Glaciers and Mont Blanc
At the head of the Aosta Valley, at the foot of the southern side of Mont Blanc, Courmayeur is one of the oldest and most elegant mountain resorts in the Alps, a lively village with a pedestrian main street, Via Roma, lined with shops, cafés and restaurants, and the Museo Alpino Duca degli Abruzzi, dedicated to the history of mountaineering and the mountain guides of Courmayeur, among the oldest in Italy. In winter, it is a renowned ski resort, and in summer a base for hikes, climbs and excursions, with the possibility of reaching the heights of Mont Blanc with the Skyway cable car. Since 1965, the Mont Blanc Tunnel, about 11.6 kilometres long, connects Courmayeur to Chamonix, in France.
Just outside the village, the Val Veny is one of the most spectacular valleys in the Alps: a long, green valley that runs along the southern side of the Mont Blanc massif, with larch forests, meadows and streams, dominated by the immense ice falls of the glaciers that descend from the peaks. The most famous is the Miage glacier, one of the largest in Italy, a "black glacier" covered with debris, whose front encloses the small Lac du Miage, from which, with a crash, blocks of ice break off and fall into the water. In the valley stands the sanctuary of Notre-Dame de la Guérison, built at the foot of the Brenva glacier. On the other side of Courmayeur, the Val Ferret is equally beautiful, with meadows and views of the Grandes Jorasses.
Tip: walk to the Lac du Miage in summer; take the shuttle bus to the Val Veny, as the road is closed to cars at times.
Where it is
More things to see in Aosta Valley
Where to stay near Courmayeur
Tours and activities nearby
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