Shaped by ancient glaciers and encircled by some of Europe's highest mountains, Aosta Valley is also a typically alpine region, with over a third of it lying at an altitude of over 2,600 metres.

Sheer rock faces, lofty peaks and rugged terrain make the region ideal for those seeking to push themselves to the limit and enjoy a range of exciting sports: top-class mountaineering, climbing, trekking, skiing, rafting, canyoning and downhill skiing can all be practised here.

There's more to the region, however, than sporting challenges and pleasant walking and cycling routes for outdoor types who prefer to take it easy, and Aosta Valley is sure to win over the more contemplative visitor too, with its magnificent landscapes and its enviable natural heritage: it is here, in fact, that the first national park in Italy was created, and almost a third of the region is protected in order to safeguard the significant level of biodiversity.

Aosta Valley also offers plenty of pleasant surprises for lovers of history and art, with an extraordinary concentration of traces from the region's rich past: prehistoric megalithic monuments, a wealth of Roman remains, over 100 mediaeval castles, towers and fortresses, which over the centuries became Renaissance dwellings, or Romanesque and Baroque churches. This splendid cultural heritage is kept alive through popular traditions, local crafts, food and wine, and the fact that most of the region's inhabitants speak both Italian and French fluently.