Courmayeur is an Italian town of 2 727 inhabitants in the upper Valdigne, in the Aosta Valley: a renowned winter and summer tourist resort in the Alps, on its municipal territory there is the highest mountain in Italy and Central Europe, Mount White, in common with the neighboring French territory of Chamonix.
Religious architecture
Parish Church of San Pantaleone. The square
in front is dedicated to Joseph-Marie Henry, an illustrious fellow
citizen. A statue and a botanical garden in Plan-Gorret are also
dedicated to Abbé Henry.
At the beginning of the Val Veny stands the
sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Guérison, one of the most famous in the Aosta
Valley.
One of the peaks around Courmayeur is Monte Chétif, very
popular for trekking and characterized by a statue of the Virgin Mary on
top, visible from the valley, placed by John Paul II.
Military
architectures
Courmayeur Castle is in ruins but other interesting
medieval buildings remain:
The Passerin d'Entrèves stronghold.
The
Malluquin tower, in Joseph Petigax square.
The Piquart de la Tour
stronghold, now converted into a hotel.
The disappeared Pucey
stronghold, in the locality of the same name, is mentioned by de
Tillier.
Civil architectures
In Courmayeur there are some
villas of historical interest protected by the Valle d'Aosta region such
as:
Villa La Freidolina (1916), in via Luigino Henry 1.
Villa
Bagnara (1935), which can be accessed from both via XVI luglio 3 and
viale Monte Bianco 60. The villa was built by Ermilio Bagnara, a
well-known Genoese entrepreneur and became particularly famous for
hosting Giuseppe Saragat on 16 July 1965 and Charles De Gaulle on the
occasion of the opening of the Mont Blanc Tunnel.
Villa Marone
Cinzano (1925), in via Le Volpi 1, known for hosting Umberto II and
Maria José of Belgium during their honeymoon.
Villa Tondani (1930),
in via Donzelli 2, Pussey, a large building inspired by a medieval
style. The villa is also enriched by other architectural elements found
in the vast park, as well as a chapel and a bell tower.
In Dolonne
there are traces of the Favre house, an ancient noble family from
Valais. The house has undergone considerable transformations, but the
architrave in which the date 1610 is engraved and various engravings
stands out. The Savoy coat of arms can be admired on the left, the Favre
coat of arms on the right, and the Maltese cross, the lily of France,
the monogram of Christ and various other figures appear.* Also in the
Dolonne area is the Derriard house which belonged to the noble family of
the same name from the Aosta Valley. It is an ancient family whose coat
of arms appears in the Salle des écussons of the Tour de Ville in
Gressan.
The ancient establishment that housed the Bagni de La Saxe.
Other
Saussurea Alpine Botanical Garden.
Park of the Abbé
Henry, in the locality of Plan-Gorret.
The Talweg of Val Ferret is a
site of Community interest (code IT1204032, 120 ha).
Mont Blanc. The
Mont Blanc range forms the backdrop to Courmayeur like a natural
amphitheater. With its summit at 4810 metres, it is the highest peak in
Europe. The mountaineering conquest of the summit of Mont Blanc already
took place in 1786, but still today its walls are a popular destination
for mountaineers from all over the world.
Crossing of Mont Blanc by
cable car (Skyway Monte Bianco), Strada Statale 26, Pontal d'Entrèves
area (Parking with 300 paid parking spaces and parking for coaches), ☏
+39 0165 89196, fax: +39 0165 89439, info @montebianco.com. One way:
from €12, return: from €28; daily: from €57 (January 2018); for more
details: rates. Typically 8:30-16:20; for more details: timetables.
Nicknamed the eighth wonder of the world, the glacier cable car allows
you to reach Chamonix in the summer. During the ascent, intermediate
stops are made to admire the landscape from several points of view: at
the first stop, at 2173 metres, is the Saussurea botanical garden, the
highest in Europe, while from the panoramic terrace of Punta Helbronner
(3462 m) , you can enjoy one of the most spectacular views of the Alps.
