In the summer time, Aosta turns into a true paradise. The well-known skiing resorts, which are covered by snow in the winter, are turned into vigorous forests in the summer, only broken by beautiful white glaciers on the pinnacles of the mountains. In the valleys, you can enjoy small trickling brooks with ice cold mountain water from the glaciers. In Aosta, you will find many traditional old towns and castles surrounded by the high pinnacles of the mountains, and very quickly, you will imagine yourself back in the past where many exciting events took place. 

The landscape of Aosta

A holiday in Aosta is a fantastic natural experience. In the winter, people are skiing in the beautiful areas, and during summer you might enjoy a good walk in the valleys.

Large cities in Aosta: City of Aosta

The City of Aosta is the capital of the region and is certainly worth a visit. Aosta is a lively city with beautiful squares and a remarkable architecture, which has given the city its byname “the Rome of the Alps”. Aosta is also called the other Rome because the city possesses a richness of Roman ruins, which still today characterise the townscape. Besides being an exciting city, you will also find many fine shopping possibilities in Aosta as well as cafes and restaurants.

Tourist attractions in Aosta

Among Aosta’s attractions, we can mention the cathedral from the 12th century and a number of Roman ruins with, among others, an amphitheatre and, last but not least, Sant´Orso, the city’s finest architectural piece consisting of a little collection of churches from the Middle Ages. 

In Aosta, you will also find Italy’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc, with its 4810 metres above sea level. Mont Blanc dominates the western part of the region and the well-known skiing resort Courmayeur. Next to the Swiss borders in the Saint Bernhard Pass, you can visit the friars’ shelter in the abbey where the friars reared and trained the intelligent rescue dogs – Saint Bernhard.

Sports activities in Aosta

In the winter time, Aosta is the ideal place for skiing holidays and it is very popular among skiing enthusiasts. In the summer, Aosta offers great possibilities for walks in the magnificent nature.

Gastronomic characteristics of Aosta

The Aosta cuisine is what you can call typical mountain cuisine, which is characterised by stodgy and hot dishes where butter and cream is more frequent ingredients than olive oil. Because of the city’s location, the traditional dishes are mostly based on meat, especially venison, hare, wild mountain goats and veal.

If you like sweet things, you should taste mountain honey from Aosta, which is often used in the region’s desserts.

In Aosta, you will find some vineyards that have among the highest locations in Europe. You will find many less known grapes, but some of the great French grapes are also widely distributed in the region.

The climate of Aosta

The Aosta valley is sheltered by the big mountains Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa etc., and therefore, it has a milder and sunnier climate than the cities on the other side of the Alps. 

Some of the photos are kindly lent out from the Italian Tourist Office. Photographer: De Agostini Picture Library,  Fototeca ENIT.