Experience the best of Aosta

Aosta was founded by the Romans in 25 BC as Augusta Praetoria, and its grid of streets still follows their plan. The Arch of Augustus, the Praetorian Gate, the tall façade of the Roman theatre and the underground cryptoporticus survive in or beside the old centre, earning it the nickname Rome of the Alps. Later layers include the cathedral and the collegiate church of Sant'Orso with its Romanesque cloister.

The city lies at the meeting of the routes over the Great and Little St Bernard passes and is the gateway to mountains on every side: the Mont Blanc massif near Courmayeur, the Gran Paradiso park and the Matterhorn above Cervinia. The valley holds dozens of castles, among them Fénis, with its frescoed courtyard and battlements.

Many people here speak French as well as Italian, and signs appear in both. The table is built on fontina cheese, melted into fonduta, with polenta, lardo from Arnad, venison and carbonada, a beef stew in red wine. A woodcarving fair named for Sant'Orso fills the streets at the end of January, and skiers come in winter.