Sport Itineraries: Gressan

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.

When you get to the main car park in Pila, near the telecabin lift departure point, take the dirt road (14I) that goes under the Pila-Chamolé cables, then takes you comfortable to the Saint-Grat hermitage. Now continue along the private road (19A) until you come to the pasture of Chamolé. Just before the pasture, take route 20A on the left, which goes up the hillside to Col Plan-Fenêtre. Now descent along the route signposted 20, inside the vast valley of Comboé, to reach the pastures of the same name. Go past these until you come to a crossroad, where you ignore branch 14 on the right, and take the left-hand path 16 which goes up to Plan-Valé. Now, continue first across meadows and then over debris until you come to Le Grand Sex. At the crossroad the itinerary bends left, and heads for the crest. Follow this to the summit, which can be recognised by the statue of the Madonna.

Coming from Aosta, the Côte of Gargantua is visible from the road. Follow the direction to Gressan. The routes that lead to the discovery of the reserve start from different points, this itinerary starts from the hamlet Clapey. From the town hall roundabout take the road that goes up to the left, continue about two kilometres and leave the car in the small parking lot (7 places) to the right in the hamlet of Clapey.
Then take the pedestrian street that goes down to the left at the wood sign Clapey, cross the small village, take the path of the reserve that goes up steep on the right. At the beginning of the trail the panels tell the story of the reserve and the legend of the fairies. The climb on the moraine side is quite steep, but very short and reaches the summit. On the right the path comes to a lectern with a sheet of marble on which is impressed a music. The work is part of the project “Silence is the voice of the Fairies” located in these places by the artist Giuliana Cunéaz. Going left and walking on the crest, from which you can enjoy a vast panorama over Aosta and the castles of Sarre and Saint-Pierre, you reach the cross. From here begins the steep descent towards the hamlet of Fontaine. To return to the starting point there are two possibilities: one path in the middle of the moraine and the other at the base. If you take the first path on the right, not indicated by any sign, the track goes up diagonally towards the lectern, if you continue to go down you will find a yellow sign of the Cammino Balteo. Turn right, a flat path crosses a beautiful forest of oak, ash, pine and follows the base of the moraine until you come out on an asphalt road. Follow it to the end and then take the path that climbs steeply on the right and return to the starting point.

Go up to Pila from Aosta using the telecabin lift (about 20 minutes). At the arrival station, turn left and go down just below the Lo Yeti restaurant, until you get to the Chamolé ski-lift which takes you to 2303 m altitude. Now take route 19c (well signposted) to get to Lac Chamolé. The lake is enclosed within a green basin which provides a excellent panorama of Mont Blanc, the Gran San Bernardo valley and Gran Combin.

From Pila, in the municipality of Gressan, take the Chamolé chair-lift (open in the summer only) or take one of the trails to the Chamolé lake starting from Pila (1.30hrs).
When you arrive, take route 19C on the left, which soon takes you to the banks of Lac Chamolé. Here, when you get to a crossroad, take path102, which goes up, quite steep, to Col Chamolé. Go down the opposite side, cross the Comboé stream and go up to the Arbolle refuge, near the lake.

After passing the tunnel in Pila leave your car in the parking lot and reach the ski school, opposite are the signs, follow path n. 16. The path climbs a little steep, then crosses the track of the ski slope and after a while you enter a stretch of wood. After a few minutes you cross again a section of the winter ski slope. Continue on the path in the woods that leads to Alpe Chamolé. Passing next to the stables and the house, proceed on a flatter path that goes into the wood again. You reach then Col Fenêtre, from that point is a descent untill Comboé.

When you get to the main car park in Pila, near the cable car cabin, take the dirt road that goes under the Pila-Chamolé cables, then takes you comfortable to the Saint-Grat hermitage.

Arriving from Aosta, turn right at the roundabout immediately after Pont Suaz and take the road to the roundabout in front of Gressan town hall. Here turn left on SR 40 Pila, after a few hundred meters turn left by the wooden signpost indicating the hamlet Moline.
Leave the car in front of Maison Gargantua, then follow the uphill road that passes behind the Maison, the path starts immediately behind the chapel of Moline with a beautiful donkey-backed stone bridge
Follow the itinerary of Cammino Balteo towards Aymavilles.

The path crosses orchards and vineyards, with a view of the castles (Tour de Villa, Royal castle in Sarre, Saint-Pierre Castle) and Romanesque bell towers (La Magdeleine and Sarre).
Cross the SR 40 regional road at a bend then the path narrows and rises slightly. You arrive at a sign indicating the ru d’Arberioz and from here take the white road until the village Pompiod, eventually it is possible to take a bus for the return to Gressan.

Technical difficulty: easy
Physical difficulty: medium
Bike-friendly: 100%
Type of Route: asphalt and dirt roads

From Aosta, follow the Courmayeur State Road no. 26 until you pass the village of Villeneuve and come to a large parking on the right, starting point of this bike itinerary.

From the square in Trepont hamlet in Villeneuve you take the State Road no.26, following directions to the Villeneuve sports centre.
Taking the wooden walkway that crosses over the Dora Baltea river, continue towards the centre of the village. On leaving the village, proceed towards Aymavilles where you go uphill to the site of the “Cave des Onze Communes” cooperative winery.

The itinerary then goes on along the direct paths that crosses the vineyards of Les Crêtes, featuring splendid panoramic views (Aosta plain and castles).
Descending at Ayamavilles, close to the motorway junction, cross the bridge over the Dora Baltea and continue by following the river.
You will reach the Gressan sports centre by passing through the village of Jovençan. The recently built pedestrian walkway allows you to cross the Dora river again, entering in the periphery of Aosta and directing towards the “Regional Farming Institute”.

From here, set off again in a westerly direction (Courmayeur), reaching the panoramic road over the hills until you reach the municipality of Sarre.
After crossing the railway, you will arrive close to the motorway junction again, where a fun dirt path along the banks of the Dora begins. Continue along this until you reach Saint-Pierre, where the picturesque castle of “Sarriod de la Tour” can be sighted. You can reach the castle via a short but difficult dirt road.

After crossing State Road no.26, the route continues towards the hamlets on the hill until arriving at a bridge that leads to Villeneuve. On reaching the river park, go back along the first stretch of the journey until you come to the site of departure.

The wineries (on the map select “Farms/Wineries”  to locate them) can only be visited by reservation.