Bordering the French and Swiss Alps, the Italian Aosta Valley is incredible and has some of the best skiing in Italy, if not Europe. Its ancient Italian villages, lively towns and purpose built resorts are all connected by an 800km ski area that has incredible views and crowd-free slopes all round and the food... well that really is something else.
Italy’s amazing Aosta Valley rubs shoulders with Valais in Switzerland (to the west), the French Rhône-Alpes (to the north) and the Italian Piedmont region (to the east & south). It’s surrounded by some of the biggest peaks in the Alps, including Monte Blanc, Monte Rosa and the legendary Matterhorn. The valley radiates from the central town of Aosta and with a hefty 800km of piste, its ski resorts include world famous Cervinia and Courmayeur and lesser known (but well worth getting to know) La Thuile, Pila and the Monterosa ski region where you’ll find Champoluc and Gressoney.
Snow Sure Cervinia has the best après ski scene, with a lovely mix of local boutiques and late night party spots along its traffic free village centre. It’s on the Italian side of the Matterhorn which connects it to the legendary Swiss resort of Zermatt.
Courmayeur is another popular ski town. The car-free centre is a mismatch of sports bars, cocktail lounges and family friendly restaurants. Thanks to it being on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc tunnel, you can pop over the mountain to ski the classic French resort of Chamonix.
La Thuile is made up of a historic village and purpose built area called Planibel, which gives you the best of both worlds. You can ski 2 countries in 1 day here too, thanks to it being connected to the French resort of La Rosière by the Little St Bernard Pass.
Pila is a purpose built mountain resort above the historic town of Aosta. The resort itself is a mismatch of ski-in / ski-out hotels and you can catch a 20 minute gondola ride down to Aosta.
The Monterosa is a region basked in history and its quaint resorts of Champoluc and Gressoney have a quieter social scene but nonetheless fantastic skiing and scenery.
Compared to their French counterparts, the après ski is less about the partying and more about relaxing in the Aosta resorts. That said, each resort has its credentials and whatever your mood, the Aosta Valley is more than happy to accommodate.
For livelier après, Cervinia, La Thuile and Courmayeur are your best bets, being popular choices for the weekend skiers from Milan and Turin. Top venues include La Bricole in La Thuile (their cocktails are awesome), Bianconiglio in Cervinia and Bar Americano in Courmayeur.
For those content with a quiet sherry by the fireside, Pila, Champoluc and Gressoney are more low key (you can always show off your karaoke talents in Champoluc’s West Road Bar if you fancy upping the pace a bit).
No one does food quite like the Italians. Pizza is not so much a staple part of an Italian ski trip, but more of a dietary requirement while visiting the Aosta Valley. Every resort does pizza to an incredible standard, some even being cooked in old-school wood burning ovens, like in Kremer Thal just outside of Champoluc. Fondue is of course a popular dish in this area- we loved the stuff in Il Principe in Gressoney.
For non-skiers, Aosta is famous for its fresh spring water and high altitude, making it the perfect location to soak away the stress. Many hotels and chalets have wellness facilities and the Pre Saint Didier spa is just a short drive from Courmayeur, La Thuile and Pila. Aosta town is bursting with medieval and Roman history; while Cervinia, Champoluc and Gressoney have some beautiful historical buildings and monuments. There are good quality sports facilities within each resort, meaning if you still fancy some intense exercise, things like 5 a side football or indoor climbing are never too far away.
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