From Punta Helbronner you can reach the Aiguille du Midi, at 3842
metres, and descend to Chamonix or return to Courmayeur.
Transfrontier Museum of Mont Blanc. In the historic center of
Courmayeur, in the rooms of the Jardin dell'Ange, there is the Valle
d'Aosta room of the Transfrontier Museum of Mont Blanc, a privileged
place for reflection on the identity of the populations of Haute-Savoie
and Valle d'Aosta.
Libraries
The municipal library is located in viale Monte Bianco
40.
Museums
"Duca degli Abruzzi" Museum of Guides, in Piazza
Abbé Joseph-Marie Henry.
Transfrontier Museum of Mont Blanc (in
French, Musée transfrontalier du Mont-Blanc)
Crystal exhibition: a
permanent exhibition of 150 minerals from the Mont Blanc massif is
temporarily set up at Punta Helbronner (3,462 m a.s.l.) at the Pavillon
Visitor Center.
Cinema and television
Courmayeur appears in
the films:
Those of the mountain
Fantozzi.
In addition, the
country hosted part of the filming of the film Diabolik. The town has
also appeared in a couple of episodes of the television program White
Line.
Music
Courmayeur is mentioned in the following songs:
White week
Courmayeur by Dj Matrix (2019).
Celtica Festival, in the Peuterey wood, in Val Vény.
Every year in
December, the Courmayeur Noir in festivals, noir film and literature
festivals.
In Courmayeur, the slopes of Chécrouit and Val Vény constitute, for the lover of downhill skiing, an authentic paradise of 100 km of slopes: from the highest point, the Arp ridge (2,755 m), you go down to 1,224 meters of the hamlet of Dolonne, where there is also a playground for beginners and little skiers. Nordic skiing is the protagonist in Val Ferret, which offers 20 km of slopes with excellent snow from November to May. Other sports that can be practiced in winter are walks with snowshoes, ice skating and indoor fitness and relaxation activities offered by the well-equipped Forum sport center in Courmayeur. The summer activities par excellence are trekking, mountaineering and all activities related to nature. The Valdigne trails are suitable for both families with children and expert hikers. With easy walks you can reach numerous alpine refuges and spectacular lakes, where the surrounding peaks are majestically reflected. Some ski lifts allow you to reach panoramic destinations and heated high-altitude swimming pools. Worth remembering for walkers are the Tour du Mont Blanc circuit, the Alte Vie, the Balconate del Mont Blanc, the pastures of the Chavanne valley and the Rutor glacier. However, Valdigne is not only a paradise for trekking lovers; among other activities, we can mention golf, which can be practiced on a beautiful 9-hole course in Val Ferret.
By plane
International airports of Turin Caselle, Geneva Cointrin
and Milan Malpensa.
By car
Courmayeur can be reached via the
A5 Turin-Aosta-Courmayeur motorway. For access from Switzerland and
Northern Europe we recommend the Mont Blanc Tunnel, the Colle del Gran
San Bernardo or the Colle del Piccolo San Bernardo (the latter only open
in the summer).
On the train
Numerous daily trains connect the
Pré-Saint-Didier station (via the Aosta station) with the Italian
railway network. From Pré-Saint-Didier, a shuttle service is organized
to Courmayeur to coincide with the arrivals and departures of the
trains.
By bus
There are many buses from Aosta and other
cities in Piedmont, Lombardy and Liguria to Courmayeur. See the savda
website for timetables and routes.
The city can also be explored on foot or by bicycle during the
summer.
By car
The best way to get around larger stretches is
by car.
In restaurants, refuges and agritourisms, you can taste traditional
dishes which cannot be missed: natural polenta or concia, or enriched
with butter and fontina cheese, numerous cheeses, sausages such as
bodeun di Morgex, with beetroot, or the fragrant Jambon de Bosses and
seasoned meats such as sauseusse or motsetta; lard, soups made with rye
bread, apples and berries; tiles or Creinchen, a sweet bread made with
butter and sugar, a specialty of Valdigne and Savoy, all accompanied by
white or red wines, sparkling wines and grappas with a thousand nuances.
