Courmayeur
Courmayeur has earned the title of “Pearl of the Alps” for the extraordinary beauty and harmony of its mountain scenery and its long-standing hospitality tradition. In fact, Courmayeur is the oldest and most famous Italian alpine ski resort, dominated by the unique and majestic scenery of the Mont Blanc mountain chain.
Located in a splendid valley at 1224 metres above sea level, Courmayeur became a touristic destination at the end of the 17th century as a health spa, thanks to its healing mineral waters. An exclusive and magic place, today Courmayeur is one of the most important ski resorts in the world.
Courmayeur provides first class hospitality: about seventy hotels offering over 3,000 beds, apartaments, some 90 restaurants and pizzerias and other cafés, bars, discos, piano-bars and a modern sports centre.
Courmayeur has been the capital of winter sports for over fifty years, offering the priceless opportunity to ski at the foot of Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain. Courmayeur provides off-piste skiing lovers the Toula Glacier (10 km) and the famous Vallée Blanche (22 km) off-piste ski routes. Most of the Vallée Blanche off-piste ski route runs on the glacier, through gullies and seracs, and ends up in Chamonix (France).
In Checrouit and Val Veny area, there are 300 artificial snow cannons covering most of the 100 km long ski routes in order to guarantee the opening of the ski season. In Val Ferret, at the foot of the Grandes Jorasses, you will find the most renowned cross-country ski routes of Aosta Valley, covering a wide range of pistes of varying levels of difficulty, in a stunning and unique scenery.
Courmayeur offers to visitors its ancient history and traditional culture. In fact, its picturesque centre still shows some of the original architecture. In addition, the town has developed into a fashionable centre, with elegant shops along the main central street.
The two lateral valleys, Val Veny and Val Ferret, are known all over the world to be a real alpine paradise. Adjacent and parallel to the Mont Blanc mountain chain, they are crossed by the most famous and most visited trekking route in the world: The Tour of Mont Blanc.
Mont Blanc stands alone in its massive contribution to the history of climbing, being still nowadays the destination for climbers from around the world. The local society of guides – the world’s second oldest one as it was constituted in 1850 – offers an extraordinary array of activities for both summer and winter at any level of difficulty, including programmes especially thought for children.
Mont Blanc cableway, or “funivia”, connecting Courmayeur with Chamonix (France) through six stunning sections at the height of nearly 4000 m above sea level, is considered to be the eighth wonder of the world.
In summertime, visitors will have the unique chance to try the highest and most spectacular 9 hole golf course, located in Val Ferret.
In Courmayeur it is possible to carry out a wide range of sports: a climbing wall amongst the highest and most well equipped in Europe, a 25 m swimming pool, both indoor and outdoor tennis courts, squash courts, covered 5-a-side football pitches, an Olympic ice rink, indoor golf courses, gyms, a range of rock climbing areas and an outdoor swimming pool. Other activities include: hiking, summer and winter mountain biking, via ferrate (fixed rope route), ice climbing, hand-gliding, paragliding, diving in alpine lakes, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, freeride, extreme skiing, heli-skiing and snowshoeing, hunting and fishing.
Courmayeur also offers gardens, a conference centre, a cinema and two fun parks for children opened both in winter and summer.
The stunning scenery and the unspoilt nature of Courmayeur alone will make your stay unforgettable.
Courmayeur is 3 km far from the Mont Blanc tunnel, connecting Italy and France.
Hiking
The two lateral valleys, Val Veny and Val Ferret, are known all over the world to be a real alpine paradise. Adjacent and parallel to the Mont Blanc mountain chain, they are crossed by the most famous and most visited trekking route in the world: The Tour of Mont Blanc.
You will be surrounded by the unspoilt nature and by the most stunning mountains of the entire Alps and by a unique view of the Mont Blanc.
Snowshoeing
You will follow the path alongside the cross-country ski tracks, which will lead you over a camp site. After the beautiful Meyenzet chapel, the route gently ascends through the valley. You will benefit of a breathtaking view of Tête de Ferret (2.714 mt.), an important peak, as it marks the division between the Western and Central Alps (traditionally called Graie Alps and the Pennine Alps). The path will bring you to Pont, Tronchey and Pra Sec villages. Afterwards, you will walk along the Doire de Ferret stream and you will arrive at Lavachey.
Nordic skiing
Val Ferret, one of the two lateral valley parallel to the Mont Blanc mountain chain, seduces cross-country ski lovers with its alpine environment, its beautiful forests and wide fields covered in snow from November to May.
You will reach Planpincieux (1580 mt.) both by shuttle bus and by car. The cross-country ski route start from Planpincieux village, and heads towards Lavachey through the entire valley. The 19 km long tracked trails offer a wide range of combinable itineraries, on an area that is ideal for cross country skiing.
Alpinism
Mont Blanc stands alone in its massive contribution to the history of climbing, being still nowadays the destination for climbers from around the world. The local society of guides – the second oldest in history constituted in 1850 – offers an extraordinary programme of activities for both summer and winter at any level of difficulty, including programmes especially thought for children.
Activities in Courmayeur
- Sports and excursions
- Shopping and eating out
- Fitness and well-being
- Crafts and folklore
- Miniclub and children’s fun park
- Cinema
Sports Summer and Autumn
- Rafting, canoa, hydrospeed
- Climbing
- Trekking on single and multi-day trips
- Hiking in the mid mountain range
- Mountain bike
- paragliding
- Sports centre: Gym, tennis (Clay and internal), squash, football, ice skating
- Horse riding
- Golf 9 hole
Exhibitions in Courmayeur
- Film Festival “Noir in Festival”
- International Alpine ski races
- Visits to wineries “Route des Vins”
- Traditional festivals
- Conferences, exhibitions and museumsi
Sports winter and Spring
- Alpine skiing and snowboarding
- Cross-country skiing
- Ski touring
- Heli-skiing
- Off piste skiing (Toula e Vallée Blanche)
- Snowshoeing
- Ice climbing
- Sports centre: Gym, tennis (Clay and internal), squash, football, ice skating
- Hunting and fishing
What to see in Courmayeur
- Mont Blanc lift
- Mont Blanc mountain range
- Mont Blanc Tunnel
- Botanical garden Saussurea
- Alpine museum
- Ancient mines
- Alpine swimming pool
Nearby attractions
- Roman city of Aosta
- Numerous castles
- Saint Vincent Casino and Chamonix Casino (France)