Summer in the Italian Alps

Aosta Valley

Aosta Valley, Italy is perfect for folks who love an outdoor adventure in a gorgeous mountain setting. The entire valley includes the Italian slopes of Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso and the Matterhorn. Its highest peak is Mont Blanc and is the highest region in Italy. The peaks are stunning in contrast to rich shades of green from the vegetables, fruits, grains, and grape vines planted in the valley and along the hillsides. The valley and its people create a sense of life and warmth that will forever stay with us. In today’s post, I share the many ways you can enjoy the beautiful landscapes and towns, including shopping, hiking, food tours, dining out, and riding the skyway trams up the mountain.

Stops Along the Way

We made a few stops on our drive from Lake Maggiore to Courmayeur, including Lake Orta and Aosta. The town of Orta and Lake Orta are small and get fewer visitors than the other lakes in the area. We walked up from Orta’s waterfront to the Sacred Mountain of Orta to quietly reflect on the architecture, sculptures, and paintings in a series of twenty chapels that illustrates the life of St. Francis. The Sacro Monte, as the Italians call it sits on a promontory overlooking Lake Orta. Be sure to visit the church at the top of the hill, which offers spectacular views of the lake and San Giulio Island. The beauty of the landscape, its silence and harmonious balance between art, architecture and nature truly capture the essence of Franciscan spirituality.

You can learn more about the first part of our trip to Lake Maggiore in the post below:

Italy without the Crowds

We had a great lunch in Aosta, explored a few shops, then headed to our final destination. We did return to Aosta on another day, which turned out to be one of our favorite days in Italy. We had an amazing Food Tour with Alessia Bonade/Cesarine who provided an extraordinary look into country life for many Italians. From our meeting point, we followed Alessia’s scooter, as she sped through town and up the hillside to a dead end. A large wooden half circle panel with a door built into the hillside was directly in front of us. Alessia excitedly tells us we are in for a secret treat, as she opens the door, and we enter a cool, dimly lit cave. Once our eyes adjust, we walk next to large wheels of Fontina cheese on floor to ceiling shelves that stretch as far as we can see. We spoke with and watched the guys wash the wheels with a brush dipped in salted water. The cheese gets a daily salt bath for approximately three months before being sent to the market. A few select wheels are kept a little longer and will be entered in an upcoming best Fontana cheese competition.

Our next stop is Cave des Onze Communes wine shop, which sells award winning, locally produced red and white wines. We try several samples, all of which were pretty good, including a wine made with grapes grown by our guide, Alessia. Depending on the wine, the growers use wooden barrels, stainless steel or granite to age the wine before bottling. We also learn that most of their sales (80%) are to local residents. While Jim and I decide which wine to buy, Alessia purchased a bottle for the lunch she has planned for us.

We follow Alessia further up the hillside to her family’s farm, which has grapevines, raspberries, vegetables, apples and stunning views of Aosta Valley. We settle into a covered picnic table and our guide lays out a tasty variety of locally cured meats and cheeses, as well as traditional bread, homemade spicy raspberry jam and a bottle of wine. Alessia shared a bit about her life – she’s married with a daughter and works for a local supermarket, as well as planting, tending and harvesting her grapes. Our final destination is a small farm and shop, which produces and sells the family’s gelato and cheeses. We highly recommend Alessia’s unique and personalized food tours for an authentic Italian experience.

https://www.cesarine.com/it

We thank Alessia for a wonderful day, then drive across the valley to check out our first Italian castle. Like most castles, Aymavilles castle sits up on a hill overlooking the valley below, which was helpful for spotting invading armies back in the day. There are several castles in the valley, including Savoy, Fenis, and Fort Bard. Each castle is very different – Savoy invokes fairytales, Fenis is now a museum and Bard is an imposing military fortress. The Aymavilles castle has undergone significant renovations since it was built in the 12th century. It was rebuilt between the 14th and 15th centuries and four round towers were added to each corner. Over the years, it was transformed into a residence in the rococo style popular at the time. The owners added square footage, as well as intricate details to the outside of the castle, including a second story covered veranda.

