Wonders of the Aosta Valley

This week was, as is easy to imagine, all about trekking, natural beauty and good food. It is a truly wonderful region; the only flaw is the prices, which are often really excessive! Be careful about driving on stretches of the Aosta Valley motorways, they are very expensive. The restaurants were often beyond our reach and we had to make do a bit. The trails unfortunately are often badly signposted, so a detailed map is essential! In Courmayeur I recommend the restaurant "Le Vieux Pommier" (Piazzale Monte Bianco 25), the prices are in line with the area but we ate very well. Another unexpectedly good restaurant we found in Bard: "Ristorante Bar Henry Beyle" (Piazza Cavour). In Saint Pierre there is a shop selling typical products where we bought cheeses, cured meats and liqueurs to take home.

As for the accommodation, we did rather well: -for three days we stayed at the Hotel Meublè Emile Rey (La Saxe-Courmayeur): it is in a truly picturesque area of the town and the staff are very kind. -one night we stayed at the Rifugio Bonatti; it is in Malatrà and is reached with an hour and a half walk from the locality of Lavachey. Sleeping in a mountain hut is an experience I recommend, we were enchanted! -the last three days we spent in Aosta at the B&B Augustus; it is convenient because it is in the historic centre, though it is only a room in a block of flats and breakfast has to be taken at the bar with a voucher. During our stay in Courmayeur we took the Mont Blanc cable car up to the Aiguille du Midi (exorbitant cost but the view is truly spectacular!!).

Aosta did not seem anything special to us, but being central it is an excellent starting point for day trips: we went to Cervinia, to the Castle of Fenis and to the Gran Paradiso National Park. Before heading home we stopped at the (very beautiful) Fort of Bard.