Aosta Valley castles itinerary

The Aosta Valley is Italy's smallest region and one of the richest in castles: more than a hundred between fortresses, towers and noble residences, set along the Dora Baltea valley at the foot of Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and the Gran Paradiso. For centuries this was the road between Italy and France, through the Great and Little St Bernard passes, and whoever controlled the valley controlled the passage. The great families, above all the Challant, built castles to guard it, and in time turned them into elegant residences full of frescoes.

This six-day itinerary climbs the valley from Bard, the gateway, to Courmayeur, beneath Mont Blanc: the Fort of Bard, the castles of the Challant at Verrès, Issogne and Fénis, Queen Margherita's Castel Savoia at Gressoney, Roman Aosta, the royal castle of Sarre, Saint-Pierre and Aymavilles, with a day in the Gran Paradiso and one on the Skyway. See also our page on the Aosta Valley.

1. Turin: arrival
2. Bard: the fort
3. Issogne: the Renaissance castle
4. Verrès: the Challant fortress
5. Gressoney-Saint-Jean: Castel Savoia
6. Fénis: the castle of frescoes
7. Aosta: the Roman city
8. Sarre: the royal hunting castle
9. Saint-Pierre: the fairy-tale castle
10. Aymavilles: the four towers
11. Cogne: the Gran Paradiso
12. Courmayeur: Mont Blanc

The valley of castles in brief

In 25 BC the Romans founded Augusta Praetoria, today's Aosta, to control the Alpine passes. In the Middle Ages the valley was ruled by the House of Savoy, but local power lay with noble families, chief among them the Challant, who built or rebuilt Verrès, Issogne, Fénis and many other castles between the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1800 Napoleon's army was held up for two weeks by the Fort of Bard, which he then had demolished. In the 19th century the Savoy kings came here to hunt ibex and climb, and the Gran Paradiso hunting reserve became Italy's first national park.

1. 25 BCThe Romans found Augusta Praetoria
2. 1390Ibleto di Challant completes the castle of Verrès
3. 1400sThe frescoes of Fénis castle are painted
4. 1800The Fort of Bard holds up Napoleon's army
5. 1838The Savoys complete the new Fort of Bard
6. 1904Castel Savoia is completed for Queen Margherita
7. 1922The Gran Paradiso National Park is founded
8. 2015The Skyway Monte Bianco cable car opens

Day 1: Turin to Bard

From Turin airport drive up the motorway to Bard (about an hour), a medieval village at the narrowest point of the valley, dominated by the Fort of Bard. Rebuilt by the Savoys in the 19th century after Napoleon had it razed, it now houses the Museum of the Alps, the museum of fortifications and frontiers, and temporary exhibitions; glass lifts carry you up the rock. In the evening walk through the village's stone lanes.

Where to stay: between Bard and Verrès, for two nights.

Day 2: Issogne, Verrès and Castel Savoia

The two Challant castles face each other across the valley. Issogne, transformed in the late 15th century into a Renaissance residence, has a courtyard painted with scenes of everyday life, a wrought-iron fountain in the shape of a pomegranate tree and furnished rooms. Opposite, on a rocky spur, the castle of Verrès is a massive stone cube, a pure fortress from the late 14th century. In the afternoon go up the Lys valley to Gressoney-Saint-Jean, land of the Walser people, for Castel Savoia, the turreted summer home built for Queen Margherita, with its alpine botanical garden and views of Monte Rosa. See Gressoney and the Walser.

Day 3: Fénis and Aosta

Fénis Castle is the most famous in the valley: double walls, towers and battlements, and inside a courtyard with a semicircular staircase and early 15th-century frescoes of saints and wise men holding scrolls with moral sayings. In the afternoon move on to Aosta (about twenty minutes) and visit the Roman city: the Arch of Augustus, the Porta Praetoria, the theatre with its tall façade and the cryptoporticus, then the collegiate church of Sant'Orso with its Romanesque cloister.

Where to stay: in Aosta, for three nights.

Day 4: Sarre, Saint-Pierre and Aymavilles

Three castles just west of Aosta. The royal castle of Sarre was the hunting lodge of Victor Emmanuel II: its gallery is covered with hundreds of ibex and chamois horns. The fairy-tale castle of Saint-Pierre, with its pointed towers on a rock, houses a natural sciences museum. The castle of Aymavilles, with four round corner towers, has recently been restored and opened to visitors. In the afternoon taste Fontina and the wines of the valley's small cooperative wineries: see Fontina and the Valpelline.

Day 5: the Gran Paradiso and Cogne

Drive up to Cogne (about forty minutes), in the Gran Paradiso National Park, with the meadows of Sant'Orso and an easy walk to the Lillaz waterfalls. Ibex and chamois often come close to the paths, especially early in the morning. See Gran Paradiso and Cogne.

Day 6: Courmayeur and the Skyway

Drive to Courmayeur (about forty minutes) and take the Skyway Monte Bianco, the rotating cable car that climbs to Punta Helbronner, at 3,466 metres, with a view over the glaciers of Mont Blanc and the peaks of the Alps. Back down, walk along Via Roma and the Val Veny before driving back to Turin (about two hours).

How much it costs

Accommodation345 €

Meals230 €

Car, fuel and tolls180 €

Admissions130 €

Skyway return60 €

Fort of Bard10 €

Fénis10 €

Issogne8 €

Verrès8 €

Sarre8 €

To save money: the region offers combined passes for its castles and monuments, and many sites are cheaper for children. Motorway tolls in the valley are high: the main road SS26 is slower but free. See travelling Italy on a budget.

Practical information

• Guided visits: inside Fénis, Issogne, Sarre and other castles you visit with a guide in small groups at set times; book in summer.
• Closing days: many castles close one day a week and have shorter hours from October to March; always check.
• Skyway: the ticket price depends on season and weather; on cloudy days the view can be zero, so check the webcams before going.
• Events: the Fiera di Sant'Orso, the woodcraft fair at the end of January, and the Bataille des Reines, the cow fights, with its final in October.

Variations

• The Matterhorn: Cervinia and the cable cars towards the Swiss border; see Cervinia and the Matterhorn.
• The Great St Bernard: the pass and the hospice, with its museum and famous dogs, on the road to Switzerland.
• Turin: one or two days in the Savoy capital before or after the valley.

What to read before you go

A guide to the castles of the Aosta Valley, a hiking guide to the Gran Paradiso and a history of the House of Savoy. See also Italy's mountains.

Final tips

• Pace: two or three castles a day are plenty, alternated with a walk in the mountains.
• Combinations: from Turin you can link up with the wine itinerary in the Langhe, and with the Italy by train itinerary for the Alpine railways.
• A tip: in Fénis, look closely at the scrolls held by the painted sages in the courtyard: they are proverbs of the time, often still relevant.