Courmayeur

As Jim drives, I watch the hills give way to mountains shrouded in clouds as we get closer to Courmayeur. There are many lovely places to stay but the Gran Biata Hotel was fabulous with luxurious suites, beautiful common areas, including patio spaces and a wonderful spa and pool area. We enjoyed complimentary breakfast every morning, which included local cheeses, cured meats, scrambled eggs, sausages, pastries, fresh fruit, and many other delicious delights that were perfect fuel for our days spent exploring. In the evening we’d go to the generous lobby and bar area to enjoy live music, a yummy cocktail and a light snack provided by Daniel, the bar tender. Traditionally, aperitivo hour is observed in Italy from 6pm until dinner hour around 7-8pm, which includes light nibbles to keep your hunger at bay until dinner. You’ll want to reserve a spot at the hotel’s Restaurant La Sapiniere for a mouth-watering dinner during your stay. We recommend trying one of the steak options, which came out on a sizzling stone plate.

You can book directly with the hotel below:

https://granbaitacourmayeur.it/

This part of Italy is simply breathtaking and at 15,780 feet, Mont Blanc dominates the skyline in Courmayeur. This upscale town sits on the south and sunny side of the Italian Alps, which provide loads of outdoor adventure during the summer, fall and winter seasons. We spent most of our time outdoors, but Courmayeur also offers exclusive shopping and delectable delights for your tastebuds. In addition to clothing and housewares, there are several food shops that have locally made wines, cheeses, cured meats, pastries, and chocolates.

Skyway Mont Blanc

There’s nothing better than a cool breeze as you walk along the alpine landscape. On our first day, we took the Skyway Mont Blanc up to stations Punta Helbronner and the Pavillion. The creation of the Skyway is a true source of pride for Italy, which sits like a beautiful jewel perched firmly at the top of Italy. We recommend purchasing lunch with your skyway tram ticket, which allowed us to spend the day exploring both stations, including the captivating alpine garden at the Pavillion and the frozen landscapes at Punta Helbronner.

https://www.montebianco.com/mosaic/en/cableways

Punta Helbronner

Most days were sunny, clear, and warm but weather in the mountains can change quickly, so we brought our fleece and rain jackets, as well as wide-brimmed hats. You’ll marvel at the engineering feat of the Skyway, which was completed in unimaginable conditions over several years. Be sure to look for the mountain climbers, who are just small dots as they disappear up into an impossibly cold and rocky terrain. Bring your sunglasses because the sun is blinding, as it reflects off the snow filled mountains at the top. We recommend taking the first tram in the morning, then transferring to the Helbronner tram to enjoy early clear morning views of Mont Blanc. It’s bitterly cold up there, so we put on our fleece and rain jackets before stepping outside. Once we finished exploring Helbronner, we rode the tram back down to the Pavillion.

The Pavillion

This station offers warmer weather, beautiful alpine gardens, trails to explore and a fantastic place to savor a leisurely lunch. Our tram ticket got us into the botanical alpine garden, which showcases 900 plant species from all over the world. Follow the path to explore the many flowering plants, sculptures, and a unique pollinator house, which are all set within a stunning mountain backdrop. You can also spend some time on the vast terrace, which provides 180-degree views over Mont Blanc and the Val Veny. After exploring the garden, we went to the restaurant for lunch, which included three courses. I started with a fresh micro-green salad, then had a very tasty ravioli and finished with a raspberry chocolate mousse.

After lunch, we walked up a wide path, then followed one of the trails that overlooked Courmayeur below with Mont Blanc towering above us. On the trail we used a cable to help us climb a steep rocky incline and crossed a stream that was flowing down the mountain into the valley below.

Thanks to the Skyway, we spent a wonderful, relaxing day on the mountain. It was well worth the cost, and we highly recommend you add this to your itinerary for your next visit to Courmayeur. In my next post, I’ll share some of the other hikes we did in Northern Italy. Be sure to subscribe below to ensure you don’t miss it.