15 Activities
Route of the Castles in the Aosta Valley
Starts from
Turin
Transportation
By Car
Guidance
Self-Guided
Activities
15
Duration
10 hrs 50 min
Length
68 mi
Guide details
Starts from
Turin
Transportation
By Car
Guidance
Self-Guided
Duration
10 hrs 50 min
Length
68 mi
- History and Culture
- Natural Attractions
- Gastronomy
Aldana Chiodi
Travel Expert
- Enjoy the beautiful scenery combining lakes, mountains and charming villages.
- Imagine the history of the families who lived in the castles.
- Dazzle yourself with some of the castle decorations.
- Learn about the history of the valley and the Roman past of the town of Aoste.
Welcome to one of the most beautiful areas of Northern Italy: the Aosta Valley! This valley is one of the areas in Europe with the highest number of castles, so this itinerary propose a day trip to visit some of them. In addition to castles, the area is full of small villages with lakes and mountains.
As you follow the routes through the valley, you will see other castles, towers and fortresses that cannot be visited, but give you an idea of what the area was like. You can stop along the way to take photos.
At lunch and dinner, you can enjoy the traditional food of the Aosta Valley, with plenty of cheeses and charcuterie. And at the end of the day you will be able to get to know something of the capital of the valley: the city of Aosta, with traces of its Roman past.
It is recommended to do this route in spring and summer.
As you follow the routes through the valley, you will see other castles, towers and fortresses that cannot be visited, but give you an idea of what the area was like. You can stop along the way to take photos.
At lunch and dinner, you can enjoy the traditional food of the Aosta Valley, with plenty of cheeses and charcuterie. And at the end of the day you will be able to get to know something of the capital of the valley: the city of Aosta, with traces of its Roman past.
It is recommended to do this route in spring and summer.
Categories
- History and Culture
- Natural Attractions
- Gastronomy
Welcome to one of the most beautiful areas of Northern Italy: the Aosta Valley! This valley is one of the areas in Europe with the highest number of castles, so this itinerary propose a day trip to visit some of them. In addition to castles, the area is full of small villages with lakes and mountains.
As you follow the routes through the valley, you will see other castles, towers and fortresses that cannot be visited, but give you an idea of what the area was like. You can stop along the way to take photos.
At lunch and dinner, you can enjoy the traditional food of the Aosta Valley, with plenty of cheeses and charcuterie. And at the end of the day you will be able to get to know something of the capital of the valley: the city of Aosta, with traces of its Roman past.
It is recommended to do this route in spring and summer.
As you follow the routes through the valley, you will see other castles, towers and fortresses that cannot be visited, but give you an idea of what the area was like. You can stop along the way to take photos.
At lunch and dinner, you can enjoy the traditional food of the Aosta Valley, with plenty of cheeses and charcuterie. And at the end of the day you will be able to get to know something of the capital of the valley: the city of Aosta, with traces of its Roman past.
It is recommended to do this route in spring and summer.
Aldana Chiodi
Travel Expert
- Enjoy the beautiful scenery combining lakes, mountains and charming villages.
- Imagine the history of the families who lived in the castles.
- Dazzle yourself with some of the castle decorations.
- Learn about the history of the valley and the Roman past of the town of Aoste.
Day Itinerary
15 Activities
Day 1
67 mi2 mi
Lakes, Mountains, Villages and Castles
This one-day route from Turin to Valle d'Aosta proposes to visit some of the main castles in the area, such as those of Savoy, Issogne and Fenis. You will also visit Bard Fort and some villages.
Moreover, the journey itself is worth it, as the mountainous landscapes you will see along the way will amaze you.
If you prefer not to visit so many castles, you can replace some of them with one of the many walks that start from the small villages. Just stop at one, ask the people who live there and prepare your eyes to enjoy the lakes and mountains.
At the end of the day the itinerary suggest a visit to the city of Aosta, capital of the valley.
Leave early from Torino to make the most of the day in the valley. Remember to drive carefully on mountain roads.
