Sport Itineraries: Saint-Marcel

Near a bend at kilometre 7 of the road that links the municipality of Fénis to Champromenty, in the municipality of Saint- Marcel, the road leads off and soon reaches Côteau. Take the nice path that goes through the pine wood and cuts the slopes of mount Saint-Julien. The peak, with the church of Saint Gratus, is easy to reach. From here, the itinerary descends once again to a few ruins and soon comes to the hermitage of Saint-Julien. Very picturesque itinerary: you can admire the central valley and the large valley of Clavalité.

The cycling and walking route runs along the banks of the Dora Baltea, the river that runs through the centre of the Aosta Valley. Classified as easy, the trail runs from Sarre to Pontey, crossing through the municipalities of Gressan, Aosta, Charvensod, Pollein, Brissogne, Saint-Marcel, Fénis, Nus and Chambave.

In Aosta, the route is connected to the urban cycle path.

This mainly flat itinerary is suitable for cyclists wishing to train, as well as for families looking for a pleasant bike ride in the fresh air, well away from traffic. The trail is wide enough for two bicycles to pass one another easily, with a tarmac surface and gravel at the sides to separate it from the surrounding land and vegetation.

Ideal also for running or walking, the trail links up a number of sports areas, equipped with parking, which means you can join or leave the trail at several different points, and combine your cycling or walking trip with a number of other leisure activities. Just a short distance away from the points offering access to the trail, you will find sites of cultural interest, as well as villages offering bars, restaurants, hotel accommodation and other services.

The cycling and walking trail is over 30 km in length.

Main entrance points:
• Sarre sports area
• Montfleury sports area, Aosta
• Les Iles di Gressan sports and recreation area
• Tzamberlet sports and recreation area, Aosta
• Pont-Suaz sports area, Charvensod
• Charvensod sports area
• Grand-Place sports and recreation area, Pollein
• Golf Les Iles sports and recreation area
• Palafent traditional Aosta Valley sports area, Brissogne
• Saint-Marcel sports field
• parking area outside Fénis cemetery
• Tzanté de Bouva equipped area, Fénis

One of the entrance points to the cycling and walking route is the Montfleury sports area in Aosta, near the cemetery, with parking for cars and a parking area for camper vans, from which a walkway across the river leads to the sports area in Gressan, another possible point offering access to the trail. At the Montfleury sports area, the route follows the left bank of the Dora Baltea, heading up towards Sarre, where the trail ends at the sports area.

From the sports area of Gressan, the trail runs along the right bank of the river. At the end of the walkway across the Dora, there is a panel describing how the morphology of the river has changed over the years, and a little further ahead is a series of signs offering information, present at a number of points along the route, featuring a map of the whole cycling-walking route and the regulations for using it.

The Gressan sports area is made up of a huge green area surrounded by a 1 km round-trip cycling path that is also a keep-fit trail. Also present is a park for children, two springs, several benches and bar-restaurants, one of which also runs a small outdoor pool, open in the summer.

The Tsamberlet sports area in Aosta is also linked to the cycling and walking route, with the various sports facilities offered including an indoor and outdoor swimming pool (open from mid-June to mid-September) and an ice skating rink.

Continuing along the stretch of the trail that runs through the municipality of Gressan, the route links up with the regional road near a restaurant at the hamlet of Borettaz where you will find a farm that sells its produce directly; visits must be booked. This link is also often used by reckless mountain bikers, who, once they reach the end of the downhill trail that goes down from Pila to Aosta, carry on along the cycling trail until Pont-Suaz before coming out through it and returning to the Aosta-Pila cable car station, used to go up into the mountains.

At Pont-Suaz, in the municipality of Charvensod, you can also access the trail - as well as a number of food and accommodation facilities - from the village, which is also the most convenient point to leave the route and walk or drive to the centre of the town of Aosta, for a visit to its Roman monuments and mediaeval churches, or simply to find accommodation or take a stroll through the pedestrianised streets, lined with shops and restaurants.

The cycling route continues along the right bank of the river, in the municipal area of Charvensod, with access also from the sports field, near a restaurant and other services, leaving behind the industrial area of Aosta on the left before arriving at the “Grand-Place green area” in Pollein. This is a recreation area with a play park for children and a large park area in the centre, at the edge of which you can find benches and drinking fountains. The building at the side of the parking area (payment required) is surrounded on three sides by trees and a rock garden.

Continuing through the Brissogne area, the trail runs alongside the “Golf Les Iles sports area”, which offers a 9-hole practice course, a 25-metre outdoor swimming pool (open from the first weekend in June until the first weekend in September), and a small lake for water sports, as well as a bar and restaurant. Also on the Brissogne stretch, the route leads to the Palafent multi-purpose facility, which includes a bar-restaurant with a parking area in front and an area set aside for traditional sports of the Aosta Valley (tsan, rebatta, fiolet and palet), where the championships take place in spring and summer.

The trail continues alongside the torrent, running around a protected nature area, the Les Iles humid area Nature Reserve, the most important site in the region where migratory birds stop off to feed and where several species of resident birds are also present. The path in the reserve heads towards the bird watching huts, and can be covered on foot only; bikes must be left in the bicycle racks provided.

The trail heads into the municipal area of Saint-Marcel where you can visit a distillery and also sample some of the local ham and other typical produce.

