ITALY'S
SMALLEST
REGION.

Under Mont Blanc · best for Skiing, dining, glamour, the Skyway

The valley's most cosmopolitan town, sitting directly beneath the highest mountain in western Europe.

A real town rather than a purpose-built resort, with a stone-paved centre, serious restaurants and a guiding tradition dating to 1850. Skiing is north-facing and tree-lined; the Skyway climbs to 3,466 m from the edge of town; Pré-Saint-Didier's thermal baths are ten minutes away. The best all-round base for a first visit.

Under Matterhorn · best for Snow-sure skiing, high altitude, crossing to Zermatt

High, wide and reliable, staring straight at the Italian face of the Matterhorn.

One of the highest resorts in the Alps, which makes it the safest bet for early and late season snow. The lift network links over the border into Zermatt, so you can ski to Switzerland for lunch. Terrain is broad, sunny and mostly forgiving — excellent for intermediates and for building confidence.

Under Gran Paradiso · best for Ice climbing, Nordic skiing, wildlife, quiet

A wide meadow at the mouth of the Gran Paradiso, and one of the world's great ice-climbing valleys.

Cogne trades lift-served skiing for something rarer: superb cross-country tracks along the valley floor, frozen waterfalls that draw climbers from across the world, and a national park full of ibex on the doorstep. In summer it is a walking and wildlife base. Calm, unpretentious, and very good for families who prefer nature to nightlife.

Under Monte Rosa · best for Freeride, Walser culture, uncrowded slopes

Three linked valleys under the Monte Rosa massif — the region's freeride heartland.

Monterosa Ski links Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna across a huge, quiet lift network with legendary off-piste between the valleys. The villages are timber-and-stone Walser settlements with their own language and architecture. Fewer crowds than Courmayeur, more terrain than almost anywhere.

Under Rutor · best for Bike park, snow-sure skiing, crossing into France

Snow-sure in winter, World-Cup downhill terrain in summer, and a lift link into France.

Quieter and better value than its neighbours, with north-facing slopes that hold snow, a link over the Little St Bernard into La Rosière, and a summer bike park that has hosted UCI Downhill World Cup racing. The Rutor glacier above is prime heliski and ski-touring ground.

Under Emilius · best for City plus mountain, heritage, bike park, value

A ski area and bike park connected to a Roman city by a single cable car.

Stay in Aosta among two-thousand-year-old walls and ride the gondola straight up to Pila's slopes and bike stadium. It is the best-value base in the region and the only one where the evening involves a real city — restaurants, wine bars, museums and the megalithic park — rather than a resort street.

Under Mont Avic · best for Castles, wine, thermal baths, shoulder season

Castles, cellars, Forte di Bard and thermal water — the valley when the snow has gone.

Saint-Vincent, Bard, Verrès and Donnas sit low enough to be pleasant in spring and autumn. This is the heritage and wine end of the region: a dense line of medieval castles, the Nebbiolo of Donnas, thermal baths and a casino. Ideal for shoulder-season trips and for travellers who are not here to exert themselves.