Overview
Ski holidays in the Aosta Valley - the 23 ski resorts sit along the Italian and French borders in the north-west part of Italy. The valley is home to the highest mountains in the Alps including...
- 4809m - Monte Bianco, the highest mountain in Europe
- 4634m - Monte Rosa
- 4478m - Cervino (Matterhorn in Swiss)
- 4061m - Gran Paradiso
These snow-capped giants are home to some of the best ski resorts in Italy where you can experience the traditions and charms of authentic alpine villages or be wrapped up in the chic and international resorts such as Courmayeur and Cervinia.
Throughout the Aosta Valley, you will find over 800kms of ski trails serviced by 150 lifts and some of the highest and wildest off-piste skiing in the Alps. For the more adventurous, the heli-skiing around the Aosta Valley and especially in the Valgrisenche area, is not only amongst the best in the Alps, but also one of the most affordable. For non-skiers, The Aosta Valley is packed with things to see and do. There are over 100 medieval castles, spa & wellness centres, wine tasting tours and historic towns to visit.
The ski area enjoys exceptionally good snowfall from late November to the end of April, with an average of nearly 7m of powder every year. With great food and stunning scenery, ski holidays in the Aosta Valley or hiking & biking in the summer are ideal for family holidays.
Ski Areas
Monte Bianco
The extent and variety of terrain around the Monte Bianco section of the Aosta Valley is hard to beat. The chic and cosmopolitan resort of Courmayeur at the top end of the valley provides a link into the famous Vallee Blanche - the 24km glacial trail that leads you in to Chamonix.
This is accessed by the high tech SkyWay Monte Bianco cable car. Further to the west sits the old mining town of La Thuile. A wonderful family friendly ski resort that links in to La Rosiere on the French side giving 150kms of connected pistes.
Monte Rosa
The ski resorts of Monte Rosa are tucked away in the Ayas/Champoluc and Gressoney valleys that wind their way up to the huge Monte Rosa massif that includes 22 peaks higher than 4000m. The ski area provides over 180kms of linked pistes that stretch to Alagna in the Valsesia. The Monte Rosa ski resorts include...
- Alagna
- Champoluc
- Gressoney-Saint-Jean
- Gressoney-La-Trinité
Matterhorn
The main ski resorts around the Matterhorn are Cervinia and Valtournenche that are both linked together and provide access in to the Zermatt ski area on the Swiss side via the Monte Rosa plateau trails. Cervinia is a large yet compact ski resort and provides all the facilities you could wish for on and off the slopes. Valtourneche is more of a traditional and authentic ski resort with a quieter apres-ski scene and more suited to family ski holidays.
Gran Paradiso
This part of the Aosta Valley sits under the gaze of the Gran Paradiso, the highest mountain sitting entirely within Italy, which peaks at 4,061m. The main ski resorts include Pila and Cogne. Pila is a 15 minute gondola ride from the town of Aosta in the valley and provides over 70kms of pistes with 80% geared towards intermediate skiers and boarders. Cogne is more about cross-country skiing with breathtaking trails through the pine forests. For heli-skiing, the Valgrisenche has some of the best drop-offs in the Alps.
Things to see & do in Aosta
The Aosta Valley so much variety in terms of what do see and do for all ages. From day trips to one of the nearby lakes to visting one of the other valleys and areas such as Chamonix through the Mont Blanc tunnel. From cultural events to places of natural beauty, the Aosta Valley is a treasure chest of surprises and waiting to be explored. With towering peaks, countless lakes and not to mention the Italian culture and heritage, the choice is as wide as gets. However there are a few things that you shouldn’t miss during your stay such as...
Skyway Cable Car - Monte Bianco
Courmayeur sits at the top end of the valley and this is where you can ride on the Skyway cable car upto the Pointe Helbronner on the southern side of the Mont Blanc massif at 3466m. This is the starting point of what is arguably the world's best ski tour, the 24k Vallee Blanche. This incredibly scenic glacial trail winds its way down to the Chamonix Valley passing by seracs the size of houses.
Summer Skiing
For summer skiing, Cervinia is the gateway to the Plateau Rosa at 3500m that links into the Zermatt ski area. Depending on the snow conditions, there are around 25kms of trails that are open from mid June to the start of September plus the "Gravity" terrain park.
At the base of the Klein Matterhorn cable car that takes you up to the summer skiing area, there is the Grotta di Ghiaccio or ice caves. Set 15m below the surface, the caves are spectacular and definitely worth exploring.
