The marvels of Valle d’Aosta region.. Trip to the Northwestern Italy

Castles and mountains of the Valle d'Aosta (3-4-5 July 2010 - 11-12 July 2010)
Text by Anna Marchisio - Photo by Marco Giovo

Often go to the Aosta valley to walk on its beautiful mountains and has already been the site of many short vacations for this reason. This year we decided to expand our knowledge of the region andandone to also visit the cultural sights, castles, forts and more. And so we spend two weekends in July in this small but rich region.
The first is a long weekend (3 days) and spend the night in a b & b and the second we spend in a tent surrounded by the mountains away from everyone.

The autonomous region of Valle d'Aosta is one of the smallest regions of Italy but this small territory has very much to offer. The mountains, the Alps are beautiful. The Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso, are just some of the mountains, the highest of the Alps, the Val d'Aosta has the honor of hosting in part or completely. Well .. for mountain lovers there is plenty to do in both winter and summer. But for those looking for a cultural visit as it is bread for his teeth. Its ancient villages, its castles and fortresses are just one example of what this region has to offer, well ... can be a pleasant surprise to discover and fall in love with these places will not be at all difficult.

 

Our first destination was the fort of Bard. Walks tall and imposing its strategic location. Inaftti dominates the narrow gorge of Bard and is a mandatory step for all those who want to enter in the Aosta valley. Since ancient times the fort played an important role in the defense of the valley. In the late nineteenth century the fort lost its importance thus starting the slow decline. In recent times has been restored to its former glory. Inside are held exhibitions, conferences, concerts, etc.. The museum itself is housed in the Alps of the fort. The museum is interesting, certainly the flight of the movie alone is worth visiting the museum (museum ticket 8.00 - free for holders of the museum of the Piedmont Region).
To reach the fortress you can enjoy the panoramic lift or take the road on foot. It is also worth a stroll through the streets of the village of Bard. Narrow and picturesque.

After leaving the fort of Bard we head towards Aosta, without first stopping at the castle of Fenis. Unfortunately, they are shooting a movie or a documentary so you can not run outside the castle too, however ... The position, you immediately notice, is strategically located as it does for many other castles and fortresses in the valley of 'Aosta that stand on top of rocks or hills. Fenis was built as the headquarters for the family Challant, the then rulers of the Valle d'Aosta. The visit inside the castle is guided and lasts a half hour (entry 5.00 and 3.5 with the whole card museums of the Piedmont Region).
The castle of the medieval village of Turin has been made taking as inspiration the many castles of Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta, so the courtyard of the castle of the medieval village is no more than one copy of the courtyard of the castle Fenis.

After visiting the castle Fenis Aosta where we continue to spend the rest of the day.

Aosta is the capital of Valle d'Aosta, but has nothing to do with the other great cities of northern regional capitals. It can almost be described as a quiet provincial town.
Geographically it is situated in a beautiful mountain valley surrounded by Mt Emilius, Becca's Viou and Becca di Nona. The presence of the Great Saint Bernard has always given the region an important strategic role as a communication, today the Mont Blanc tunnel and the Gran San Bernardo strengthen this city's role as strategic hub for transport.

Aosta is a corner of ancient Rome stuck in the Alps is said to be one of the most important examples of Roman architecture is currently present in northern Italy.
In addition to the Roman ruins there are also many medieval ruins due to feudal lords who have fought for centuries the domain of this valley.

One of the most important monuments of the city is without doubt the arch of Augustus. Built in 25 BC is now in the middle of a roundabout, past and present compared.
Interesting Roman theater, of which there remains only the facade. Could contain up to 4000 people.
Bella the cathedral dating from the fourth century. Next to the cathedral can be visited free of charge to tunnel criptoportico. A long porch, almost entirely underground, where, in Roman times, took place the life of the town lawyer.

The main monuments are connected by a pedestrian street that passes Chanoux Square, the heart of Aosta. On this square is the Town Council.

We have dinner in a pizzeria in the center of Aosta. There are so many bars, shops and souvenir shops in the heart of the city and there are also many tourists.

