The Aosta Valley is Italy’s smallest region, but it’s mighty in terms of mountains – surrounded by four of Europe’s highest peaks. And as a summer holiday destination, it’s pretty mighty on the family front too.
Hiking in Aosta Valley
The Aosta Valley packs in the family fun and a whole lot of nature
The Aosta Valley, in the heart of the Alps, has a lot going on for Italy’s smallest region. Surrounded by some of the highest peaks in Europe: the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso and the overlord of them all, Mont Blanc (at 15,781 feet the highest mountain in Europe), there’s mountain power all around. With two natural parks, 10 protected nature reserves, botanical gardens and the nickname Land of Castles, it’s a magical place where you’ll be surrounded by pristine and breathtaking scenery at all times.
Getting into the nature is easy, with a host of sporting activities designed for the outdoors, many centred around kids. Aosta Valley is served by Geneva, Turin and Milan Malpensa airports, thus getting here is easy too. And if you fancy practising your French or Italian, Aosta is bilingual, so you can do both, but Roman roots run deep here. Aosta is known as ‘the Rome of the Alps’ for the incredible amount of Roman architecture in the region.
Pram-friendly lake hike
Your kids can be active and learn all about nature
There’s a diverse and exciting range of things to do for kids of all ages in the Aosta Valley. Sporty activities on offer include hiking, rafting, horse riding, and a Harry Potter-themed via ferrata. There are nine adventure parks with high adventure routes and full safety equipment provided, where your little daredevils can get up into the trees, across Tibetan bridges, and do their best Indiana Jones. Some of these are fully accessible, such as Adventure Parc Champoluc.
Picnicking on the pastures
Introd Animal Park is another way to teach your kids about their mountain habitat, conserving animals such the ibex, chamois, woodchuck, and various birds of prey. Antey-Saint-André has a ‘coin nature’ space which runs environmental outdoor workshops, and there are craft workshops at the Fénis Valle d’Aosta Craft Museum – where children are transformed into ‘artisans for a day’ in a real workshop – with workbenches, saws, drills and hammers, and luckily under the supervision of expert teachers. There’s also biodiversity workshops running in the visitor centres of the nature reserves in Fontainemore, Gressan and La Salle, for children aged 6 to 11.
There are numerous family hikes such as castle hikes, lake hikes, village hikes, nature reserve hikes, forest hikes and much more. It’s a perfect way to enjoy the mountain landscape, get to know the area and spend some quality family time. Take a picnic and enjoy the weather, or stop at one of the many mountain huts you’ll be bound to find along the way.
By the river, Aosta Valley
Get value for money in Aosta Valley
Ski resorts are not generally known for their affordability, but you’ll find your money goes a little further in the Aosta Valley during summer. That’s good news all round, and particularly when it comes to enjoying authentic Italian food and finding the best places to stay. Talking of those, there’s a lot of choice in the Aosta Valley. You’ve got apartment hotels, holiday farms, lots of 3 and 4 star hotels, or the excitement of mountain huts and campsites for a truly back to nature experience.
Try stargazing or wolf-spotting in the national parks
There are stargazing tours available which cater for groups of five or more, so your kids can learn their Orion from their Canis Major. These take place in the Gran Paradiso natural park, and take 3-4 hours. If contemplating starry skies and our place in the galaxy something your kids find fascinating, there’s also the Valle d’Aosta Astronomy Observatory – at an altitude of 1675 metres, in the Saint-Barthélemy Valley, where there is low light pollution and at least 240 calm nights per year.
If you’d prefer to see the parks in the daytime, and aren’t afraid of the big bad wolf, there are two-hour wolf spotting tours: educational trails where your children can learn all about these wild residents, observing tracks, sniffing the scents, being at one with nature and generally being more Wolf.
Breathtaking nature and scenery in Aosta Valley
Go for a spin around the Matterhorn
It’s not just any cable car ride – it’s the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing. Brand new for 2024, the crossing is a scenic trip around the Matterhorn, connecting the village of Breuil-Cervinia in Aosta Valley with the spa resort of Zermatt in Switzerland. At 3480m, it’s the highest border crossing by cable car in the Alps, and you’ll be seated in rather luxurious cabins for the experience. Enjoy a thrill-packed ride gliding over the stunning mountain landscape, and the chance to fit some Switzerland into your trip.
To infinity and Mont Blanc
The Skyway Monte Bianco has added some new and exciting elements to its already impressive oeuvre. If you fancy entering a glacial cave or flying over the summit of Mont Blanc, both of these attractions are now open to visitors this summer. Located at the Pavillon station at 2173m, the new Infinity Room is fitted with LED walls and a play of mirrors set to take visitors on a journey of emotions, whilst literally inside a mountain: spectacular and a one-off.
Hiking loves company – on a family trail
There’s a spa day or two waiting in Aosta Valley
Wellness is very much a feature of summer holidays in Aosta Valley, and there are spas where you can bathe in the warm natural spa waters in the view of Mont Blanc. Pré Saint-Didier Spa and Saint-Vincent Spa utilise the 1,000 year old natural springs for this purpose, and have luxury facilities dedicated to making you feel great.
But it’s not only the springs which are ancient – there are Roman architectural remains all around Aosta Valley, including the Augustus Arch, Aosta’s landmark. You’ll know why Aosta is nicknamed ‘the Rome of the Alps’, if you view some of these well-preserved sites and bring history alive for your kids.
Italian food crossed with alpine ingredients – a recipe for love
The cuisine in the Aosta Valley mixes the best of traditional Italian with mountain flavours and ingredients, for chef’s kiss results. The region is renowned for the quality of its local salami and meat giving rise to specialities such as carbonada, a fragrant beef stew. The cheese is equally famous and includes Fontina, which you’ll find featured in many local speciality dishes and soups. Wine buffs may want to note just how good it is here, so make sure you take advantage of your location and check out the local grapes!
Wild Ibex
You can even keep your skis on this summer
This might be a summer mountains holiday, but Aosta Valley has the longest ski season in the alps, and if you want to get a head start on your winter trips, then there’s no better place to practice than on the summer pistes of Plateau Rosà, at the foot of the Matterhorn; the largest skiable summer domain in Europe with around 25km of pistes. There are three ski schools, which teach children and beginners, and pistes for all levels of ability.