GCity guide Dolores Jurillo is talking about the water that St. Ursus let spring from a rock in the sixth century, about the fact that he also averted a flood and did other heavenly benefits in and around Aosta. Then Jurillo’s gaze falls on a small silver object lying at the very edge on the altar of the former monastery church: “Oh, my earring, I’ve been looking for it for a week. I must have lost it here last time,” she says and is happy about the small miracle that the piece of jewelery turned up again unexpectedly.
Miraculous occurrences, you’ve just experienced them yourself, so they still happen in this northern Italian valley, says Jurillo. And it is at least surprising that the Aosta Valley is hardly known in Germany compared to other alpine regions in Italy such as South Tyrol or Trentino.
That is indeed astonishing, because the approximately 100-kilometer-long valley lies in the midst of the most impressive mountains in the Alps. The highest peaks in Europe tower on its edges: in the north the Matterhorn, shared with Switzerland, and the Monte Rosa mountain range, in the west, Mont Blanc, shared with France. And in the south there is another four-thousander, the Gran Paradiso, the highest mountain entirely in Italy.
High mountains make the journey complicated
But as impressive as the panorama appears, it is also rugged. Lovely plateaus and pleasing backdrops like in the homeland film? none. In Valle d’Aosta, the Alps are rocky colossuses with ever-white peaks that cast long shadows and inspire awe.
They shape the life of the people in the main valley and in the 14 side valleys, all of which are designed as dead ends for traffic and therefore naturally end at some rock face. Only through the Mont Blanc Tunnel from France or the Great Saint Bernard Tunnel from Switzerland can the natural obstacles be overcome even in winter, and there is still the Autostrada A5 in the direction of Turin and Milan.
Source: Infographic WORLD
The journey is therefore rather difficult. Those who take it upon themselves will be richly rewarded – with fantastic winter sports opportunities (more on that later), but also with the culture and history of one of the most exciting border regions in the Alps, where French-Provençal is spoken alongside Italian.
Traces of the Romans in the city of Aosta
The city of Aosta itself, which was laid out by Emperor Augustus shortly before the birth of Christ, is a must. After the Roman conquest of Gaul, the site was an important stop on the way north and west over mountain passes such as the Little St. Bernard.
As city guide Jurillo emphasizes, Aosta was “miraculously largely spared” from wars. She can show visitors here well-preserved catacombs and imposing theater buildings, Roman city gates and triumphal arches, which should hardly exist north of Rome in this density and in this state of preservation.
Ancient heritage: ruins of the Roman theater in Aosta, the capital of the Italian region of Aosta Valley
Those: Enrico Romanzi
Despite the many monuments, a trip to the Aosta Valley is much more than a journey into the past. The city of Aosta itself exudes a zest for life similar to that of Bolzano in South Tyrol. Anyone who strikes up a conversation with people quickly senses that they want more guests.
The Aosta Valley would like to tell more about themselves and their region and, for example, show how good their wines are – the valley is one of the highest wine-growing regions in Europe – and the local cheeses, from Fontina to Fromazdo to Salignön. After all, ham and speck from the Aosta Valley are well-known beyond the country’s borders. In any case, overtourism, i.e. flooding by tourists, is not yet a problem here.
From Italy just across the border to France
In practice, it is not particularly difficult to get into this conversation with the locals, because in the Aosta Valley – the smallest region in Italy – Italian and French are official languages, and English is also quite easy to get by. The area belonged to the House of Savoy for centuries until the founding of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, where French was spoken.
The capital of the region officially has two names: Aosta in Italian and Aoste in French. The inscription “Hôtel de Ville” and “Municipio” is emblazoned in large letters on the facade of the town hall. In everyday life, the residents switch back and forth between the two languages depending on the opportunity.
High-speed slopes: Thanks to the high mountains, you can ski at high speed in the Aosta Valley
Which: Aosta Valley Tourism
The proximity to France is very easy to understand on holiday, in summer you can quickly cross the border as a hiker or in winter on skis. For example in La Thuile. The well-developed ski resort is located at 1450 meters in the west of the Aosta Valley, its highest mountain stations reach up to 2500 meters. The pistes, at least so far, do without any artificially produced snow.
