Things to do in Valle D'aosta
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Chiesa di Sant’Orso
Aosta’s most intriguing sight is this church, which is part of a still-operating monastery. The church dates back to the 10th century but was altered on several occasions, notably in the 15th century when Giorgio di Challant of the ruling family ordered the original frescoes painted over and a new, lower roof installed. All was not lost: the renovations left the upper levels of the frescoes intact above the new roofline. You can ask the warden to unlock the door, letting you clamber up a narrow flight of wooden steps into the cavity between the original and 15th-century ceilings to view the well-preserved remnants.
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Pila
The 1800m-high resort of Pila, accessible by the Aosta–Pila cable car from Aosta or an 18km drive south, is quick and easy to reach from the town. Its 70km of runs, served by 13 lifts, form one of the valley’s largest ski areas. Its highest slope, in the shadow of Gran Paradiso, reaches 2700m and sports an ace snow park with a half-pipe, jump and slide and freestyle area for boarders and freestyle skiers. The ski station is a village of sorts, but services such as the tourist office, police and medical services are handled from Aosta.
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Aosta Cathedral
Aosta's imposing cathedral has a neoclassical facade dedicated to the Madonna and dating from the 11th century, along with two Romanesque bell towers. but within is an impressive Gothic interior featuring carved 15th-century walnut-wood choir stalls and decorative floor mosaics.
In the deambulatory of the Aosta Cathedral, the Tesoro Museum houses a formidable collection of religious art treasures including paintings, marble sculptures and wooden icons dating back to the 4th century.
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Pavillon du Mt Fréty
At the 2173m-high midstation Pavillon du Mt Fréty, you can take a summertime stroll through the flower-filled Alpine garden, Giardino Alpino Saussurea, which is blanketed by snow in winter. Walking trails around here are numerous and many fall within the Pavillon du Mt Fréty Nature Oasis, a protected zone of 1200 hectares tucked between glaciers, where you have a good chance of spotting ibexes, marmots and deer.
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Corpo Guide Alagna
From Alagna, the Corpo Guide Alagna organises a smorgasbord of winter and summer activities. A highlight is its summer two-day trip up to the highest rifugio in Europe, the Capanna Regina Margherita perched atop Punta Gnifetti on the Swiss–Italian border at an astounding 4554m. Guided ascents cost from €180 per person depending on group size (including a night in the refuge).
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Spa
A beautiful 1920s building is the newly renovated location for a soothing spa. Admission includes use of a bathrobe, towel and slippers, plus fresh-squeezed juices, fruit and herbal teas. In addition to saunas, whirlpools and toning waterfalls there’s an indoor-outdoor thermal pool. It’s lit by candles and torches on Saturday nights, when it is spectacular amid the snow and stars.
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Ad Forum
A fantastic restaurant set in a stylish garden (and interior rooms) built on part of the remains of the Roman forum. Conceptual dishes such as risotto with strawberries and spumante, or Lasagnetta with pear and blue cheese, come in generous portions, and you get an equally tasty complimentary aperitif while you wait. The attached enoteca has an excellent line-up of wines.
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La Maison de la Fontina
Want to find some of the best Valdostan fontina cheese in the valley? This whiffy shop has been stocking the celebrated local cheese since 1937. Fontina must be made from the unpasteurised milk of Valdostan cows, matured in rock tunnels for three months and brushed and salted on alternate days. The result is a pungent, salty and potent hard cheese.
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Vecchia Aosta
Maybe it’s the French influence, but Aosta restaurants such as the Vecchia score consistently highly when it comes to culinary creativity. Grafted onto a section of the old Roman wall, the setting is sublime and the waiters highly knowledgeable (and congenial). Take their advice and go for the lamb – a real vacation highlight.
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Trattoria degli Artisti
Fabulous Valdostan cuisine is dished up at this dark, cosy little trattoria, tucked down an alleyway off Via Aubert. Antipasti such as puff pastry filled with Valdostan fondue, cured ham and regional salami are followed by dishes such as roe venison with polenta, and beef braised in Morgex et La Salle white wine.
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Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta
The neoclassical facade of Aosta’s cathedral belies the impressive Gothic interior. Inside, the carved 15th-century walnut-wood choir stalls are particularly beautiful. Two mosaics on the floor, dating from the 12th to the 13th centuries, are also worth studying.
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La Terraza
A lively, central bar-restaurant-pizzeria with the full gamut of pizzas, steaks and hearty après-ski fare. True to the local spirit there are also plenty of Valdostan dishes, including polenta, spicy sausage, fondue and pasta with the celebrated fontina cheese.
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Rifugio Pavillon
Perched at the first midstation on the Punta Helbronner cable car at a heady height of 2173m, with a deckchair-lined sun terrace, this bar-cafe-restaurant cooks up mountain feasts including Savoy cabbage rolls with chestnuts, and wheat pasta in deer sauce.
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Sacro Monte di Varallo
The amazing Sacro Monte di Varallo is a series of 50 chapels and 800 life-sized religious statues dating back to the 15th century that depict the Passion of Christ. The Monte is accessed via a walking path from Piazza Ferrari in town.
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Ristorante-Pizzeria Ulisse
Ulisse is the sort of place where the food is often brought to your table personally by the hardworking chef and the cooked-to-perfection €5 pizza Margheritas are better than anything you’ll ever taste in fancy faux Italian chains.
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Arch of Augustus
Dominating Piazza Arco di Augusto, this symbolic stone archway was built by the Romans in 25 BC to celebrate their victory over the Celtic Salassi. Across the Buthier River, a cobbled Roman bridge dates back to the 1st century.
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Roman Theatre
Going north along Via di Bailliage and down a dust track brings you to Aosta’s Roman theatre. Part of its 22m-high facade is still intact. In summer, performances are held in the better-preserved lower section.
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Museo Walser
You can find out more about the Walser community’s history at the excellent Museo Walser in Pedemonte just north of Alagna Valsesia (1191m), a small ski resort at the head of Valsesia.
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Accadueo Scuola di Sport Fluviali
White-water rafting, canoeing and kayaking take place in the Sesia’s wild rapids from May to September; contact Varallo’s Accadueo Scuola di Sport Fluviali.
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Castel Savoia
Queen Margherita picked Gressoney-St-Jean as the location for Castel Savoia in 1894, a dreamlike mansion enjoyed by the Italian royals well into the 1900s.
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La Grange
Fab music bar at the base of St Jacques’ ski lift serving Alpine classics such as stewed sausages with polenta, roast wild pig and potatoes and, of course, fondue.
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Società Guide del Cervino
Contact Breuil-Cervinia’s mountain-guide association Società Guide del Cervino to make the most of the Matterhorn’s wild off-piste opportunities.
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Museo Alpino Duca degli Abruzzi
The Società delle Guide Alpine di Courmayeur's dramatic history unfolds in the Museo Alpino Duca degli Abruzzi.
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Atelier Gourmand
Romantic village restaurant with a candlelit stone dining room warmed by an open fire, a mountain-inspired menu and over 300 wines.
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Scuola di Sci Monte Bianco
Skiing lessons starting at around €30 an hour are available from the Scuola di Sci Monte Bianco, founded in 1922.
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