VALLE D'A0STA
Valle d'Aosta is one of the most picturesque regions of Italy. It is surrounded by the highest peaks of Europe; Mont Blanc, Mattemhorn and Monte Rosa, cross valleys and decorate castles. The central valley of Aosta with the Dora River flowing through it crosses the entire region, reaching the foothills of Mont Blanc and the French border. Along the river are most of the castles of the local feudal lords (mainly belonging to the Challant family, reigning in the region for seven centuries. Castles for which Aosta is famous, they look impressive from the outside and are easy to reach by bus or train, but only for a few of them it is worth adding roads. However, there is no better region in Italy for skiers and hikers.
Valle d'Aosta is the least Italian region in character. It is dominated by the landscape and architecture of Switzerland, the official language is French, and the inhabitants of some valleys, whose ancestors came here from Switzerland, still speak a dialect that is a variety of German. Although Italian is more widespread here than French, bilingualism is an indispensable part of the identity of this northern region, whose distinctiveness is confirmed by a greater scope of administrative and financial autonomy than other regions.
Capital of the region, Aosta, is its only major city and although it is not particularly attractive itself, is a good base for exploring the area. The landscape of the main valley is not particularly interesting, and most of your time is better spent in the more picturesque valleys of the Tributaries of the Dora. The most popular are the eastern valleys, where there are numerous ski resorts, and narrow winding roads are full of cars, especially on weekends and holidays. For walkers, the best are those located in the west, in the protected zone of the Italian national park Gran Paradiso. However, these valleys can also be crowded.. In the summer in the mountain rifugi and in hotels there are often no places, but the expansion is limited by strict regulations.
Communication
Using public transport requires a lot of patience. Along the central valley and next to most castles there are quite often buses from Piedmont, but connections to the side valleys are less frequent. From Aosta through the Great Pass of St.. Bernard (where you can stop and take a picture of one of the famous Bernardines), the road to Switzerland leads a 30 kilometers further west, In Pre-St-Didier, the road forks again. Both roads lead to France, south to Chambery via petit-St-Bernard pass, and the northern one to Chamonix through the tunnel under Mont Blanc. Due to the border posts located here, the latter roads run mainly long-distance trucks, which makes hitchhiking easier, but hinders the contemplation of nature. Trains run less regularly than buses and only to Pre-St-Didier, but using combined transport and hitchhiking you can also get to less frequented valleys.