Getty Images

Valle d'Aosta

While its Dolomite cousins tend to the Tyrolean, Aosta's nuances are French. The result is a hybrid culture known as Valdostan, a long-ago mingling of the French Provençal and northern Italian that is notable in the local architecture, the dining table and in the survival of an esoteric local language, Franco-Provençal or Valdôtain.

Attractions

Must-see attractions for your itinerary

Forte di Bard
Valle d'Aosta
A fort has existed here for millennia and the current 1830s Savoy edifice is an imposing one, set high up upon a rocky escarpment at the jaws of the Valle…
Giardino Alpino Paradisia
Valle d'Aosta
The park's amazing biodiversity, including butterflies and Alpine flora, can be seen in summer at this fascinating Alpine botanical garden in the tiny…
Pavillon du Mt Fréty Nature Oasis
Courmayeur
A protected zone of 1200 hectares tucked between glaciers, this nature oasis is accessible from the Pavillon du Mt Fréty. Enjoy numerous trails, including…
Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta
Aosta
The neoclassical facade of Aosta's cathedral belies the impressive Gothic interior. Inside, the carved 15th-century walnut-wood choir stalls are…
Museo Archeologico Regionale
Aosta
Aosta’s little city museum does an excellent job of detailing the city’s Roman history with a scale model of Aosta’s Roman layout plus various…
Giardino Botanico Alpino Saussurea
Courmayeur
Walk through this flower-filled Alpine garden in summer (it's blanketed by snow in winter) and enjoy numerous other trails, including the Sentiero…
Castello di Verrès
Valle d'Aosta
Past St-Vincent is the sober Castello di Verrès, a late-Gothic monolith that stands on the ancient Via Francigena, a pilgrims’ path between Canterbury in…
Porta Praetoria
Aosta
Aosta's main Roman gate.