Sport Itineraries: Bard

From Bard you take the path from the national road 26, upstream of the bridge, going up a steep staircase; then continue on the paved path that rises with hairpin bends, allowing you to glimpse the medieval village aligned along the ancient Roman road of the Gauls and dominated by the Fortress. Once you reach the votive chapel, continue to the Crous houses, then a little further on you will find the carriage road to follow for a couple of hairpin bends to the village of Albard di Bard, going up through chestnut woods with a beautiful panoramic view of the Fort of Bard, of Hône and of the lower Champorcher valley.

Leave your car near the village of Bard and take the path that climbs in steps overcoming a steep rocky jump. At a crossroads, disregard the detour on your left and go on to Issert.

The itinerary develops on comfortable ledges, dotted with rock flora, while the gaze embraces the village and the Fort of Bard from an unusual perspective. You reach the cottages of Valsourda, then you reach Albard di Donnas along a path. From here it is possible to continue along path 6 A to the locality called Rovarey and get to the medieval village of Donnas by crossing also the vineyard path nr 103A .

Take the steep stairway at the start of the village of Bard. Continue along a paved path that winds its way up, allowing glimpses of the mediaeval burg in line with the ancient Roman road and overlooked by the fortress. Now take the paved road that leads you to a crossroad at the hamlet of Croux. Follow the left branch which winds slightly before taking you to Albard. Now take the path that winds its way up within the chestnut wood. From here you can enjoy a wonderful view of the valley below. When you get to the Clusal farmhouses, you get a fine view of the Bard fortress. Continue towards Bossou until you come to the meadows of Verale. You come to the pasture of Laffumas and lastly Col de Cou, which holds the remains of military fortifications from different eras.

The first municipality in the Aosta Valley is Pont-Saint-Martin. After passing the municipalities of Donnas, the fort of Bard, Hône, Arnad, Verrès and Montjovet, the short climb of the "Mongiovetta" begins which takes you to Saint-Vincent and then to Châtillon. Then after crossing Chambave, Champagne (Verrayes) and Nus, you arrive at the gates of Aosta, where the state road becomes two lanes in each direction in the municipalities of Quart and Saint-Christophe (commercial area).

After a possible stop in Aosta, having passed the Aosta Valley capital (Corso Ivrea, Via Roma and Via Parigi with numerous roundabouts) and after the crossroads which leads to the Great Saint Bernard state road N. 27, the road 26 continues westwards and crosses Sarre (crossroads for Cogne), Saint-Pierre, Villeneuve (crossroads for Introd and the valleys of Rhêmes and Valsavarenche), Arvier, Léverogne (crossroads for Valgrisenche), passes near Derby (fraction of La Salle), crosses  La Salle and then Morgex until you reach Pré-Saint-Didier (crossroads for La Thuile and, in summer, for the Little Saint-Bernard pass). From here continue to Courmayeur.

To return you can opt for the transfer route along the A5 motorway, which crosses the entire central valley, from Courmayeur to Pont-Saint-Martin. You will find indicated all the toll booths and exits that you may need to reach the starting points of the motorbike itineraries or to return home at the end of your excursions.

MOTORCYCLE ITINERARY TO THE CASTLES OF THE LOWER AOSTA VALLEY

Riding the motorbike, start from Pont-Saint-Martin: the terraced vineyards accompany you up to Donnas.
You will then see the proud silhouette of the Bard fort stand out, an ancientbulwark of defense strategically located in the narrowest point of the central valley. Over the centuries it suffered numerous assaults, up until the decisive one by Napoleon's army, which besieged and destroyed it in 1800. It was rebuilt by the Savoys in 1827. The museums and important temporary exhibitions of the Fort are worth a stop.

Continuing on, after about ten kilometers (6 miles) you come across another imposing structure: the fifteenth-century Challand castle in Verrès open to visits.

And then, on the way back, don't miss the castle of Issogne, a magnificent  Renaissance manor.

A tasty stop is also possible in Arnad, home to the production of Lardo di Arnad P.O.D.  and in the wineries of Arnad and Donnas.