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VISITING VALLE
D'AOSTA
Hamlets e Villages
Aosta was
founded in 25BC and the still bears the imprint of
the Romans. There are a number of sites, and indeed sights
to see around town. The most obvious is perhaps the
Augustian arch constructed in the same year as the town
was begun. The main Roman road to Gaul via the alps ran
straight through it. The Theatre, although not as
impressive as some is still worth a look, as are the city
gates at various locations and the city walls which still
define the town centre. The useful information boards
situated at various points in the town give a good deal
more detail. The Tourist information office in the Hotel
de Ville are also very pleased to hand out wads of
detailed material to you to help in your explorations.
 From
the pratorian gate, there are signs that lead you to this
excavation sight of a Roman coleseum. In the old days,
several homes were built into the walls of this ancient
structure. Later, these were demolished and the structure
was shored up and preserved as more of a museum. There is
a nice walk through the area, though at the moment (2003)
scaffolding covers some of it as they are repairing parts
of the structure so that it does not fall.
 The
mayor's office, some churches and the oldest buildings in
Aosta are all in the city center, which is bordered by the
Roman ruins of the Coloseum and the pratorian gateway.
This section of town has a number of good restaurants and
has beautiful architecture to look at, as well as
interesting alleyways and hidden corners to find ancient
buildings, doorways etc..
Parks
and Natural Reserves
The
National Park of the Gran Paradiso
The National Park of the Gran Paradiso Institute and since
1922 the National Park of Gran Paradiso, extends
throughout the valleys of Cogne, Rhemes and Valsavarenche
and also includes the massif of the same name.
This was the first park of its kind to be created in Italy
and has been a prototype of all European reserves. Along
the 450 km of tracks, which lead to 11 Alpine mountain
refuges, you can find the noblest species of Alpine fauna
and flora: stars, Alpine rhododendrons, marmots, chamois,
golden eagles, ibex.
The Mont
Avic Regional Park
The Mont Avic Regional Park covers over 3000 hectares of
the high valley of Champdepraz . Although less well-known
than the Grand Paradiso Park, Mont Avic is equally as
impressive and contains the biggest natural lake and pine
tree forest in Valle d'Aosta. Also part of this park is a
beech forest populated by pheasants and stoats and the
only forest of black pines in the region: nature at its
purest!
Botanical
Gardens
If you want to admire all types of Alpine flora, take
advantage of expert advice. In Valle d'Aosta there are 4
botanical gardens: Park of the Castle of Savoy ( 1350 m),
residence of Queen Margherita, in Gressoney-St-Jean; the
most recent Paradisia (1.750 m) near Cogne; the most
scientific, Saussurea; the highest (2.175 m), which
carries the name of the first naturalist to conquer Mont
Blanc and has a wonderful view of this famous peak and was
established in 1897 and now has more than 1600 species of
the entire Alpine range: Chanousia (2.170 m).
Natural
Reserves
8 natural reserves spread over the territory, protecting
the natural and unique riches of this area.. In these
exceptional reserves, visitors can experience scenes of
rare beauty: transparent and uncontaminated mountain lakes
surrounded by an expanse of flowers, the everlasting snow
of crystalline glaciers and spectacular Alpine peaks..
Here the respect for the landscape is as natural the wish
to protect this wonderful legacy!
Sports
Valle d'Aosta
is the ideal terrain for summer sports: mountaineering,
para gliding, sailflying, canoeing, rafting, golf ,
mountain biking, riding, fishing, summer Skiing and a
multitude of other sports for both those who love thrills
and those who prefer more traditional sports.
In Valle d'Aosta you can renew yourselves in an
exceptional environment in direct contact with abundant
nature.
Mountaineering
On Mont Blanc (4810 m.), Monte Rosa (4638 m.), the
Matterhorn (4478 m.) the Gran Paradiso (4061 m.) and on
other 32 peaks over 4.000 meters, Valle d'Aosta is the
ideal terrain for mountaineering.
In perfect synthesis with the needs of climbers eternally
in search of more thrilling experiences, Alpine guides
will introduce you to the high Aostan mountains!
Sparkling
Waters
With the arrival of summer, the sparkling Alpine waters
become the scene for the new displays of the following
sports: canoeing, kayaking, rafting, hydrospeed and
canyoning, all possible from April to September. These
sports take water-lovers on adventures through waterfalls
and natural shutes.. Specialist guides are on-hand to help
beginners or to accompany you on adventures of varying
duration and difficulty.
Aerial
Sports
One of the
most fantastic ways to discover Valle D'Aosta is
undoubtedly in the air……Being side-by-side with giants of
rock and ice such as the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Monte
Rosa and the Gran Paradiso allows you to take in
bewitching and breathtaking landscapes…
Valle d'Aosta offers the perfect meteorological and
orographical conditions year round for free flying ( hang
and para gliding). A hot-air balloon flight provides you
with unique sensations following the winds…..
Summer
Skiing
On the glacier of the Monte Rosa Plateau, at the foot of
Mont Blanc, snow is endless… From July to October,
enthusiasts par excellence of winter sports can experience
out-of-season emotions!
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