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Excursions and Trekking in Pila, Aosta

Group of friends in Pila for a hike in the mountains

Pila, the small town, is part of the municipality of Gressan in the Aosta Valley. It rises on 1800 meters above sea level and the basin in which it stands had been an alpine pasture for centuries.

Known especially for the ski slopes, even in summer, Pila has a lot to offer tourists. In summer, Pila offers the opportunity to take walks on marked trails suitable for both families and experienced hikers, also for golf enthusiasts lt; /strong> the location proposes the highest circuit in Europe with nine holes and finally for archery enthusiasts are organized tournaments.

The excursions and crossings lead to an area rich in alpine lakes, in front of the snowy peaks of Gran Paradiso two routes with ropes and metal steps: the Panorama path and the via ferrata that reaches the grandiose pyramid of Emilius.

Pila is also a mountain biking paradise. The countless cross-country routes are flanked by the Bike stadium, horseback riding and golf, with one of the highest nine-hole circuits in Europe. Pila is also equipped with an Adventure Park, for children and adults, where after a short teaching you can become Tarzan or Indiana Jones and conquer the plants made of logs and ropes.

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Aosta and the Sant'Orso Fair

Aosta Valley crafts stand at the Sant'Orso Fair

For some time now my boyfriend mentioned the Sant'Orso Fair which takes place for two days, in January, along the streets main areas of Aosta, via Sant Anselmo and via De Tiller. He had been there a few years ago and he thought it was an event that I would like. So I checked when it was taking place exactly and we went there on Saturday.

For obvious reasons you could not enter the city and you had to leave the car in one of the 7 outdoor parking lots from which the free shuttles took downtown. Everything looked good on the map, the reality was a bit different. We arrived around 10 a.m. So during peak hours, the car parks told us where to park and take the shuttle. At the stop: a nightmare.

There were more than 200 people and the shuttle was not coming (also because the roads were blocked by visitors' cars). When she finally arrived there was a fifth of those waiting for us (the shuttle was definitely small — too small). We were decided to take the next shuttle. In the meantime, part of the visitors decided to go on foot. It seemed like the right idea especially for families who were with small children with prams. It was impossible for them to come up.

Since we didn't know how many kilometers it was (depending on the person we were talking to ranged from 4 to 7) we continued our wait. Finally, after a while, the other shuttle arrived, even this assault, but we stayed outside. It was cold, it was windy, our feet were icy and wet. All this contributed to our despair and at the third test we finally managed to get on the shuttle. Out of curiosity, I read on the plate how many people could get on the shuttle: 75. We were close to each other like canned sardines, and we were at least 120 if not more.

But we were happy, because we would finally get downtown. The shuttle took us to the destination near the train station. The fair was probably combined with some agricultural trade fair because there were many agricultural machines. Then the first stalls appeared and I was a little disappointed. Actually, it was like the Borgomanero market, but bigger: a bit of food products, lots of household products and clothing.

It had nothing to do with what the fair brochure promised: where were they artisans? We went deep into the historic center and here we finally saw what we expected: the stalls with artifacts and typical products. Heaven for my eyes. There were also many, but really many, people and that's why it was sometimes difficult to see the products on display.

We had to adapt to the pace of the people around us because we simply couldn't go any faster or stop. Luckily, only a few points were so crowded. In others we could see many small wooden products: plates, spoons, finely carved wooden crosses, vases and bowls of logs, figures made from roots and toys for children.

There were wrought iron products: I liked the roses that framed the mirror. There was also handmade furniture. All we need is to have a little money and space in the house, but it was unfortunately not our case. After all, I noticed that there were a lot of people who merely watched or bought small souvenirs.

In addition to the manufactured products there were also stalls with food products: cheeses, cheeses and once again cheeses. And then cold cuts, sweets, wine, honey, candy and I don't remember what else was there anymore. Then on the squares there were various artistic events and tasting and sale of Aosta Valley food and wine products. The carefree and cheerful atmosphere. Around it was felt, in addition to Italian, French, German and various dialects. Experience to try!

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Aosta between culture and skiing weeks

Pair of snowboarders sitting admiring the valley below

In winter, Aosta offers many tourist opportunities, through a modern funicular you can, in a few minutes, reach the < strong>Pila ski resort and combine a cultural stay with a real skiing week. The funicular starts from the railway station, practically in the city center a few hundred meters from the main square Emilio Chanoux. The Pila ski area covers 12 square km, 70 km of slopes and includes 13 lifts, especially chairlifts. In addition, numerous systems for artificial snowmaking have been installed.

Aosta offers various opportunities to stay, hotels, apartments, B&Bs and several are not far from the gondola that leads to the facilities, practically within walking distance. The advantage of staying in the center of Aosta is the total usability of the services that a medium and small town can offer. Within a few hundred meters you will find shops, cinemas, bars and restaurants as well as all the tourist attractions.

To taste absolutely; the delicious biscuits of Aosta Valley tiles, made with hazelnuts, almonds, sugar and flour, are found in all the local pastry shops; boudin, potato sausages, beets, lard and spices. In appearance they would look like bloodsuckers but the red color is given by the beets; the fontina Valle d'Aosta, of alpine pasture is the best; the crowd of friendship, coffee ; and genepy served hot inside a “cup” called grolla with numerous mugs to drink from. The crolla before being served is sprinkled with sugar and genepy to which it is set on fire.

Aosta was founded in Roman times with the name of Augusta Praetoria Salassorum (from the name of the population who lived in this area), capital of the autonomous region Valle d'Aosta, Aosta has a great historical interest because of the numerous archaeological finds, especially dating back to Roman times. Symbol of the city is the Arch of Augustus, built on the occasion of the victory of the Romans over the Salassi and adorned by ten semi-columns that adorn the facades, restored at the beginning of the twentieth century to bring it back to its original appearance. Porta Praetoria, formed by two sets of arches (one major central and two minor lateral) that enclose a square of weapons, still in excellent state of conservation. The central arch was intended for the passage of the wagons, while the two side to that of pedestrians. The two rectangular defensive towers have been remodeled over time, the northern one more noticeably, while the southern one still retains some characteristics intact Roman architectural. Particularly suggestive is the Roman city walls, which has come almost intact in the days ours, originally reinforced by buttresses and two-story towers that have largely been preserved until today, even if during the Middle Ages they were adapted to home by local noble families and so extensively reworked.

Discover here all the attractions to visit in Aosta.

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Aosta (5Km)Aosta and the Sant'Orso Fair

Aosta (5Km)Aosta between culture and skiing weeks

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