Leisure in Aosta
Alpine cuisine (fontina, polenta concia, carbonada, Génépy), mountain wines, a weekly market and craft workshops. Skiing at Pila from town, climbing and trails everywhere, a cycle path along the Dora. Nightlife gathered in the historic centre.
Sections: Cuisine · Eating out · Sport · Nightlife · Free activities
Food
The Valdôtain table is a mountain one: fontina DOP and fonduta, polenta concia, seupa à la vapelenentse (bread, cabbage and fontina soup), carbonada, mocetta and lardo d'Arnad DOP, boudin, tegole and torcetti biscuits for dessert. Valle d'Aosta DOC wines come from some of Europe's highest vineyards (Blanc de Morgex, Petite Arvine, Fumin, Torrette); Génépy is the traditional liqueur and Valdôtain coffee is drunk from the multi-spouted wooden grolla, the friendship cup.
The historic centre concentrates restaurants, wine bars and pubs between Via de Tillier, Via Porta Praetoria, Piazza Chanoux and Via Sant'Anselmo; nightlife is quiet and ends early, except on winter weekends with skiers.
- Markets: the weekly market in the central streets and squares, local-produce markets and the Christmas Marché Vert Noël on Piazza Chanoux; craft workshops (wood, soapstone, drap cloth) all year.
- Sport: downhill skiing and snowboarding at Pila with the gondola from town; cross-country and ski touring in the valleys; crag and indoor climbing; trail running and mountain biking; municipal pool and ice rink; rafting on the Dora Baltea in spring.
- Parks and walks: the Dora Baltea cycle path, Saumont park, the hillside trails towards Saint-Christophe and the Ru Prévôt irrigation channel, the archaeological park of Saint-Martin-de-Corléans.
- Free: the Roman monuments seen from outside, the Sant'Orso cloister during opening hours, the Sant'Orso Fair, the Marché Vert Noël, the signposted trails.
- Out of town within an hour: Gran Paradiso (Cogne, Valsavarenche), Courmayeur and Val Ferret, Cervinia, Gressoney, the spas of Pré-Saint-Didier and Saint-Vincent, the castles.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/20/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-31
No questions in the community · Ask the community