The tiny mountainous region of Valle d'Aosta occupies the north-western corner of Italy - bordered by Piemonte (Piedmont) to the east and south, Switzerland to the north and France to the west. The chief town is Aosta, and the region is linked, through the Alps to northern Europe via the St Bernard and Mont Blanc tunnels.
A bilingual region, enjoying semi-autonomy from Rome, you'll find roadsigns and menus in French as well as Italian. Off the main Aosta valley lie the four secondary valleys of Val di Cogne, Great St Bernard Valley, Valtournenche and Val di Gressoney. Skiing (and walking and climbing) is the big reason to visit Valle d'Aosta, with excellent resorts such as Courmayeur, Champoluc and Valtournenche (lying off the Matterhorn).
15 per cent of the region is under the protection of the Gran Paradiso National Park, with eagles, chamois and ibex. Traditional food of the region includes polenta, ratatouille, salt beef, the valdostana (a breadcrumbed veal chop wrapped in ham and fontina cheese then fried), and onion and pumpkin broths. The area produces good wines including Nus Rouge and Torrette.
To the left you'll find a selection of hotels, just to whet your appetite,
as well as links to individual towns in Valle d'Aosta (top left);
See also Valle d'Aosta hotels (full listings) and our map of Valle d'Aosta.
