There are still some almost undiscovered paradises in Italy \u2014 and one of them is certainly the Aosta Valley, located in the northwest of this southern European country. I was lucky enough to spend six wonderful days hiking in this beautiful corner of the world this year, and the scenery is truly breathtaking. In addition to Mont Blanc (Italian: Monte Bianco) and the Monte Rosa massif, I also had the chance to admire Gran Paradiso in the national park of the same name.<\/p>\n
On five truly impressive hikes, we explored the areas around Pont-Saint-Martin in the Gressoney Valley and Aymavilles in the Cogne Valley. Our first hike took us to the small village of Pontboset, where we followed part of the \u201cSentiero dei Ponti e degli Orridi\u201d trail to Bard. With glorious autumn weather \u2014 plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures \u2014 the route was an absolute dream. In the afternoon, we visited the Forte di Bard and its exhibitions before walking back to Pont-Saint-Martin.<\/p>\n
On the second day, we took a bus to Gressoney, also known as the Lys Valley, home to the so-called Walser villages. When we arrived, it was quite cold, just six degrees Celsius. But the sun quickly warmed the air, and by lunchtime, we were sitting in T-shirts again. We hiked from Gressoney-Saint-Jean to Gressoney-La-Trinit\u00e9 along beautiful narrow trails, with stunning views of the snow-covered Monte Rosa massif in the distance \u2014 pure magic.<\/p>\n
Our third hike led us to the artists\u2019 village of Chemp. The ascent from the village of Lillianes was quite strenuous in the warm temperatures, but at the top we were rewarded with a beautifully designed village full of artistic details. From there, we walked back to Pont-Saint-Martin via Perloz and through the vineyards.<\/p>\n
In the evening, we continued on to Aymavilles, where we stayed in a hotel with an incredible view of the surrounding mountains. In the morning, we visited the regional capital, Aosta; in the afternoon, I treated myself to a hike from Aymavilles to the Pont d\u2019Ael \u2014 an absolute highlight, especially the part that goes through a tunnel, almost like walking through a waterfall.<\/p>\n
The final two hikes took us first along the Cammino Balteo to Aosta, and then into the Gran Paradiso National Park near Cogne, where we did a circular hike to the Lillaz waterfalls. This last hike, with views of Mont Blanc, was certainly the most impressive of all. I also really enjoyed the starting and ending point, Cogne. I\u2019m sure this won\u2019t be my last trip to the beautiful Aosta Valley.<\/p>\n