In the north of Italy, sandwiched between France and Switzerland, lies one of the most beautiful cycling destinations in Italy. The Aosta Valley, or Valle d’Aosta, is a beautiful piece of mountain landscape. You can cycle beautifully in the Aosta Valley. It is a special piece of Italy, because French is also one of the official languages here. Just like in Sudtirol, where German and Ladin are also official languages, the Aosta Valley is also bilingual. Other well-known regions with their own language? Naples of course and also in Sicily and Sardinia, although that is more of a dialect. The Aosta Valley is also an autonomous region and has a special status in Italy. Good. Back to cycling.
Cycling in the Aosta Valley: the Colle di Gran San Bernardo
The geographical location reveals a lot, because there are no flat meters in the Aosta Valley. One of the most important climbs that characterize the Aosta Valley is the Colle di Gran San Bernardo. The Mountain High Chasers climbed this classic route Once, but from Switzerland. From Italy and from the Aosta Valley it’s a bit different. It’s a monster climb of 33 kilometers long. Above it there seems to be a top-notch pizzeria, with reasonable prices. Winner!
Gran San Bernardo, Aosta, Italy
• Distance: 33.6 km, Elevation: 1872 m, Average grade: 5.8 %
Mont Blanc and the Petit Saint Bernard
When you say Aosta Valley, you automatically say Mont Blanc. The Mont Blanc massif is part of the Aosta Valley, and if you ever want to consider doing a ‘round trip to Mont Blanc’, you’ll have to go through the Aosta Valley. One of the climbs you’ll encounter is the little ‘brother’ of the Grand Saint Bernard (or Gran San Bernardino), and that’s the Piccolo San Bernardo. This one is also one for the books. It’s 22 kilometers long, but it’s a lot friendlier than its big brother. Here you average 5% and it doesn’t go above 7. That’s still a nice climb. But those 22 kilometers in length do pose a significant challenge.
Passo Piccolo San Bernardo, Pre’ Saint Didier, Italy
• Distance: 22 km, Elevation: 1141 m, Average grade: 5 %
Even more racing bike fun
That Aosta is more than the two climbs mentioned above is quite obvious. On the website of the local tourism agency you can find no fewer than 38 (!) different mountain bike routes. Not bad, considering the size of the area. We’ll explain one of them right now: the route is only 52 kilometers long, but it starts from Aosta and heads west. You follow the route of the Salassi, an ancient population group of this region.
For the off-roaders: Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso
One thing that Aostadal might excel at is mountain biking and gravel routes. Alpine gravel, that is. Because it goes up steep hills and you have many narrow paths, but then you get to some exceptionally beautiful places along the way. Little lakes and more besides. The Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso is located on the border with the neighboring region of Piedmont. In the PNGP you can cycle to your heart’s content and especially mountain biking and off-road riding. All the info about this park and a whole lot of beautiful cycling routes can be found on the website of the national park.
Tips for your next cycling adventure in the Aosta Valley
- In terms of accessibility, the Aosta Valley is best reached by car. From the Netherlands or Belgium, you are almost always reliant on the Mont-Blanc tunnel. Note: it is not free and costs €67.50 for a round trip for cars (slightly more for campers/caravans/buses), and you can book it via: https://tunnelmb.net/en-US/plan-and-calculate-transit
- Another option is the train, although it takes a bit more planning. Consider traveling from Paris to Geneva and then changing trains twice to get to Aosta. Not ideal, but doable.
- In the Aosta Valley you will find many good bike hotels. We give you some options:
- Hotel Crabun: good location for discovering Piedmont too. Free bike rental, everything is provided for a good bike hotel. Great prices
- Le CharabanPerfect location, right in the heart of Aosta. From here, the entire Aosta Valley is at your feet
- Le Clos D’Anbot: It is also well located in the center of Aosta. For those who value sustainability: you can also charge your car here. Handy!
- All cycling routes in the Aosta Valley can be found on the Valle d’Aosta website: https://www.lovevda.it/en/itineraries/bike
- Around Mont-Blanc? How about the Gran Fondo Mont Blanc? All the info about this crazy ride can be found here. on the organizer's website.
More information about the Aosta Valley and about the possibilities to cycle in the Aosta Valley can be found on the official website of the Tourism Office: https://www.lovevda.it/en
Questions & tips
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