Moreover, the journey itself is worth it, as the mountainous landscapes you will see along the way will amaze you.
If you prefer not to visit so many castles, you can replace some of them with one of the many walks that start from the small villages. Just stop at one, ask the people who live there and prepare your eyes to enjoy the lakes and mountains.
At the end of the day the itinerary suggest a visit to the city of Aosta, capital of the valley.
Leave early from Torino to make the most of the day in the valley. Remember to drive carefully on mountain roads.
09:4545 min
Comune di Fontainemore
The first castle proposed to visit is the Savoy Castle, in the Valle de Gressoney (part of Valle d'Aosta), almost beneath Monte Rosa. But on the way you can stop in one of the picturesque villages of the valley. One such village is Fontainemore.
There, you can leave the car in one of the public car parks and walk a few minutes along the Lys river to see the typical postcard of the area: the river, the bridge and the Sant'Antonio Abate church.
There, you can leave the car in one of the public car parks and walk a few minutes along the Lys river to see the typical postcard of the area: the river, the bridge and the Sant'Antonio Abate church.
11.3 mi
25 min
11:0015 min
Ufficio del Turismo di Gressoney-Saint-Jean
The next village where you can stop for some typical Italian mountain village photos is Gressoney-Saint-Jean. There, you can go to the tourist office in the village to buy a ticket valid for several castles.
To do this, you need to consider how many castles you will visit and the price of each one, to see whether or not it is worth buying a ticket for several sites. You can see the ticket prices for each of the castles on the official website of the Valle d'Aosta tourism. There, in each section, you can read the price of each castle.
You can also buy it online, but it's a good excuse to go to the tourist office to get to know the town and listen to recommendations for the time of year you are travelling.
To do this, you need to consider how many castles you will visit and the price of each one, to see whether or not it is worth buying a ticket for several sites. You can see the ticket prices for each of the castles on the official website of the Valle d'Aosta tourism. There, in each section, you can read the price of each castle.
You can also buy it online, but it's a good excuse to go to the tourist office to get to know the town and listen to recommendations for the time of year you are travelling.
1.3 mi
5 min
11:305 min
Car Park
Very close to this village, on a detour, you will come to the first castle: the Castle of Savoie. Leave the car in the car park and enjoy the short walk.
0.4 mi
10 min
11:4545 min
Castel Savoia
This castle was built at the end of the 19th century as a summer residence for Queen Margherita. King Umberto I of Savoy ordered it to be built.
The castle has a neo-medieval style, with five pointed turrets. Inside there are three floors, of which only two can be visited. Highlights include the royal flats and a wide wooden staircase.
At the foot of the castle there is a botanical garden with alpine species, of more than 1000 square metres.
You can buy tickets online on the official website.
The castle has a neo-medieval style, with five pointed turrets. Inside there are three floors, of which only two can be visited. Highlights include the royal flats and a wide wooden staircase.
At the foot of the castle there is a botanical garden with alpine species, of more than 1000 square metres.
You can buy tickets online on the official website.
1.2 mi
10 min
12:405 min
Car Park
Leave your car here and have a short walk along the village.
0.3 mi
10 min
13:0015 min
Lake Gover
Stop by the beautiful Gover Lake and take some pictures. The waters of Lake Gover are crystal clear and boast some of the best visibility. This makes it a haven for underwater photography enthusiasts.
0.3 mi
5 min
13:201 hr
Ristorante Pizzeria Lo Stambecco
In this cosy restaurant close to the lake, you can taste many of the typical dishes of the Aosta Valley. For example, the nido (polenta with porcini mushrooms and egg), flour and semolina dumplings, stewed meats, cheeses and valdostana carbonada. For those who want something "simpler", there is also pizza.
19.9 mi
50 min
15:105 min
Car Park
This is the paid car park, from where you can take a lift up to the fort. But there are several car parks. There is one close to the start of the walk-up to the fort.