Not far from Courmayeur, on the hills between Morgex and La Salle,
grow the highest vineyards in Europe which reach up to 1200 meters above
sea level and from which Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle is produced, a
fine white wine which has obtained the Valle d'Aosta DOC in 1985, and
the exceptional Chaudelune, a passito made from a late night harvest of
grapes that have already experienced the first colds of winter to give
the wine all their warmth.
Modest prices
Pizzeria la Padella,
Vicolo Dolonne 7, ☎ +39 0165 841977, lapadella@hotmail.it.
Average prices
Restaurant Bar Chiecco, Loc. Plan Chécrouit, ☎ +39 338
7003035, freerider_256@hotmail.com.
Restaurant Pizzeria Bar du
Soleil., Loc. Plan Chécrouit, 1, ☎ +39 0165843571, info@bardusoleil.it.
La Grolla restaurant bar, Località Peindeint 8 (Val Veny), ☎ +39 0165
869095, ristorantelagrolla@gmail.com.
Château Branlant Restaurant,
Loc. Chiecco, 8 (Plan Chécrouit), ☎ +39 0165846584,
info@chateaubranlant.com.
La Chaumière Restaurant, Plan Chécrouit 15,
☎ +39 392 9585987, lachaumiere@grivel-courmayeur.it. Evening by
reservation only.
Pré de Pascal restaurant, Loc. Pré-de-Pascal (Val
Vény), ☎ +39 0165 869090, info@predepascal.com.
Super G Restaurant
Bar, Plan Chécrouit 9 - Courmayeur, ☎ +39 0165 842660,
restaurant@lovesuperg.com.
La Piazzetta restaurant, via Roma, 13/A, ☎
+39 0165 844150.
Average prices
Hotel Bouton d'or (Central location, close to the
ski lifts). The alpine-style rooms are treated with refined attention
and enriched with handicraft objects from the Valley. 35 rooms, most
with balcony or private garden. The breakfast is buffet style. Strudels,
cakes, biscuits, brioches, jams, omelettes and quiches are offered,
produced exclusively at home, together with yoghurt, cheeses and cured
meats from our valley. Bar, sauna, solarium and gym, garden, private
parking and garage.
Hotel Berthod (450 meters from the main Chécrouit
cable car, 700 meters from the Dolonne cable car and about 3 km from the
Pré-Saint-Didier spa centre), info@hotelberthod.com. The Hotel Berthod
is a welcoming structure located in the pedestrian area of Courmayeur.
It features a small wellness center with gym, sauna and Jacuzzi. The
staff will immediately put you at ease, making you feel at home. The
room rate includes a rich breakfast buffet with various local products,
homemade desserts, dietary products and products for allergy sufferers.
At the hotel you will find a lounge with fireplace and a bar. There is
also a storage room for bicycles and ski equipment.
Hotel Les
Jumeaux, Strada Regionale, 35, ☎ +39 0165 846796, fax: +39 0165 844122.
High prices
Villa Novecento (5 minutes on foot from the
pedestrian shopping center), villanovecento@alpissima.it. 4-star hotel
located in one of the most elegant areas of Courmayeur and a 2-minute
drive from the main cable car that takes you to the ski slopes (a
shuttle with private driver is available continuously and free of charge
throughout the day). The true splendor lies in its historic soul, having
been conceived as a real reconstruction of a patrician alpine villa from
the last century. Each room bears the name of a different year and has
been virtually designed to tell the stories of that time. Gourmet
restaurant, cocktail bar, spa, sun terrace, conference center.
Cresta
et Duc (Only 20 meters from the pedestrian shopping and leisure center
and less than 200 meters from the main cable car to the ski lifts), ☎
+39 0165 84 25 85, fax: +39 0165 84 25 91, crestaetduc@ alpissima.it.
