Aosta Valley

THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS OF EUROPE

Small region, big mountains!

In Valle d’Aosta you will find the highest mountains of Europe! glaciers, alpine meadows, lakes, walls of rocks and typical valleys. Mix them with the regional cuisine and you will have the perfect trekking holiday!

VALLEE D’AOSTE

Come to discover the highest mountains of Europe!
Valle d’Aosta is a small region located in the extreme north-west of Italy. Its borders are surrounded on the northern part by Switzerland, in the western side by France, in the southern and eastern part by the Piedmont Region.

In this small alpine area there are most of the highest peaks in Europe such as: Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn (Cervino in italian), Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso. Then there are smaller but very interesting and elegant peaks such as: Grivola, Dent’Herens, Monte Emilius, Mont Avic, Testa del Ruitor and many other peaks, some of them over 3000 m reachable by hiking trails.

A multi-day trekking in this region is wonderful and suitable but it is also possible to make day trips from Milan or Turin, thanks to the fast highway that reach the first valleys at the feet of Monte Rosa.

Climate in Valle d’Aosta is fantastic, thanks to the protection that the high mountains chains offer in this region, the rainfall is lower than in other areas of the Alps. In the lower valley thanks to the mild climate all year round, excellent wines are produced and beautiful hikes can be made even in winter, while in the upper valley it is possible to reach 3000 m with wonderful excursions in a grandiose environment.

In Valle d’Aosta the typical mountain cuisine will surprise you with authentic and genuine flavors and the hospitality of the refuges is very nice.

The best way to discover this enchanting and magnificent part of the Alps is a multi-day trekking from refuge to refuge or, if you prefer comfort, stopping at a farmhouse in the center of the valley and moving around the region by car to discover some of the 14 Alpine valleys.

Here it is a summary of the Alpine valleys of Valle d’Aosta:

• Gressoney Valley and Ayas Valley:These are the Monte Rosa valleys. They are the closest and most convenient places to reach from Milan or Turin, in about 1h 30 min by car. Here you can go hiking all year round: in summer discovering routes along altitude above 3000 m, or in winter with wonderful snowshoeing. If you don’t like the snow in the low valleys there are historical routes and panoramic trails where you can also combine hiking, food and wine.
• Valtournenche: It is the valley at the feet of the Matterhorn (Cervino in Italian language) which is also called Gran Becca by the locals. From the valley floor to its head there are countless routes and you can reach peaks with a grandiose panorama such as Monte Zerbion, or Monte Roisetta from where the views of the Alpine giants like Mont Blanc or Monte Rosa are extraordinary.
• Valpelline, Saint Barthelemy and Gran San Bernardo: They are wonderful valleys, far from mass tourism, rich in pastures and nature. Valpelline in particular, is very long and its head takes us to a marvelous glacial basin in the heart of the Alps. Furthermore, from these valleys you can trek for several days crossings in the nearby valleys (Valtournenche and Gran San Bernardo). The hospitality of refuges and mountain pastures is wonderful and they are away from chaos.
• Mont Blanc valleys: The valley starting above the city of Aosta and reaches the feet of Mont Blanc is called Valdigne. In this part of the region there are the most beautiful and highest valleys of this area. Val Ferret and Val Veny are located at the feet of Mont Blanc and offer wonderful trails. Amongst the most famous: The Mont Blanc balcony in Val Ferret and the Val Veny trail which from the Miage Glacier reaches the French border where you can have a one-night stop in the beautiful Elisabetta Refuge which is located at the feet of the famous Piramide de Calcares. This is only the most famous part of the area, there is also La Thuile Valley at the feet of the Ruitor Glacier with its wonderful and huge waterfalls. Here you can hike too with remarkable views of Mont Blanc.
• Gran Paradiso valleys: The Gran Paradiso National Park is located on the border with Piedmont in the southern part of the Aosta Valley. This is the first italian National Park and was established in 1922, half of its area is in Aosta Valley while the other part is in Piedmont. In the Aosta area you will find: Valgrisenche (which is not in the national park area), Val di Rhemés, Valsavaranche and Cogne valley. In these valleys there are the most beautiful and enchanting trails of the Alps! High altitude trails among the great glaciers of Gran Paradiso, Sassiere and Ruitor with the possibility of wonderful crossing trails between Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont and french valleys. In this area, thanks to the reintroduction projects, you can easily observe: Ibexes, Chamois, Marmots and large rapaceous such as Eagles and Bearded Vultures.
• Champorcher Valley and Monte Avic Natural Park: This small valley is located on the south-eastern edges of the region and borders the nearby Gran Paradiso national park and the Canavese valleys in Piedmont. This valley is also very close to the padana plain and can be easily reached from Milan and Turin in a short time. This area is less touristic but offers very fascinating itineraries with many alpine lakes with an easy and panoramic 3000m peak, refuges and biodiversity.