In Châtillon, in the Aosta Valley, the Valtournenche opens up, a splendid Alpine valley at the end of which stands the Matterhorn, the most famous mountain in the Alps, quite unique.

The Gran Becca, as it is familiarly called by the locals, framed by the valley slopes, can be seen from Antey-Saint-André, a sunny resort that is about 20 km from the end of the valley!

The other villages, situated on beautiful flat terraces, dominate the central valley. Torgnon and La Magdeleine, situated opposite each other, are ancient villages with numerous hamlets that have preserved the characteristic architecture of the Alps.

One of the villages overlooking the valley, Chamois, the pearl of the Alps, still refuses the arrival of a road and is only accessible by cable car or on foot. It is of course a village renowned for its peace and quiet!

Valtournenche is the home of the Matterhorn mountain guides and many famous people from the Aosta Valley. At the far end of the valley is the resort of Breuil-Cervinia, the Italian counterpart to Zermatt, which provides access to one of the largest ski areas in the Alps.

Breuil-Cervinia, nestled at the foot of the Matterhorn, is not a pretty village like Zermatt, but the views of the famous mountain are spectacular and prices are less overpriced than on the Swiss side. From here, you can take the cable car up to Testa Grigia, at 3500m, opposite the Klein Matterhorn, where you can ski in summer and winter on the Plateau Rosà glacier.

By the end of 2023 (if work proceeds as planned), a new cable car will connect Testa Grigia to the Klein Matterhorn, thus providing a link between Cervinia-Breuil and Zermatt for non-skiers.

Useful links

Italian Autonomous Region of Val d'Aoste - Wikipedia