0.2 mi
5 min
15:2045 min
Fort of Bard
This fort is one of the best preserved in the whole valley. It belonged to the Savoy family since 1242. In 1800, Napoleon's army defeated, after two weeks, a garrison of 400 Austrians who had taken refuge here. From 1830 onwards, the fort was rebuilt and then used as a prison and ammunition depot.
In 2015, the fortress was the setting for some scenes in the Marvel film The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The views from the main street of the village and from the river are gorgeous.
If you visit the fort from the outside and enter, for example, to the prison, the visit lasts about 45 minutes. If you want to take a closer look at all the exhibits, you should allow another hour or two. Keep this in mind when organizing the rest of your day.
In 2015, the fortress was the setting for some scenes in the Marvel film The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The views from the main street of the village and from the river are gorgeous.
If you visit the fort from the outside and enter, for example, to the prison, the visit lasts about 45 minutes. If you want to take a closer look at all the exhibits, you should allow another hour or two. Keep this in mind when organizing the rest of your day.
5.3 mi
15 min
16:2045 min
Issogne Castle
The next suggested castle to visit is that of Issogne, one of the most beautiful in the valley, because inside there are frescoes depicting scenes of daily life in the village and the trades of the people. You can also visit the kitchen, the courtyard, the chapel and some of the rooms.
The castle was a Renaissance residence of Margherita de La Chambre and her son Filiberto.
You can also buy tickets online.
You can also buy tickets online.
16.7 mi
25 min
17:4545 min
Fenis Castle
The journey continues between mountains and beautiful villages to the Castle of Fenis. This castle is not located at such a high altitude and, despite having defensive structures, it was used as a luxury residence for the Challant family.
It was then abandoned for a period until 1895 when it was restored.
You can buy tickets online on the official website.
You can buy tickets online on the official website.
11.1 mi
30 min
19:005 min
Car Park
Although there are several other castles to visit, the closing time in the spring-summer months is 19:00. Therefore, the next suggested activity is to take a short walking tour of the town of Aosta and have dinner there before returning to Turin.
You can leave your car in this car park near the Arch of Augustus and start your walk there.
You can leave your car in this car park near the Arch of Augustus and start your walk there.
0.3 mi
10 min
19:3030 min
Porta Pretoria
Aosta is the capital of the Aosta Valley and was built by the Romans in 25 B.C., when the Romans took over this strategic area in the Alps. That is why there are many Roman traces in the city. One of these traces is the Pretoria Gate, the ancient gateway to the city.
The original name of the city was Augusta Praetoria Salassorum. Many travellers come here to cross the tunnel under Mont Blanc that connects Italy with France.
Nearby you can see the remains of the city walls and the Roman theatre of Aosta. Although you can't visit it at this time of day, check at the entrance in case the opening hours are extended in summer (from April to September it closes at 19:00, but maybe you arrived earlier because it took you less time to visit the castles) or if you can see something from the outside.
The original name of the city was Augusta Praetoria Salassorum. Many travellers come here to cross the tunnel under Mont Blanc that connects Italy with France.
Nearby you can see the remains of the city walls and the Roman theatre of Aosta. Although you can't visit it at this time of day, check at the entrance in case the opening hours are extended in summer (from April to September it closes at 19:00, but maybe you arrived earlier because it took you less time to visit the castles) or if you can see something from the outside.
0.5 mi
10 min
20:1510 min
Aosta Cathedral
To continue with the walk, you can visit the Cathedral of Aosta from the outside, which is located next to the Cryptoporticus (another monument from Roman times that can be visited until 19:00) and very close to the Roman Forum (which can be seen from the outside, without the need to pay an entrance fee).
The cathedral was built at the end of the 4th century on the site of a pre-existing complex and underwent some modifications until its present appearance.
The proposal is to take a walk through the streets around these monuments and look for a place to eat.
The cathedral was built at the end of the 4th century on the site of a pre-existing complex and underwent some modifications until its present appearance.
The proposal is to take a walk through the streets around these monuments and look for a place to eat.
