Valley of the gods

ERICA FIRPO goes off-piste in the Italian Alps and discovers where to eat, stay and drink in Valle d'Aosta.

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As the spotlight swings towards the Dolomites for the 2026 Winter Olympics, there's another slice of the Italian Alps that's just as snow-capped but quieter, quirkier and quintessentially skiable.

Welcome to Valle d'Aosta, Italy's smallest region and one of its best kept secrets. Sandwiched between France and Switzerland, Valle d'Aosta is a trilingual treasure where locals flip between Italian, French and Valdôtain, the local Franco-Provençal dialect.

In 1745, Mont Blanc, the jagged frontier between France and Italy, was officially recognised as the highest peak in Europe, igniting a race to the summit. By 1850, Courmayeur had founded its own Alpine Guides Association, and just four years later, local Valdostan guides made their mark by reaching the Col du Géant and Mont Blanc du Tacul. Today, Valle d'Aosta is a skier's paradise, where long lunches matter just as much as long runs.

Courmayeur: glamorous peaks

Courmayeur may be the historic centre of alpinismo (mountaineering), but its 21st century incarnation is a mixture of landscape, sport, gourmet food and shopping. Once a humble farming town, Courmayeur transformed with the Mont Blanc tunnel and cable cars. Now it's a bustling ski destination - home to one of Italy's oldest ski schools, a runway of elite slopes, and Skyway Monte Bianco, a glass-and-steel marvel that whisks you to 3466 metres with 360-degree views of the Alps. Step off at Pavillon du Mont Fréty (2173 metres) for a museum, panoramic restaurant and all-season multimedia show. Or go higher to Punta Helbronner and feel like you've arrived on the roof of Europe.