A Quick Tour Of Italy - The Aosta Valley

If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the Aosta Valley region of northern Italy bordering France and Switzerland. Depending on your interests, this beautiful area might be an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. Although it is by far the smallest Italian region, the Aosta Valley boasts about 150 historic castles, forts, and towers. Its Alpine skiing is some of the best in Europe.

The medieval village of Bard is fairly close to the northern border of Piedmont. In addition to its historic homes perched on a mountain overlooking a gorgeous gorge you can visit the Twelfth Century Forte di Bard that held up Napoleon's military progress for almost two weeks. He had it destroyed. The fort was reconstructed in the Nineteenth Century.

St. Vincent, a spa resort for well over one hundred years, is home to the Casino de la Vallée. It is one of the largest casinos in all Europe and a real favorite of the jet setters.

Breuil-Cervina at the base of the Matterhorn is a skiing village that was founded in the 1930s during Mussolini's rule. There are some 200 kilometers (120 miles) of ski runs on the Italian side of the mountain, which are said to be best for intermediate-level skiers. Experts definitely prefer the Swiss side of the mountain.

The city of Aosta has about thirty five thousand residents, more than one quarter of the region's total population. It was a Roman garrison two thousand years ago. The Arch of Augustus commemorates Rome's victory over a Celtic tribe. Be sure to see the Eleventh Century Gothic Collegiate Church of Saint Orso. The Porta Praetoria (Pretorial Gate) is still in good shape, some two thousand years after construction.

We end our tour of the Aosta Valley at Courmayeur located on the sunny side of Mont Blanc. Yes both easy and difficult ski slopes are lacking and it is sometimes overcrowded. But it's beautiful, and nightlife abounds. In the summer you should take the Telepherique de l'Aiguille du Midi and enjoy the spectacular view of a French glacier.

Aosta Valley cuisine is strongly influenced by five hundred years of French rule. The real Fontina cheese comes only from the Aosta Valley. See our companion article I Love Touring Italy - The Aosta Valley for a sample menu and more information on Aosta Valley wines as well as an in-depth examination of the area's tourist attractions. Very little Aosta Valley wine is sold in North America. So that gives you another reason to visit this beautiful region.