12 Apr 5 REASONS TO VISIT THE VALLE D’AOSTA
Valle d’Aosta is the most mountainous region in Italy and is tucked away in the northwest corner of the country. Its capital is Aosta, known as the Rome of the Alps because of its archaeological heritage, and it lies midway between the Italian city of Turin and the Swiss city of Lausanne on Lake Leman. The area has become a glamorous ski resort in winter and an unparalleled walking destination in summer.
This beautiful area is off the beaten track for most tourists, however, we feel it’s certainly a region that bears some serious investigation for a number of reasons:
1. Roman ruins
Aosta was once a principal town on the main Roman trade route between the Italian peninsula and northern Europe. Wagons bearing cereals, wine and olive oil moved northwards while precious metals, marble and other building materials travelled south. The roads and bridges that the Romans constructed are still visible today.
Aosta itself was founded in the 1st century BC and retains an archaeological treasure trove from that time including its Roman theatre, the Arch of Augustus and a recently excavated cryptoportico (a covered portico or passageway). The bridge at Pont-Saint-Martin in the valley below was built in the same period and used for traffic right up until the 19th century. Visitors can still walk across this beautiful structure.
2. The Gran Paradiso National Park.
This was Italy’s first national park, established in 1922 on land donated by King Victor Emmanuel III that was originally part of his hunting preserve. The park measures 703 square kilometers and provides a protected area for the alpine ibex, which can sometimes be seen grazing on the lower reaches of the mountains, big-horned sheep, marmot, chamois, and the occasional rare bird such as the golden eagle.
With fifty-seven glaciers, dense forests and lovely alpine meadows, the park also offers visitors beautiful alpine scenery and excellent remote, high altitude walking with the opportunity to witness an abundance of wildlife. A small section is still used for agriculture and pasture and can also be extremely picturesque.
Combined with the neighbouring French Vanoise National Park, it represents the largest protected area in Western Europe.
3. Castles, castles, castles!
A stupendous eighty-two fortresses line the main road from the entrance of the valley at Port-Saint-Martin to Courmayeur in the far northwest at the foot of Monte Bianco – or Mont Blanc depending on where you are looking from! Many of these fortresses and castles are open to visitors and provide an insight into the lives of the aristocratic families who once controlled the territory.
Two particularly interesting sites are Fénis Castle, a mediaeval building dating back to 1242 and built by the Viscounts of Aosta, and Issogne Castle, a Renaissance castle built by different generations of the same family. Visitors can hire a car and a tour guide to visit these sites.
4. Monte Bianco/Mont Blanc
This is the highest peak in Europe and not to be missed, especially on a clear day when the views are utterly spectacular into France, Switzerland and Italy. From Courmayeur it’s possible to take a brand new cable car up through various stages to close to the summit. Adventurers can even alight and walk down onto the glacier.
5. The wines of Valle d’Aosta
There are more than twenty varieties of grapes native to the Valle d’Aosta and the real challenge is to find and sample the wine from them all! Travellers can visit dozens of small family run vineyards to sample their products and of course enjoy the unique taste of Valle d’Aosta wines at lunch and dinner. Our favourites are the Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle and the Valle d’Aosta Petite Arvine.
We spend 3 wonderful days exploring all the highlights of the Valle d’Aosta in our Tastes Tour which runs from the 1st to the 15th October 2017. The tour also takes in Turin, the Langhe wine region and beautiful Lake Maggiore. We still have a couple of places available for 2017 – enquire now!