Aosta Valley: castles and Gran Paradiso

Route description

From Turin the A5 motorway (E25) heads north through the Canavese and into the Aosta Valley, where the Dora Baltea river leads you between ever higher mountains. The motorway is tolled; the old SS26 runs alongside it through the villages if you prefer to take it slowly.

Just before Aosta, turn off for Fénis, whose castle of towers and double walls stands right on the valley floor with frescoed galleries around its courtyard. It is one of a string of castles along this valley, so keep an eye on the spurs above the road. Aosta itself was a Roman town, and its Arch of Augustus, Praetorian Gate and theatre walls sit within a compact old centre that is easy to explore on foot.

South of Aosta a side road climbs into the Val di Cogne to Cogne, a mountain village set on wide meadows at the edge of the Gran Paradiso National Park. A short drive further on, the hamlet of Valnontey is the start of easy valley trails where ibex and chamois often graze close to the path, especially early in the morning. The road to Valnontey is narrow, so larger motorhomes are better left in Cogne.

Back on the main valley road, drive west to Courmayeur at the foot of Mont Blanc, where the Skyway cable car rises towards the glaciers and the Mont Blanc Tunnel leads on to Chamonix. The trails and high roads are at their best from late June to September; in winter the valley is a ski area and side roads can be snowbound, so check conditions before you set out.