces of Walser architecture and heritage.
    

What and where can I eat in Aosta Valley?

Fontina

The cuisine of Aosta Valley is characterized by simplicity and revolves around ingredients such as potatoes, polenta, cheese and meat and rye bread. Regional specialities are motzetta (dried chamois meat), Vallée d'Aoste Lard d'Arnad (cured and brined fatback product with PDO designation), Vallée d'Aoste jambon de bosses (a kind of ham with PDO designation), soup à la vâpeuleunèntse (a soup with fromadzo cheese) and a dark bread made with rye and honey. Notable dishes include carbonnade (similar to the Belgian version), costolette (breaded veal cutlets), teuteuns (salt-cured cow's udder cooked and sliced) and steak à la valdôtaine (steak with croûtons, ham and melted cheese). Most of the dishes involve the cheese fontina (made from cow's milk from the valley) with PDO status.

Wines from Valle D'Aosta

Other cheeses made in the region are tomme de Gressoney, seras and fromadzo cheese, also has PDO status. Some of the most popular desserts and sweets in Aostan cuisine are biancomangiare or tegola dolce (wafer cakes typical of the Aosta Valley).

Aosta Valley has its own DOC of wine, Valle D'Aosta DOC, mainly produced in the eastern banks of the Dora Baltea river, with Aosta as the central winemaking location. Its most important wines are red wines made mostly from the Pinot noir, Gamay and Petit Rouge varieties, and white wine is made from the indigenous Prié blanc grape. It's also quite typical café à la cognèntse, a coffee drunk in a special container (coppa dell'amicizia) carved from a piece of wood.

Most of the most interesting places to eat in the state are located in Aosta with the cheapest and best choices being othe Italian restaurant Bataclan (Piazza Arco D'Augusto 15) or Locanda Urbana (Via Croix de Ville 25); for a bigger prize it can be tried Trattoria degli Artisti (Via Maillet 5/7) and the Italian restaurant Il Veccgio Ristoro (Via Tourneuve 4). In Courmayur the most interesting places to eat are the Valdostan pizzeria La Padella (Vicolo Dolonne 7) and the Italian restaurant La Chaumière in Planchecrouit.
Aosta has also an interesting winery offer, with some of the best ones in Aosta being the enoteca In Bottiglieria (Via Edouard Aubert 15) and Ad Forum (Via Monsignore de Sales 11).

Useful links

 In case you want to look for more information about Aosta Valley (https://www.lovevda.it/en) or its cities and towns, here there's a list with some pages to get it:

• Courmayeur (https://www.courmayeurmontblanc.it/en).
  
• Gran Paradiso National Park (http://www.pngp.it/en/).

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Posted in: Aosta Valley,Europe,Italy