In Fénis, the trail runs along red asphalt and the route stands out more strikingly against the green of the meadows and the crop fields. This round-trip circuit is accessible both from the Fénis cemetery parking area and from the Tsanté de Bouva equipped area. Just a short distance away, the village offers visitor services, food and one of the best-known tourist attractions in the region: Fénis Castle. In Fénis, you can also visit the MAV – museum of the Aosta Valley traditional craftworks.

Leaving the town of Fénis and following the road that leads to the cemetery, you take the cycle path again. Recently built, very well maintained and signposted, it runs alongside the Dora Baltea on its right bank. Further on, between the towns of Chambave and Pontey, there are areas equipped for picnics. Protected from the sun by thick vegetation, some of them offer bathrooms, sinks and car parking spaces.

Main rules for using the cycling and walking route:
• The route is open during the day only, from 15 March to 15 November
• All users must respect other users, avoiding behaviour that might impede the normal use of the route
• Dogs and horses are not allowed
• Cyclists must proceed at moderate speed, keeping to the right and taking care to control their bicycle depending on the number of people using the route
• Motor vehicles are not allowed, with the exception of owners of and persons authorised to drive on the agricultural land served by the route; authorised vehicles must proceed with caution, at a maximum speed of 30 km/hour, guaranteeing right of way to cyclists. Excluded from the above are surveillance and emergency vehicles and vehicles carrying out maintenance operations.

Among the recommended stops, don’t miss the Fénis castle: Conveniently park your bike and visit this splendid manor from the 14th - 15th century, extraordinary example of medieval Aosta Valley architecture.

And then onwards, to the Saint-Marcel valley. If you’ve ended up here totally relaxed, a spectacular road immersed in the woods awaits you, charming in summer and striking in autumn for the thousands of colors of nature, ending at the Plout sanctuary, at an altitude of 3,143 feet.
At this point, the choice is yours: You can stop at the sanctuary and enjoy the view that opens onto the central valley, or proceed further for about six miles to Les Druges, where the road ends in a large picnic area. From the car park a pleasant walk of about 20-30 minutes leads to the Servette mining site.

From Saint-Marcel follow the directions to the Les Druges picnic area, situated in the hamlet with the same name. Leave your car in the car-park and turn into the long un-made road which enters the valley of Saint-Marcel and continues on into the magnificent Turatti reserve. Follow the un-made road as far as Petite Chaux. From here you take footpath no. 102 on the right which climbs up through the grassy slopes until you reach the Col Saint-Marcel.

Leave the car in the parking lot near the picnic area and continue on the dirt road that leads into the Saint-Marcel valley. Along the way you meet the abandoned buildings of the former mines. The view over the valley of Saint-Marcel is beautiful.

The mines are open to the public with guided tours by reservation.

From the village of Saint-Marcel, continue by car following the signs for Plout sanctuary and the picnic area. Once you reach Troil / Moulin hamlet indicated by the signs, you can leave your car in the public car park located a few meters before the bifurcation on the right. Then take the road on the right that goes up and after a few meters on the left you will find signs 11B and 11C. The path to follow just ahead at the first crossroads is indicated on the left as 11C. This itinerary also known as the “Sled Trail” still has several metal stations built years ago for the project “Patrimoines en chemin” . The very* wide path* climbs into the woods with a slope that varies without ever being too steep. After a few minutes the view overlooks the central valley. In less than an hour you can reach the village of Plout.

From the parking lot of the sanctuary of Plout continue for a few minutes along the paved road, passing downstream of the village. On the right the dirt road branches off slightly, follow path n. 3C. You walk flat in a deciduous forest, then you enter the valley and the conifers increase. Then continue along route 4 along the dirt road that in some places crosses the stream. Suddenly you arrive at the crossing of the Eve Verta stream. The water of the stream descends on a bed with a deep turquoise color.

From Druges Hautes walk towards the houses in the village: from here you take a path that proceeds through the wood, often used by snowmobiles. Go around the buildings on the right and continue on until you meet a no-thoroughfare sign on th farm road which leads to the Alpine pastures of Fontaine Froide. Climb up through the larch and fir-tree wood, completing an initial fairly steep section, then a little after, the route becomes less arduous; you go round a hairpin bend and you come to a small wooden chalet. The climb continues along a lengthy straight section which leads to the pastures of Fontaine Froide. The route continues round two wide hairpin bends leading to some buildings: you have to stop here to take a look at the view over the Matterhorn and the Monte Rosa group, which is quite unforgettable.
You start off again turning to the left above the Alpine pastures; the route through the woods continues to climb steeply until you reach a small level clearing where there is a wooden signpost indicating the Alpe Bren: fro here you begin to see the snow-capped “cake” of Mont Roux. The path continues on towards the ridge of the Valle della Clavalité and reaches another clearing from where you can enjoy some interesting views over the eastern peaks of this wild valley. Within a few minutes you reach the Alpe Bren and the characteristic wooden Christ. Continue on towards the destination: after a quarter of an hour’s gentle uphill climb, you come to the farm buildings of Prapremier (2011 m).
From these Alpine pastures you get an interesting, though narrower panoramic view than the one from Fontaine Froide, but you can certainly enjoy the silence of this place which makes it even more appealing.