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Valle d'Aosta

Valle d’Aosta is located in the northwestern corner of Italy in the center of the Aosta valley. Valle d'Aosta is bounded by Switzerland to the north and France to the west and, it’s the smallest of the Italian regions and is also the least populous.

It is the most mountainous region of Italy, entirely surrounded by the best known, splendid peaks of the Alps: the Monte Bianco, the Matterhorn, the Monte Rosa and the Gran Paradiso. The latter is at the center of a magnificent National Park, populated by beautiful specimens of ibex, chamois and eagle. Numerous glaciers feed a rich web of streams, which at the bottom of the respective valleys flow in the basin of the Dora Baltea. The distinctly Alpine character of this region can be seen in the pine forests, up to rather high altitudes, where they give place to large pasturelands. The small Alpine lakes, little jewels set in majestic mountain landscapes, are numerous. Thanks to the Monte Bianco’s and the Gran San Bernardo’s tunnels, the great historic passes are today important lines of communication.

Aosta is the capital of the region, which is ruled by a special statute, where the Italian and the French languages are officially recognized. Breuil-Cervinia and Courmayeur are excellent winter resorts.

Good for skiing in winter and with beautiful walking in summer, the mountains are a superb holiday destination all year round. The slopes are covered in firs and pines, with rhododendrons and junipers, edelweiss, gentians and buttercups. The lower slopes of the main valley are clad in birch, hazel and sycamore woods, orchards and vineyards.

AOSTA sits at the confluence of two rivers, the Buthier and Dora Baltea, and at the junction of two ancient

roads that carry the traveler north, one to the Great St. Bernard Pass, the other to the Little St. Bernard Pass. There is a spacious, and timeless alpine feeling throughout the city, particularly in and around its principal piazza, the Piazza Chanoux.

Aosta is institutional, cultural and tourist centre, lively during the day, whilst at dusk, looking towards the "Valdosane" mountains, there is a touch of romanticism.

MONTE BIANCO – Mont Blanc as is also known, is the tallest mountain in the Alps at 4.810m, dominates the western Aosta valley and its all year resort Courmayeur. A series of cable car rides from Entreves, 5 km further north, leads to Chamonix.

THE MATTERHORN- (Switzerland) is a classic peak, a sharp, isolated rock pyramid with steep narrow ridges jutting from surrounding glaciers. The town of Zermatt, nestled beneath the mountain's north face, is a mountaineering Mecca. One of the most frequently climbed mountains in the world, the Matterhorn's every ridge and face have been scaled, and there are now fixed ropes, ladders, and huts along the normal routes to the summit.

MONTE ROSA, Italy’s second highest mountain, overlooks the picturesque Ayas and Gressoney valleys. The rolling lower Ayas valley is dominated by the ruins of the 11th century Castello di Graines. Higher up, the resort of Champoluc has a cable car connection with the striking Testa Grigia.

THE GRAN PARADISO National Park was born from the transformation and development of an ancient royal hunting reserve of 1856, instituted in 1922. It is administrated, as of 1947, by the corporation of the Gran Paradiso National Park. It extends over 70 thousand hectares within the regions of Aosta Valley and Piedmont.

Today the park covers 173,000 acres of perennially snow-capped mountain peaks, tiny glacial lakes, wooded slopes and vast flowering meadows. The lord of this heavenly manor is lo stambecco (the ibex), a chunky white mountain goat with massive horns. About 3000 ibex live in the park, and you have a good chance of seeing them, especially if you stay overnight at one of the well-equipped rifugi (mountain huts) so you can be in the park at sunset and sunrise, when the animals come out to feed and play. There are also large populations of chamois and marmots, smaller numbers of fox and golden eagles, and clouds of colorful butterflies.

BREUIL-CERVINIA - if you like skiing you can't miss Cervinia, an experience you won't forget for sure. There's the mythical sight of the Matternhorn, “the most famous rock in Europe". An incredible skiing area at your disposal. Plenty of slopes connected with Valtournenche and Zermatt. All the most recent and up to date lift facilities avoid the danger of long tiresome queues.

COURMAYEUR is an Italian ski town at the foot of Mont Blanc. Its picturesque mountain scenery and healthy mountain air make Courmayeur an attractive destination. It is one of the most famous skiing locations in Europe. Still, Courmayeur is popular not only in the winter for skiing, but also in the summer for hiking or simply relaxing.

GETTING AROUND The Frejus Pass and the Mont Blanc Tunnel link France with northwest Italy, while the tunnel under the Simplon or Sempione Pass provides a direct rail route from Switzerland. From the rest of Italy there are excellent motorway connections across the plain to Turin and up to Aosta. The region is well served with rail links and buses connect the main towns and outlying resorts. Getting around the mountains is more difficult, making the car the best method of transport.