Easy hikes for families with children

By car, about 500 meters after the church of Antey-Saint-André you will turn on the left at the crossroad to the village of Hérin and then after 2 km you will leave your car at the small parking. Hérin is a village that maintained its features, recently the old houses have been restored keeping the original features of the mountain village, with stone and wood as main elements.
When you will reach the small chapel dedicated to Saint Barbara, you will go down to the right to the village and near the first houses you will take to path n° 105. First you will cross the meadows and then in the steapest part you will go through the wood and arrive in a farm road in front of the small lake. You will find a small playground area with benches.

From the sport area parking, situated on the left side of the stream, take the path and leave on your right the small wood bridge taking to the sport area.
The flat path runs alongside the Marmore stream, you will find the village of Poutaz, and after about 1 km you will reach the village of Fiernaz, here you will leave the path and take the paved road inside the hamlet where you can have a small stop at the playground area.
After the village you will go further on the right, cross the bridge after the stream, and follow the path through the mixed wood (with the stroller, at a certain point, we suggest you to continue on the agricultural road until the village of Lillaz and then return on the described route) until the quiet village of Lilla. You will then go further until the gym tools in the equipped path, the adventure park, the foot field and finally cross the wood bridge to reach the departure point.
Along the path you will find benches, and returning to the sport area it is possible to have a pic nic at the green space.

The nature path Ru de Lies starts at the end of the bridge (crossroad to La Magdeleine) in the village of Champagne.
It is a flat walk, along the path you will find panels with information about history, geography, geomorphology, flora and fauna of Antey-Saint-André, and also information about climatology, environmental laws and typical products of the region. Typical mountain plain woodland which thins out at intervals along the path, leaving space for clearings cultivated with permanent meadow. Species in the hardwood coppice are Ash, Alder, Maple, Lime, Birch, goat Willow, with occasional Larch and Scottish pine.
Along the path you will find benches, and after crossing an asphalt road a small pic nic area with tables and 2 barbecues. If you will go further on you will reach the quiet village of Lies.

The reserve is located North-East of Aosta on a hill with steep sides, but from the flat top. It extends over 14 hectares, at an altitude of about 800m.
It is an area of considerable geomorphological and archaeological interest, with landscape aspects typical of the low mountain slopes with southern exposure. In the late Neolithic period, around 3000 BC, a human settlement occupied the top of the hill.

From the Arch of Augustus cross the stream, go over the Roman Bridge and turn left. Once you reach the underpass and the roundabout turn right, the road begins to rise and after about 100 meters take the road that climbs to the left indicated with the signpost 6. Go along the Fontaine Saint-Ours park and go up until you reach Busseyaz. Continue on the road which later becomes a dirt road. Leave the junction on the right and at the next fork, take the first right then the left. Then follow the path that branches off to the right and reaches the recreation area. Follow the path that climbs to the top of the reserve.

Leave the car in the conveniently located square in Moulin de Va at the end of the paved road from Arnad, which runs along the Va stream, then, on foot, take the paved road that goes up to the age-old chestnut grove, and leads to Machaby Sanctuary and the plateau with the village of the same name.

The first caste on the route is the Vallaise Castle, in a panoramic position, surrounded by vineyards (not yet open to the public). Inside the castle there are many frescoes representing mythological and biblical scenes, imaginary landscapes and allegories and, in the main hall, ten views of places belonging to the possessions of the Vallaise family.
Going on, we find the remains of the Lower Castle de la Côte, another house of the Vallaise family dated XV century. The last one, the Upper Castle, stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the town and is now reduced to the state of ruin although the visit is now possible with the help of an easy scaffolding.

Just after the tunnel on the Valgrisenche regional road n.25 take the road on the right that steeply goes up to Baise-Pierre, a small village highly exposed to the sun.
After leaving the car take, on the left, path n.20 that, between woods and small streams, reaches Milliéry hamlet and finally Baulin in Avise municipality.
From there you can enjoy a beautiful panorama on the Central Aosta Valley and on many peaks.
From Baise-Pierre you can also continue on the right, always following the itinerary n.20, to reach lake Lolair natural reserve.

Easy walk that from Grand-Haury hamlet, above Arvier, reaches Les Combes village in Introd municipality.
By car, after Arvier’s church, follow the signs first for La Crête, then for Verney, Petit-Haury and finally Grand-Haury hamlets (10-minute drive).
The itinerary (signpost n.7) starts on the left of the parking lot at the beginning of Grand-Haury hamlet and goes up in the woods until reaching Les Combes hamlet, holiday destination of Pope John Paul II.
Grand-Haury hamlet is characterized by the typical position of its houses built around the most important places of the traditional village: the chapel, the mil and the oven, recently restored.
Also worth mentioning is the chapel dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene, dating back to 1473.

By car, after Arvier’s church, follow the signs first for La Crête, then for Verney, Petit-Haury and finally Grand-Haury hamlets (10-minute drive).
After leaving the car in the parking lot at the beginning of Grand-Haury hamlet, take path n.2A under a vaulted passage between two old houses and continue slighty downhill crossing meadows, a drained marshy area and along a stream.
After reaching the fork with route n.2 that goes up from the other side of the valley turn right and continue until the castle remains.

From the parking lot by the side of the regional road, at the entrance of Valgrisenche valley in La Ravoire hamlet, go up following the signpost n.3, cross the village and continue on the grassy track. The path runs along stone walls and bushes, crossing various times a gravel road until a wall in the mixed forest of ash trees, whitebeams, scots pines and downy oaks.
After a last crossing you arrive to a fork near a prominent rock, turning left you reach first a chapel and finally, after the nice stone-built houses, the small Lolair lake.