Road to Aosta and the eastern valleys
The valleys of the eastern part of Valle d'Aosta have the most developed ski base, and experienced tourists are happy to take up the challenge, which is the entrance to Monte Rosa and matterhorn from Valtoumanche. Newcomers who are focused on less effort usually choose Val Gressoney, where there are many villages inhabited by Swiss Walzers, and supporters of the castles will find two of the most interesting Isogne and Fenis — in the main valley of Aosta.
Val Gressoney
Val Gressoney is the first of the Valle d'Aosta valleys, but the similarity to Switzerland is already striking here. The grass is lush green, river Lys crystal clear, next to traditional, Shingle-covered houses gleam from afar modern alpine villas, and the rugged end of the valley is dominated by one of the snow glaciers of Monte Rosa. As you would expect from this description, during weekends and holidays, the valley fills up with tourists. The most wonderful are the walks here, while the rocky slopes of the ski slopes are not particularly attractive.
PONT-ST-MARTIN, at the mouth of the valley, got its name thanks to a Roman bridge consisting of a single span, which towers over the village. According to legend, the bridge was to be given to the village by the devil himself.. In return, however, he demanded his first soul., which will cross the bridge. Local saint, st. Marcin, however, he outsmarted the devil and instead of the man let the dog pass., thus providing the village with a bridge, and to immortalize the name in the name of the village. The only advantage of Pont-St-Martin is having a train station and a bus station. From the latter, buses run regularly up the valley, but if you encounter a longer break in connections, easy hitchhiking.
The valley appears in all its glory in GRESSONEY-ST-JEAN and GRES-SONEY-LA-TRINITfi. Despite their popularity, these are attractive towns. Especially La Trinite, quieter and cheaper than St-Jean, located at the end of the valley and having several pleasant hotels, is a good excursion base. For lovers of trips longer than walks along the river, a path leads to the beautiful mountain pond Gabiet (2-3 Hours.), from where you can go through the mountain to Valsesia (you can also take the cable car). From Trinite there are also trails to the Walzer settlements in Val Gressoney. The most charming of these settlements is having eighteenth-century houses BIEL (maps have a tourist office). Because the Walzerzy do not only speak their German dialect, but sometimes in French and Italian, therefore, the trilingual inscriptions visible in the villages are not intended only for tourists.
AAST Office in La Trinite (codz. 7.00-19.00) located on the main square, on the opposite side of the river from the bus stop. Nearby is clean, traditional hotel Albergo Castore (• 0125/366131), where double rooms without bathroom cost 34000 L (in the ski season and from the middle. VII to half. VIII 38000 L). Located at the entrance to the village, Hotel Pensione Monterosa (• 0125/366120) is cheaper, but closed in low season. IN STAFFAL, 5 kilometers further up the valley, is there a campsite, to which in the ski season there is a shuttle bus. There are located the lower stations of the lifts to Champoluc, located in the neighboring Val d'Ayas. Just behind Gressoney-St-Jean there are two other campsites.
Verres and Issogne
Further on the railway and bus route into the main valley is VERRĆS. The village lies in the shadow of the gloomy shape of the fourteenth-century fortress (III-XI 9.30-12.00 and 14.00-17.30, guided groups set off every half hour.; XII-II 9.30-11.30 and 14.00-16.00, groups every hour; closed. Wed; 2000L). This primitive and practically impossible to conquer castle was erected by the owner of the town, Ibelto di Challant, mainly as a fortress of military importance. Spartan soldiers' quarters give some idea of the conditions in which you lived here. The part belonging to the Challant family is not much more convenient, although the fortress was the first in history to have a toilet. For those looking for accommodation in Verres, three minutes from the train station is Hotel Ghibli (• 0125/929316), where a rather poor double room without bathroom costs 35000 L.
Issogne
Another residence of the Challant family, castle in ISSOGNE (III-XI 9.30-12.00 and 14.00-17.30, guided groups every half hour; XII-II 9.30-11.30 and 14.00-16.00, groups every hour; 2000 L) is more interesting, much more convenient and civilized than its counterpart in Verres. There are few buses there, but the castle is not far from the stop under VERRES. This, located in the center of the village of Issogne, the castle from the outside resembles the building of the city council, but perfectly preserved interior (rooms decorated with decorative Gothic furniture and coffered ceilings) is one of the best examples of the arrangement of the late Gothic ducal residence in Valle d'Aosta.
In the center of the arcaded courtyard there is a rather unusual wrought-iron fountain. It has the shape of a pomegranate tree, from which lower branches water gushes. On the walls of the courtyard are painted family coats of arms, and under one of the arcades you can see an extremely colorful fresco depicting a busy medieval street. From here, guides lead groups through the kitchen, wonderfully furnished dining room, two chapels decorated with polyptychs and the bedroom of the Duchess of Challant. In this bedroom, a chair standing by the bed hides a chest of drawers.
After visiting the castle, it is worth paying extra 2000 L for admission to the clothing exhibition, where you can admire excellent copies of costumes, visible in the frescoes of the courtyard .