4-star contemporary design hotel in Courmayeur, a fusion of worldly
modernity and warm alpine comfort, a minimalist mountain hotel full of
welcoming, colorful touches. Here the contemporary alpine decor combines
local materials such as wood, natural stone, marble with warm chocolate,
red and white tones. Restaurant, library and American bar, spa, meeting
room.
Itineraries
Tour of Mont Blanc
Castles in the Aosta Valley
Via Francigena
Located at the foot of Mont Blanc, it is the last
town you meet before arriving in France via the Mont Blanc Tunnel
(which connects it to Chamonix); it is crossed by the Dora Baltea, a
river that arises from the confluence of two streams, each of which
crosses one of the two valleys that can be reached from Courmayeur:
Val Ferret and Val Veny. It is about 27 kilometers north-west of
Aosta.
It is the westernmost municipality (6 ° 48'03 '') of
the Valle d'Aosta region, and the second largest. It is also the
only municipality in Italy to border with both France and
Switzerland, although there are no transit routes that lead directly
into Swiss territory.
The Mont de La Saxe landslide, above
the hamlet of the same name and also visible from the hamlets of
Entrèves and La Palud, is considered one of the most interesting
landslides in Italy (8.4 million square meters) and is under
observation by geologists around the world, especially after the
recent acceleration of its movement.
Seismic classification:
zone 3 (low seismicity).
The climate is mainly alpine, with short, cool summers and cold, snowy winters.
Courmayeur is mentioned as Curia majori
between 1233 and 1381. In the 17th century, Magini and Sanson call
it Corte Maggiore (1620) and Cormoyeu (1648) respectively. Cormaior
(Borgonio, 1680), Cormaior (Vissher, 1695), Cormaggior (L'Isle,
1707), Cormaior (Stagnoni, 1772) and Cormaieur (Martinel, 1799) are
later attested. The current spelling is fixed starting from 1860,
according to the famous work La Vallée d'Aoste by Édouard Aubert, as
confirmed by the abbé Henry (Histoire populaire de la Vallée
d'Aoste, 1929) and the abbé Gorret (Guide de la Vallée d'Aoste,
1877).
The papers of Ortelius (1579) and Parergon (1590)
mention Courmayeur as Auri Fodinæ, that is "gold mines", for the
gold widespread at the time in Val Ferret. Jean-Dominique-Marie
Mollo, sworn doctor of the Duchy of Aosta, sees the Latin word Curia
Mayor in the toponym Courmayeur based on the medieval Latinization
Curia majori, by virtue of the existence of a court of justice
present there since Roman times. Abbé Henry (Histoire populaire de
la Vallée d'Aoste, 1929) indicates the hypothesis according to which
Courmayeur derives from the Latin Culmen majus, "great peak", due to
its proximity to Mont Blanc. It also indicates that the Curia majori
form could derive from an incorrect medieval transcription of Curtis
mayor, or major farm.
Jules Brocherel takes up this
hypothesis as an erroneous Latinization of Cortem Majorem. In Essai
de toponymie de la Suisse romande, Henri Jaccard mentions a place in
the commune of Vollèges called Cormayeux, which means "large farm".
Amilcar Bertolin states that the form in Valle d'Aosta patois
Corméyaou would indicate a pre-Roman root * korm, widespread in the
Alps. Following the Italianization of the toponyms of the
municipalities in Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta, in the Fascist era,
the town takes the name of Cormaiore from 1939 until 1946, while the
toponym Courmayeur was re-established in 1946 with the advent of the
Italian Republic. A decree signed by the president of the regional
council Augusto Rollandin on 31 December 2013 provided for the
organization of a referendum on 1 June 2014 to modify article 1,
paragraph 1 of the regional law of 9 December 1976, number 61
(Dénomination officielle des communes de la Vallée d'Aoste et
protection de la toponymie locale) to change the name of the
municipality to "Courmayeur-Mont-Blanc", a name which, however, was
not changed due to the quorum not reached in this referendum.
