Nature: Chambave, Châtillon, Fénis, Verrayes

The Mont Avic Park, first natural park in the Aosta Valley, preserves since 1989 the natural resources of the upper Chalamy stream valley in the municipality of Champdepraz and, since 2003 the Dondena valley, in the territory of Champorcher.

The protected area is characterised by extremely captivating landscapes and environments only marginally affected by human activities.
Crossing the paths that meander through the protected area gives visitors the chance to come into contact with particularly interesting and various natural aspects: rugged and characteristic geological formations, floral alpine endimisms and peculiar plant associations tied to the green rock substratum. The largest mountain pine forest (pinus uncinata) in the region with a couple dozen ponds, marshes and peat bog, it is unrivalled in number and in extension in the Aosta Valley. All the most widespread alpine animals in the region are represented.

You can hike along the park paths all year round. Most of the paths are snow-covered from November to May and only advisable for experts with appropriate equipment. Some paths can be ridden on horseback or on mountain bike.

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A mountain with a characteristic profile catches the eye: it is Mont Avic (3006 meters), the emblem of the park of the same name, a protected nature reserve that extends within the territories of Champdepraz and Champorcher.

Mont Avic is located on the ridge that branches off to the north from Mont Glacier (3186 meters), on the border between the municipalities of Champdepraz and Chambave, in the Graian Alps of Aosta Valley.
A statue of the Madonna was placed on its top in 1957.

The ascent to Mont Avic is possible along two itineraries, both with climbing sections that must be carried out by expert hikers with mountaineering equipment and in the presence of good environmental and meteorological conditions.

Located in the Cret de Breil hamlet, on a rocky hill 1 km west from the centre of the Châtillon village, the park surrounds the castle, commissioned by baron Carlo Maurizio Gamba in the first years of ‘900, which is nowadays seat of a modern and contemporary art collection owned by the Aosta Valley Autonomous Region.
This green island, developed on a total area of 54.000 square meters, is a typical “english park”, holding more than 150 trees of different species: beeches of considerable dimensions and the Austrian pines, among the oldest living in Aosta Valley. Moreover, it is possible to see fir trees, cedars, ginkgo biloba, lime trees, Norway spruces, oaks, asch trees, horse chestnuts, maples, etc.
The park is characterized by the presence of monumental trees, identifiable thanks to a plate containing the essential data in order to recognize them. The most important are:
-the giant Sequoia from California, with a 37 meters long trunk and a circumference of 217 centimeters;
-the bald Cypress, originating from Florida’s swamps, rising at the western edge along the park fence;
-the Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), indigenous tree from North America.
In spring walks among the trees in the park are more pleasant thanks to 17 thousand square meters of meadow.

Location
The park is part of the castle with the same name, situated on a height behind the Châtillon parish church.

History
The park, like the castle and the French styled Renaissance garden, assumed its current conformation in 1706. In fact, thanks to Paolina Solaro di Govone, wife of Giorgio Francesco di Challant, the castle was fully reconstructed and new trees were planted in the park. Nowadays the park belongs to the countness Claudia Passerin d’Entrèves.

Description
Various trees were identified in this park as “monumental plants”, of different varieties, protected by a specific regional law. A linden with a 5 meter circumference, the old and majestic beech tree with a 5.5 meter circumference and an atlas cedar with a 4.5 meter circumference are among these. There are also ash, oak and maple trees of impressive sizes considering the characteristics of these species and the famous and majestic “linden and beech-lined lane” that offers a truly enchanting view of this site. The park covers about 3 hectares but only 2 hectares are accessible and constantly monitored. A sign has been placed before all the monumental plants listing their characteristics.

A concentration of natural processes in a very rich habitat

An old pond rapidly drying out located on a glacier terrace in the heart of a sunny and dry climate zone.

The lake is home to a rich zooplankton population, numerous invertebrates including different species of dragonflies and amphibians such as the common toad and the brown frog. In the reserve there are more than fifteen different plant associations and almost seventy species typical of wetlands and aquatic environments, some rare or unique to the Valle d’Aosta.

The nature reserve is one of the European ecological network Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

How to get there
From Aosta, take the national road 26 towards Turin. In Chambave, follow the signs for Verrayes and Loson.

This arboretum, the oldest of this kind in the Region, was realized between 1905 and 1908 by Canon Vescoz, an eminent religious, scientist and geologist native of Verrayes, in a poor and dry ridge, called Pointys (1050 m) and purchased by him with huge economic sacrifices.
This was the first forestation experiment carried out in Aosta Valley with exotic species, on an area of over 12 hectares.
More than 11.000 non-indigenous plants were put in, including 3 varieties of cedar, 2 varieties of douglas, 2 varieties of Italian cypress, the Monterey cypress, the thuja, the giant sequoia, the black pine in addition to native species, some of which are completely out of the station, including the beech, the French oak, the mountain pine, etc. ...
The visitor can admire a wooded area of great naturalistic, botanical and scientific interest, given by the uniqueness and the particularity of the site. The massive presence of aromatic thyme is to mention.
The site is open since 1995 and the most suitable season to visit the Arboretum is spring, characterized by an exaltation of colors and scents.
Three explanatory boards integrated with the mapping of arboretum show tourists the vegetation, the various trails (each appropriately marked) and the most panoramic areas.