Over the Col de Petit San Bernard you go from Italy on skis and with Mont Blanc panorama down towards France, only a few small houses mark the border. On the other side, the well-known French ski resort of La Rosière awaits. After a short stop, follow the signs for “Liaison Internationale” back towards Italy.
Montblanc and Matterhorn can be seen at the same time
Here, but also in the other 18 ski resorts in the Aosta Valley such as Courmayeur or Breuil-Cervinia with access to the summer ski area on the Matterhorn, skiers should always plan enough time for photo breaks. The mountain world all around is too impressive; at some points Mont Blanc and Matterhorn can be seen at the same time.
For fans of the high alpine world, this is a moment of supreme pleasure. But such a break is also good for the legs, because many of the ski runs, whether in open terrain or on groomed slopes, are quite demanding.
It is not without reason that the World Cup circus regularly stops in La Thuile. The black “Slope No. 3” reserved for this purpose is open outside of the downhill races to all skiers who have the courage to go down the steep descent onto the ice slabs blown free by the wind. It’s also a miracle that the winter sports enthusiasts, who race down the valley at an estimated 150 kilometers an hour, arrive safely at the bottom.
The Aosta Valley offers more than skiing
Despite the challenging slopes, the towns in the Aosta Valley have long since adapted to winter guests who don’t just want to ski. And there is plenty of variety, for example sporty and close to nature.
In Italy’s oldest national park, Gran Paradiso, snowshoe tours are offered through densely snow-covered forests up to small plateaus. The guides set up telescopes there, and with a bit of luck you can spot the rare alpine ibexes, which live protected here, as do the bearded vultures. A small museum is dedicated to both animal species in the small town of Rhêmes-Notre-Dame.
But that’s not the only reason why a trip is worthwhile, because here – like everywhere in the valley – there are small, very good restaurants that only use regionally produced products. The remoteness used to leave chefs with little choice, and today, sticking to its culinary traditions has made it one of Europe’s most sustainable regions in one fell swoop and effortlessly.
Full board: If you order ham in the Aosta Valley, you shouldn’t be surprised at the quantity
Source: Jorn Lauterbach
By the way, if you order a “Metro Jambon” in a hut, you will actually be served a wooden board one meter long, covered from front to back with slices of ham. It shouldn’t come as a surprise in this wondrous north-west corner of Italy, because the best food in large portions is simply part of the lifestyle here. And of course you should enjoy the wonderfully spicy mountain ham and eat the board completely empty. After all, there are plenty of ways to work off the calories again.
Tips and information:
Getting there: In winter, the Aosta Valley can be reached from the north through the Mont Blanc Tunnel or the Great St. Bernard Tunnel (charges apply). Between June and October there is the option of arriving via the small or large St. Bernhard Pass. The city of Aosta can be easily reached by train from Turin or Milan. The nearest airports are Milan, Bergamo, Turin and Geneva.
Accommodation: “Montana Lodge & Spa”, the luxurious boutique hotel in La Thuile, is also popular with a younger crowd, and DJs play in the evenings. There is a shuttle to the lift. From 170 euros per night, montanalodge.it.
“Omama Social Hotel” in Aosta, formerly a gray office building, now a modern city hotel after complete renovation, the historic district is right next door. From 90 euros per night, omama.it.
“Granta Parey” in Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, at the entrance to the Gran Paradiso National Park and at a small ski area is this three-star hotel with good regional cuisine, rooms from 45 euros, rhemesgrantaparey.com.
winter sports: There are 19 ski areas with 800 kilometers of pistes, plus hundreds of kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails. The combination day pass for La Thuile and La Rosière costs 47 euros, multi-day passes are cheaper. In Courmayeur, the day pass costs 56 euros in the high season.
Further information: Tourist Office Aosta Valley: lovevda.it/de
Participation in the trip was supported by the Tourist Office of Valle d’Aosta. Our standards of transparency and journalistic independence can be found at axelspringer.com/de/werte/downloads.
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