Courmayeur's popularity was initially linked to spa tourism in the
17th century, thanks to the four sources of sulphurous water. Towards
the second half of the eighteenth century the exploration and study of
the mountains of the Mont Blanc massif began in search of a way to reach
the summit of Mont Blanc. After some reconnaissance attempts made by the
Genevan mountaineer and naturalist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure together
with the guide Jean-Laurent Jordaney, originally from Pré-Saint-Didier,
the first ascent was made in 1786 from the French side accompanied by
the guides Michel Paccard and Jacques Balmat of Chamonix. Courmayeur,
together with Chamonix and Zermatt later became one of the capitals of
world mountaineering and was the seat of the first company of mountain
guides in Italy, the Courmayeur Alpine Guide Society (in French, Société
des guides de Courmayeur) in 1850 (formalized but in 1868).
During the 19th century, royalty regularly stayed there. Since the 20th
century, following the construction of ski facilities, it has become one
of the most important ski resorts in the Alps. On 23 February 2013, the
City Council unanimously approved the change of the municipality's name
to Courmayeur-Mont-Blanc. The decision should have been ratified through
a popular referendum, called by the Regional Council for 1 June 2014,
which however did not reach the quorum, therefore the denomination
remained unchanged.
The municipal coat of arms was recognized by decree of the head of
government on 10 August 1928 and takes up the coat of arms attributed to
the noble De Curia Maiore, branch of the ancient local dynasty of the
lords of Aymavilles (De Amavilla).
«Party d'or and Argent, to the
lion, crossing on the partition, of black. Commune exterior ornaments.
The banner, granted by decree of the President of the Republic of 27
December 1991, is a party cloth of white and yellow.
Dolonne is home to many residential complexes and hotels, flanked by
some sports centres. It is connected to Courmayeur by two bridges both
located above the Dora Baltea.
Entrèves, located at an altitude of
about 1300 m on the slopes of Mont Blanc at the confluence of the two
valleys that branch off from Courmayeur (Val Veny and Val Ferret).
The remaining hamlets are: La Palud, Villair Dessous, Villair Dessus,
Larzey, Entrelevie, La Villette, La Saxe, Pussey.
The mines
As evidence of the past of exploitation of mineral
resources in the Mont Blanc massif there are still two ancient mines of
silver galena and blende, abandoned for some time now. One was already
known in antiquity with the name of Trou des Romains and it really seems
that its exploitation began in Roman times; the other, the Miage mine
was abandoned in the 19th century, and is located at 3,500 m a.s.l.,
with the entrance directly from the rock face, at the foot of the Tête
Carrée.
It is one of the most important tourist centers in the Aosta Valley and in the Alps in general, especially for winter sports, together with Cervinia. One of the Institut Valdôtain de l'Artisanat de Tradition's sales outlets is located in the center of the village.
Streets
Courmayeur is easily connected with the north-western part
of Italy via the A5 motorway. The Mont Blanc tunnel also connects it to
France (Lyon is about 250 km away) and Switzerland (100 km from Geneva).
Ropeways
Glaciers cable car
Sport events
Courmayeur hosted the Valle d'Aosta Tennis Open in
2011, and was the stage for the Valle d'Aosta Women's Volleyball Trophy
from 2004 to 2008. Courmayeur is home to the start of the CCC
(Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix) of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. The Tor
des Géants, endurance trail race, with start and finish on piazza abbé
Henry;
Ice Hockey
Courmayeur is the hub of Aosta Valley ice
hockey. Headquarters of the historic Courmaosta Hockey Club, today it
hosts the Les Aigles du Mont Blanc hockey club.
Cycling
In
1959 Courmayeur was the finish line of the 21st and penultimate stage of
the Giro d'Italia. The victory went to Charly Gaul who on that occasion
definitively removed the pink jersey from Jacques Anquetil. Since 2007
the Courmayeur Mont Blanc velo club has been organizing mountain bike
competitions at national level (Italian championships, Italian Cup,
youth circuits) and at international level (International of Italy, and
Italy bike cup)
Traditional sports
In this municipality, palet
is played, a characteristic traditional sport from the Aosta Valley.
Biathlon
In 1959, the biathlon world championships were held.