Ayas in the Aosta Valley: Mountains, Trails and Winter Destinations

Mountain Landscape and Nature

Champoluc lies in a wide, sunny basin. At the head of the valley, glaciers shape the horizon. The Vallone delle Cime Bianche lies entirely within the municipality of Ayas and extends from east to west for around 10 kilometres to the watershed with Valtournenche. As a Zona di Protezione Speciale (ZPS), the valley is part of the European Natura 2000 network.

Lago Blu lies at the foot of Monte Rosa. Snowshoes are required to access Lago Blu in winter. This makes the lake a specific destination for visitors who want to experience a wintry mountain landscape away from the slopes.

Hiking Trails with Clear Key Facts

The Ru Courtod is a 25-kilometre-long irrigation canal in the Ayas and Brusson area. The “free men” of the Saint-Vincent hills built it with shovels and pickaxes. Today, open sections of the Ru Courtod form a historical walking route through expansive meadows and numerous alpine pastures.

The Barmasc–Monte Zerbion route follows trail 105 over Col Portola to the summit of Monte Zerbion. Along the way, the route offers panoramic views of the central valley. The hike from Barmasc to Col Portola takes about one hour, is classified as difficulty level E – escursionistico, and has an elevation gain of 515 metres.

The Blanchard–Colle Superiore Cime Bianche route crosses the Vallone delle Cime Bianche. It passes peaks such as Gran Tournalin, Monte Roisetta and Rocca di Veraz. Another alpine landmark is Rifugio Grand Tournalin: the mountain refuge lies at 2,535 metres in the Vallone di Nannaz and can be reached from Saint-Jacques or Mandrou.

Ayas offers numerous signposted mountain biking routes for summer activities. Younger visitors can enjoy the Villy Bike Park in Parco Pian Villy. The park offers a pump track with earthen rollers and banked turns, as well as sections of varying difficulty for children up to 15 years old.

Culture in Antagnod and Crest

The Museo di Arte Sacra is located in the late-15th-century cemetery chapel of Antagnod, next to the parish church of San Martino. The museum preserves the Vierge Ouvrante, a rare mid-14th-century statue found in the parish church of Antagnod.

In the historic centre of Antagnod, Maison Fournier houses a permanent exhibition of traditional crafts from the Aosta Valley. The main altar of the Parrocchiale di San Martino was created through works carried out between 1500 and 1800 and was consecrated on 29 May 1716. The new church, dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, was consecrated on 24 October 1852.

Traditional wooden Rascard houses have been preserved in the village of Crest. The original buildings have not been remodelled. Crest is also associated with the traditional craft production of wooden sabots.

The Santuario di Notre-Dame du Bon Secours in Barmasc lies at an altitude of 1,828 metres. The pilgrimage site was a destination for processions, also because a spring beneath the chapel was considered miraculous.

Winter Sports in Champoluc and Frachey

The Champoluc-Frachey area is part of the Monterosa Ski area. It offers slopes of varying difficulty for beginners through to experienced skiers. Monterosa Ski connects three Alpine valleys in a single ski area.

The Villy slope starts at the Champoluc car park. The slopes of Periasc consist of four circuits; the two shorter circuits are part of the longer circuit. Ayas is served by the “Verrès – Saint-Jacques” bus route.

Parco Pian Villy has an equipped picnic area, beach volleyball and soccer-volley courts, a paintball field, a sun terrace, a kiosk and entertainment for children.

Other Destinations in the Aosta Valley

Other destinations in the Aosta Valley: Courmayeur, Breuil-Cervinia, Allein, Chamois, Roisan, Avise, Valgrisenche, Torgnon

To the higher-level travel overview: Aosta Valley.