The b & b (www.samsuffy.com) where we stay is located in Val d'Ayas villa in the hamlet of Saint Victor Challand. The structure is very beautiful, located in the center of the village. It was not easy to find because there are no signs on the main road that roughly indicate the direction. As said, the property is beautiful, the room is very comfortable, a little 'less can be said of the owners, a couple of retirement age. In addition to breakfast, you can have dinner, but given the friendliness of the owners, especially of man, we preferred to dine elsewhere. The reception on our arrival was not welcome, but this is not what you would expect from a hotel ... we expect a minimum of courtesy. We rang the bell and after a long wait, the vein in which we doubt that there was no one at home, is to open up her husband. Without too many turns of phrase makes us know he was having dinner and that we had disturbed during dinner (and not do if the landlord does not want to be disturbed !!!). We gave the keys of the room and shows us where our room and this makes us to join him in the dining room, for registration, not half an hour before he has to finish dinner. We were tempted to pick up and leave so he could finish the dinner and after dinner too quiet.
Later we present ourselves in the dining room, we call the time for breakfast and Mark almost falls to the ground. We came in the Aosta Valley for its fine walking trails and not to remain idle until late in bed. Knowing that breakfast is served at 8.30 because the other occupants of the rooms have requested so. So what? If others do not have anything to do not see why we have to adapt to others and not the other way around! At the end we won the 8. Then I did not understand where the problem was to get it first, as the lady whose kitchen was close to our room at 6 am was already rummaging in the kitchen with the pots! And to casino .. so .. Well ...

To date we have decided to pursue a path through a beautiful valley Ayras, surely one of the most beautiful valleys of Valle d'Aosta.

We go by car to Mandriou, where the path to the Col Vascoccia (marked No. 3). From the hill I continued towards the upstream Facciabella where you can enjoy a beautiful landscape, while Marco climbs steeply to the SE ridge of the Bec de Nana. Fortunately that's not why I went back there were a few strollers climbing that maybe they were not within my reach.
We meet at the hill after a quick lunch and saw the clouds know how to move forward in time, quickly fall back to our car.

Since there is still time we decide to continue with our sightseeing. We expect the castle Issone and that of Verres.
Just to continue to make the parallelism of the pomegranate fountain Issogne Castle is one from which they drew inspiration for the construction of the castle of the medieval village of Turin. It is indeed very beautiful. Although this castle is not in a position strategy because its construction and its use was not for defensive purposes but purely for residential then lords of the Aosta Valley, the Challant. The interior is very nice as well as the frescoes on the porch. We must thank, if today we can visit these places, a painter from Turin devotee of the Middle Ages; Having Vittorio. At the death of the last member of the family Challant, which occurred in 1804, the castle had been abandoned for some time marked his slow decline. In 1872 Avondo buy the castle and this triggers its restructuring trying to re-buy the original furnishings of the manor. Later donated the castle to the Aosta Valley, who completed the restoration and opened to the public. The visit inside the castle is guided and lasts half an hour (entry 5.00 and 3.5 with the whole card museums of the Piedmont Region).

Issogne left, we go to visit the castle of Verres. This is instead placed on top of a rock, in a very strategic: it dominates the valley from both the Aosta valley to the entrance of the valley Ayras. It owes its present form in the construction of a Ibleto Challant who wanted to create a home worthy of its power and its prestige. What presumptuous! The castle of Verres, unlike many other castles in Aosta that are a combination of several buildings built in a single block. Such Edmund Aubert has called the most beautiful monument of the feudal age Aosta Valley. Its grandeur and its power are certainly impressive. Currently the castle, completely bare, is used to celebrate the traditional carnival of Verres. The castle has been renovated to bring it almost to its initial glory, the castle was already in the nineteenth been abandoned at least two centuries and the roof, partially collapsed, was made after collapsing with the aim of not having to pay the rent state representative. And even in this case, like the castles of Issogne and Fenis for restructuring and recovery of these important works should be thanking a group of intellectuals Piedmont accumulated by a passion for the Middle Ages. Again, the visit is guided and lasts half an hour (entry 3.00 and 2.5 with the whole card museums of the Piedmont Region).

On a wall in front of the car park of the castle of Verres are an indication to a restaurant that proposes a very interesting price, a tourist menu and a snack-sinoira Valle d'Aosta Valle d'Aosta (11.00 and 12.00 € each). Curious to see how we decide to go this restaurant in the homonymous village Omens Omens of Verres. What can I say ... we went out with the fullest bellies and we ate very well. The place is just around the corner from the center but must be well known and appreciated because when we left was full of people. As said the food was spectacular, it is certainly a place to recommend.

