The central part of the Aosta Valley is known as the Valley of the Dora, which is the name of the river that winds its way down to the Po. Along the lower reaches of the valley are the larger villages and towns as well as most of the industrial activity. A railway, motorway and main road (26) all run along the valley. Anyone wishing to admire its beauty should take the main road.
The Aosta Valley begins at Pont-Saint-Martin; busy farming towns where you can see the Roman bridge over the Lys, which miraculously survived bombing. Past the vineyards which produce grapes for one of the most famous wines in the Aosta Valley, you come to Donnas, an ancient village with houses which still have traces of the Middle Ages on their doors and windows. You can also see the ruins of the Roman road, which for some 200 yards is cut out of the rock.
Further on, you come to the massive Fort Bard, which defends the valley as it has done since ancient times and, further on again, to Arnad, with its outstanding Romanesque church, and Verrès dominated by the imposing castle built in 1391 for Ibleto di Challant. Just outside the village, there is Saint-Gilles college with its fine bell-tower (15th century). After Verrès, you can go to Issogne, which is famous for the castle built for Giorgio di Challant at the end of the fifteenth century, a fine residence rich in art treasures – a real castle of dreams.
Montjovet comprises many villages and two parishes and is rich in interest – ruins of a Roman road, the imposing St. Germain castle, terraced vineyards and medieval buildings. Here, the narrow valley opens out into a wide basin. St. Vincent is known as the “Riviera of the Alps,” on account of its mild climate. It is a popular spa but is even more famous for its casino where you can not only enjoy the thrills of the gambling tables, but also attend famous cultural and artistic events.
Nearby Châtillon is situated at the entrance to the Valtournenche. Though it has concentrated on industry, it also has outstanding ruins of a Challant castle and Roman bridge over the Marmore. Farmland extends as far as Chambave, which is dominated by the ruins of the Cly castle and surrounded by vineyards, which produce grapes for famous wines including a rare passito Moscato. Nus, (a squire’s castle, known as Pilate’s) is a quiet village at the entrance to the Valley of Saint-Barthélemy. It is popular with day-trippers but can also provide good accommodation if you wish to prolong your stay. Leaving the road at the Fénis fork, you can visit the medieval castle, which is a wonderful example of feudal architecture, built towards the middle of the 14th century for Aimone di Challant. The castle houses an outstanding series of Gothic frescos by Giacomo Jaquerio and his pupils.
Past Saint-Marcel on the left, at the foot of vast forests, you come to Quart (fine castle), which marks the beginning of the Aosta basin. After skirting the airport and St. Christophe meadows, you come into Aosta.
As already mentioned, the main town in the province can be avoided if you are in a hurry by taking the northern by-pass and highway to Mont Blanc. The scenery, as always, is beautiful with the glittering Rutor glacier. On the way, you pass the Sarre castle, built in the 13th century and rebuilt in the 17th. It is a royal castle where the Kings of Italy used to stay when they came shooting in the Aosta Valley. The Aymavilles castle is opposite.
A little further on, you come to the beautiful village of Saint-Pierre, whose castle was restored last century and is now a real fairy tale castle. Further on, you come to the beautiful castle of Sarriod de La Tour, which has recently been restored and now houses important art exhibitions. Every bend in the road offers a wonderful view – the Colin tower, Villeneuve’s cemetery, ancient churches, Roman bell-towers and massive ruins of the Châtel-Argent castle.
After Villeneuve, along the straight road to the left, you can see the castle and pointed bell-tower of Introd and, on the right, in the steep gorge, the bell-tower of Saint-Nicolas. This is a pleasant holiday resort reached along the road from Saint-Pierre. After skirting the ruins of the old Roman road, the highway brings you to the Arvier, which has important ruins of a 13th century castle and a Roman bell-tower.
On the other side of the Dora, there are vineyards which produce grapes for the famous “de l’Enfer” wine. Crossing a viaduct over the Dora near Leverogne (there are medieval houses here) and going through a tunnel, you come to Avise, surrounded by vineyards, with two interesting medieval castles nearby which add to the charm of the village. Past Runaz, the sides of the valley almost touch and the Dora flows along the bottom of a deep gorge. Here again, you come across the remains of a Roman road at “Pierre Taillée” then, on leaving the tunnel, get a unique view of Mont Blanc.
After crossing the Dora at Equiliva, you climb to the left up to Derby (a Gothic church and medieval fortified residences) where there is a wonderful view of the Linteney waterfall. After a number of bends, you come to La Salle, a sunny village on the slope surrounded by vineyards, which stretch up to 1000 meters and produce an excellent wine. The beautiful Châtelard and Lescours towers, as well as a number of medieval fortified residences dominate the village.
The valley widens out at this point up to Morgex, a village rich in history. The medieval tower of Archet gave accommodation to the Princes of Savoy when they visited the province officially to administer law at the general hearings. The parish church with its Roman and Gothic frescos, Baroque altars and Roman bell-tower is worth a visit too. On leaving Morgex, the road climbs through green meadows and forests to the Arpy basin and then crosses the Colle San Carlo to reach La Thuile on the other side.
After Morgex, the road continues as far as Pré-Saint-Didier, which is famous for its warm springs, which attract visitors with various skin complaints. The valley ends, as does the railway, at the foot of Mont Blanc.
Aosta