Italy – Valle d’Aosta is one of the most impressive regions in Italy. A land full of unique nature and many beautiful castles, like in fairy tales. It will take you weeks to get around this piece of paradise, but unfortunately, we didn’t have that time, so we decided to take a tour of our personal car.
For fans of ski adventures, the best time is January, and for nature and sightseeing lovers like us, the best time is September.
In the morning we arrive in Aosta, which is the capital of the Valle d’Aosta region. The town is very beautiful and has a population of no more than 35,000 people, but visited by thousands of tourists a year. In the past, Aosta was an important Roman port and this can be seen in the center of the town where there are remains of this era such as Piazza Arco, Porta Pretoria, the Roman bridge built over the river from the 1st century and the Roman Theater. A unique landmark is the church of Sant Orso located on Via Sant Orso. The church dates back to the 10th century and is full of works of art made especially for the Shalant family.
We headed to the place we had chosen to stay – Hotel Panoramique. We stopped at it after researching on the Internet as a hotel with the best reviews and we did not make a mistake with our choice. It is located 3 km from Aosta on Francione Beuve road and is a country style with unique mountain views. I definitely recommend the 211 room, which is at the top of the hotel and has a breathtaking panoramic view from there.
After check-in, we got in the car and went to our palace and castle tour of the area. The valley is full of various palaces and castles from different eras. From the early Middle Ages to the early 20th century, these castles have a thousand-year history.
The first castle we came across was Castelo D`Issogne. Rising on the right bank of the Dora Baltea River, it was built to control one of the navigable sections of the Alps. The residence is in a completely renaissance form and decorated with extremely rare murals. The castle differs significantly from Castello di Veres, located on the opposite bank of the river. Interestingly, the two castles have been in constant conflict over the centuries.
After Issogne we set off on the A5 motorway for 26 km to reach our next stop – Fenis Castle. On the way to the palace, we saw the unique peaks of the Alps which outlined a magical landscape. After passing Montjovet, a series of tunnels followed, through which we entered the valley. After seeing the exit for Nuss, we left the highway and saw the signs that led us to Fenis Castle.
Castello di Fenis is perhaps the most beautiful castle in the Valle d’Aosta. Excellently renovated, the castle is owned by the powerful Shalant family from 1242. The residence is a collection of beautiful frescoes and ornaments, one of which is of St. George slaying the dragon. The place was never used as a defensive facility, but rather as the residence of Chalant until 1716. Today the castle is a museum with opening hours from 9:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Its exposition contains an interesting collection of weapons, murals, and a wonderful chapel with many frescoes.
The next stop on the route is Gran Paradiso National Park. It is located 26 km west of Aosta, first passing Viale Piccolo San Bernardino and then on SS26, after 3 km the road continues as CP47 and begins a beautiful climb in the mountains. From the extremely kind locals, we learned that this is the most beautiful and impressive park of its kind in Italy as a whole. Frequent visitors to this park are the Italian King Victor Emmanuel II, who was originally the owner but in 1922 donated it. The park was also visited by Empress Sisi, as well as the Duke of Aosta, who later became Tomislav II, King of the Croats.
After our last stop we were a little tired but very inspired by what we saw. We returned to the hotel and after a short break, we headed to the Restaurant Brakonieri , located a few hundred meters on the street of our hotel. There we enjoyed typical local dishes with recipes from over 200 years, prepared by Chef Cesar Maldini. The restaurant is cozy with a very beautiful interior and on a budget, and the food was extremely tasty.