Fontainemore between Mont Mars and mountain culture

Fontainemore brings together the Mont Mars nature reserve, insights into Valdostan mountain culture and village history. Trails, exhibitions and historic buildings offer different ways to shape your stay.

Nature and trails on Mont Mars

The Mont Mars nature reserve covers about 390 hectares, stretching from 1,670 metres to the summit of Mont Mars at 2,600 metres. These elevations give an idea of the range of the area, from which to explore its nature and hiking opportunities. These include trails to clear mountain waters, snowshoe tours and more challenging hikes to mountain peaks. Routes are available for all seasons. Snowshoe tours and summit hikes differ considerably in difficulty, so choose an outing that suits your plans and experience.

The nature reserve visitor centre offers information, publications on natural history, and a map of the area showing trails and points of interest. It also has a multipurpose room for educational and cultural events. The permanent exhibitions focus on the nature reserve and the Oropa procession. This pilgrimage by the people of Fontainemore dates back to the second half of the 16th century.

Mountain culture and village history

The Ecomuseo della media montagna uses two restored buildings to showcase Fontainemore’s rural architecture, traditional furnishings and objects. The structures on display include a wooden rascard. It contains an area for threshing rye and storing provisions, as well as a cellar for aging cheese. Another part of the museum displays tools used in traditional masonry, a seasonal trade practised in Fontainemore and known as “macon”.

Farettaz is considered a typical example of a permanently inhabited rural settlement in the middle-mountain area of the Aosta Valley. The oven, mill, school and chapel symbolise the self-sufficiency of a mountain village. The 16th-century mill and village oven have been restored and returned to use. They add concrete examples of the village’s former work and facilities to the picture of the settlement.

The parish church of Sant'Antonio Abate was built in 1494. Its features include a 15th-century rounded apse, a rose window bearing the Vallaise coat of arms, and five Baroque and Rococo altars. The church can be reached on foot via the stone bridge over the Lys. The Orrido di Guillemore also brings together natural and cultural history: the Lys has carved a deep gorge into the rock, where an impressive waterfall lies. For several centuries, the gorge was an obligatory passage; as people climbed the Lys Valley, two mule tracks converged there.

Excursions and local products

The Sentiero della volpe is described as a family-friendly circular trail, with several wooden sculptures lining the route. Parco Avventura Fontainemore has four adventure courses with different levels of difficulty. The obstacles are set at increasing heights of 1.5, 3, 6 and 9 metres. The two offerings differ both in format and in the challenges described.

At Caseificio La Vallaise, you can sample and buy local products from livestock farming. The dairy collects and processes milk from across the valley. Check whether the products are available during your trip before visiting. Fontainemore can also be reached by bus on the “Pont-Saint-Martin – Gressoney” route. As timetables can change, it is advisable to check the connection before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Rhémy-En-Bosses, Frachey, Torgnon, Chambave, Valtournenche, Pollein, Courmayeur, Saint Pierre

Back to the main travel guide: Aosta Valley.