Valle d'Aosta

Guide to Valle d'Aosta (26)

 

AOSTA TRAVEL INFORMATION AND TOURISM SUGGESTIONS

The region of Valle d'Aosta includes Aosta, Courmayeur, Cervinia, Gressoney Saint Jean, Cogne and La Thuile. Ideal for the two main tourist seasons of the region, summer and winter.

Summer offers long mountain treks and bike riding in the valleys, while the snow brings serious skiers to Gran Bernardo, Courmayeur and Cervinia in the shadow of the Matterhorn.

Who would not want to stay in a wooden mountain 'baite' at least once, as well as seeking out pollution free hamlets such as Chamois, Italy's only comune without road access.

The city of Aosta was inhabited by ancient Celtic tribes, but its real foundations were laid by the Romans who built Augusta Praetoria, a strategic outpost for further conquest. The eastern city gate Porta Pretoria is still in one piece.

Do go to Aosta for the atmospheric Christmas market and for one of Italy's oldest events, the Sant'Orso handicrafts fair. With over 1000 annual editions why not pick up a grolla or friendship cup.

Consult our Valle D'Aosta latest travel articles below, or access them all from the links above right divided by recipes, food, wine, itineraries and trip suggestions.

  • Sant'Orso Fair in Aosta

    Published in Valle d'Aosta Handicrafts
    wood_sculpture
    The casual visitor to Valle D'Aosta may not be able to spot the difference between a 'Grolla' or a 'Friendship Cup'. All confusion can be swept aside by a visit to the annual 'Sant'Orso Fair' in Aosta at the end of January every year. This international hand crafts fair is the biggest appointment of its type in the region and it has now reached over 1000 editions! The stalls and stands stretch right through the historical center of Aosta and along the old town walls. Other classic valley objects include 'sock' or 'puin' which are slippers made from a cloth…
    Read more...
    Last modified on 11 February 2013

Grolla Coffee

Published in Valle d'Aosta Handicrafts
Coffee isn't actually grown in the hills of the Valley, but the preparation of the drink in its many forms has become a well known ritual. The 'café à la cogneintze' is one of the most typical of the region. It is prepared with a mouthful of boiling coffee, grappa, red wine, sugar and a dose of lemon then reheated over an open flame. The proportions need to be just right although a little experimentation does no harm. It is served in a round and shallow wooden cup called a grolla which is closed with a 'coperchio' or top featuring…
Read more...
Last modified on 04 January 2013

Toma cheese

Published in Valle D'Aosta Food
Toma cheese from Piemonte
Toma is a type of cow's milk cheese produced throughout the Alpine arc of northern Italy, especially in the regions of Valle d'Aosta and Piemonte. Interestingly, it tends to crop up in those areas where the classic mountain 'fontina' has less of a presence. In Valle d'Aosta it was used mainly as a substitute for meat, which tended to be scarce in the hills, and is still wonderful when cooked with polenta or soup. In Piemonte there are more than 20 types of Toma (one is pictured above) with the DOP mark awarded to those produced in the provinces in and around…
Read more...
Last modified on 02 August 2012

Traditional Mountain Homes

Published in Valle d'Aosta Itineraries
Traditional Mountain Homes
A house warming party in the valleys might not be the best idea, bearing in mind the traditional homes are made from wood, but the 'Festa delle Cascine' and the 'Fiera del Legno' at Pont-Saint-Martin on the 20th May is worth a closer look. We have written before about the traditional wooden toys made in the valley and the various related exhibitions and fairs, but the houses are equally interesting. Of the many types the typical 'baite walser' are the high altitude stone and wood refuges where the herdsmen and even their families would live during the hotter months. Fine…
Read more...
Last modified on 31 July 2012

Permanent Nature Exhibitions

Published in Valle d'Aosta Itineraries
The Regione Autonoma Della Valle D'Aosta has highlighted a number of permanent exhibitons for the visitor. The pick are: AOSTA - Museo Archeologico, Piazza Roncas. BREUIL CERVINIA (Plateau Rosa) - "Una montagna di lavoro" Journey in the world of work at 3000 meters. Take the funivia Cervinia to Plateau Rosa. COGNE - Atelier d'Arts et Métiers "I costumi tradizionali di Cogne"
Read more...
Last modified on 03 January 2012

Mountain Herbs

Published in Valle D'Aosta Food
For centuries the well watered grasses and pastures of Valle D'Aosta have provided the inhabitants with local herbs used both for cooking as well as to improve general health. The first documented evidence of the importance of herbs for medicinal purposes dates back to the 5th Century BC. In the first century AD, Pliny recorded how herbs were used to add aroma to food dishes as well as liqueurs. The climate in most of the Valley is semi-continental, which means intense winter cold and high summer temperatures leading to the cultivation of certain types of herb. The Centro Agricolo of…
Read more...
Last modified on 20 November 2011

French and German Influences

Published in Valle d'Aosta Itineraries
Two towns in the Monte Rosa Walser reveal the thousand year old cultural exchange in the region. First clus, the origin of the place-name "Pré des Allemands". It is an example of the gradual integration of two quite different ethnic groups: the local population and the Walsers. In fact, the area known as "Pré des Allemands" (the Germans' meadow) and which is located on the plain near the village centre ("duarf") was colonised by the German immigrants who, in harmony with the locals coined the place-name in question. Moreover, Issime's Walser dialect ("töitschu") has always taken terms belonging to other…
Read more...
Last modified on 20 November 2011