This morning we check the breakfast at 7.30 (but we still wake up at 6 am from the usual noise of pots and pans and the operation of the appliance). The tour we chose is now in the Valtournenche.

Trip long and tiring but very rewarding! Leave the car at an altitude of 2023 in the parking Barmaz. From here we reach the nearby village of Cheneil. Suggestive, surrounded by green mountains does just reminded Heidi and her world!
From here we continue on to Croux hill (or des Fontaines) to m. 2696 and find that the path goes down! Noooooo .... We continue to be brought back ... and after about fifty meters (not many but they are always 50 too!) goes back to with Nana. From here we continue on the ridge and that seems arduous and difficult, but it is nothing of that and get to the tip of the jack to pick Trecate 2950 meters! Wow! Beautiful view! Going encounter mountain goats grazing just below the summit. It's nice to have lunch with the mountain goats not far from us!
Decline from the same path from which we climbed and once our car we should take the way home! And for this long weekend is all about.

This weekend, as I said initially spend the night in tents, with our trekking down in the middle of nowhere. I really like sleeping in a tent in the mountains. When night falls and silence envelops all I like to look around and enjoy the silence, enjoy the wind rustling the grass, the sound of running water, I like to listen to the silence.

Before starting our trek, we stop to see the Royal Castle, which dominates the entrance of Sarre in the upper valley. Important and well-told in the manor is the time when the castle was 'elected' a hunting lodge by King Vittorio Emanuele II and then by Umberto I of Savoy. Acquired in 1869 by Vittorio Emanuele II, just to make a hunting manor. His passion for hunting the mountain goat known to all. Passion that leads to near extinction of the species. Impressive are the two rooms decorated with horns of ibex and chamois. There are so many and have been used as decorative elements of the rooms to create patterns. The castle tour is guided and lasts half an hour (entry 5.00 and 3.50 with a card full of museums Regione Piemonte).

After the visit to go towards Cogne, beautiful location in the heart of the park of Gran Paradiso. We leave our car in Gimillan, a village just above Cogne.

We walk, backpackers, in the afternoon. The sun is very hot I do not remember ever having suffered so hot to walk. I do not know if today is particularly hot, or whatever, but in some places I really felt baking! Fortunately got a .. a slight breeze made the rest of the mountain to walk much less hot.

This valley is very beautiful and evocative. Just after the Alpe Prolognan seek a quiet place to mount our tent and settle down for the evening. This camping I like you very much. The contact with nature, being away from the world, even if it's just around the corner at this time seems far away. It is a wonderful experience that everyone should do at least once in their life! To hell with comfort, luxury rooms, telephones, televisions, to hell with everything .. sometimes you have to live, even if briefly, in contact with the earth, with nature, with what we are not to forget his part of being only a part, being only a small particle in the vastness of this world.

Mark wakes up before it is determined to reach the peak of Mount Tersiva (d. 3512), what is his alarm rings at 4:30. While I'm sleeping so he walks in the morning and reached the summit of this mountain.

Later I wake up too, and prepare all our stuff, so when Mark joins me in mid-morning, after a small snack, we prepare and backpacker continue our ride. Is not satisfied of his trip because the weather was not the best and the snow, which still was not even her best.
We walk towards the Alpe Grauson more to go around the lakes. But the day breaks soon, but we decide to do the same around our lakes and Crown Lussert lower.

The weather continues to worsen, as we go, so much so that at some point it also makes it rain, we go, armed with everything necessary to prevent us from the shower, but finally stopped raining and we can do lunch.
After lunch we take the road to Gimillian and hence the way back to our car.

Nice ride, I really liked it! Apart from the rain means ...

And so this weekend is over. We spent two wonderful weekends in the valley. Valley but we know that we never stop wanting to find out. A friend of Treviso, a few years ago has come to spend their holidays in the Aosta valley and been simply fascinated and delighted. When I said I would come here for this weekend I said "Say hello to the beautiful Aosta valley." Au revoir-Valle d'Aosta ...