Valpelline: Seupa Tradition and Cultural Heritage

When looking for a hotel in Valpelline, it is worth first deciding what you want to focus on during your trip. Local highlights range from a traditional dish and annual festivals to traces of copper mining and a described route to Lago d’Arpisson. Thinking about which of these themes matter to you can help you get a clearer sense of Valpelline as a destination.

Regional Cuisine and Festival Traditions

Seupa à la Vapelenentse is a traditional dish particularly associated with the Valpelline area. It is made with stale white bread, Fontina, butter, a rich broth and savoy cabbage. These ingredients offer a tangible insight into the local culinary tradition and make Seupa a distinctive part of the area’s identity.

The traditional Seupa à la Vapelenentse festival takes place every year in the village of Valpelline on the last weekend of July. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, check the exact date in advance. Another annual event takes place on 16 August: on that day, the community gathers at the Cappella di San Rocco in Semon to celebrate San Rocco. For trip planning, the two events fall at different times: the last weekend of July and 16 August.

Copper Mining and Cultural Heritage

Remains of the former copper smelting works can still be seen in La Fabrique in Valpelline. The Casaforte La Tour de Valpelline is currently not open to visitors. These two sites offer different points of interest: La Fabrique recalls the area’s copper-smelting past, while visitor access is a consideration for the Casaforte.

The Fiera di Valpelline, also called Fea de Vapeleunna, has a historical connection too: it began as a livestock market and is now a showcase for typical products from the Aosta Valley. The Fiera thus brings together its original market character and the present-day display of regional products.

In the mining area of Ollomont and Valpelline, the Sentiero del Rame passes through tunnels, mining buildings, ore-smelting facilities, play and adventure parks, museums and information points. The Parco giochi di Valpelline is located on the Sentiero del Rame, near the historic smelting works. It combines recreation with learning about history in a natural setting. Those interested in mining history will find both tangible remains and a route with stops ranging from mining facilities to museums and information points.

Trails and Practical Planning

The Centro Visitatori Valpelline is located in the hamlet of Frissonière, at an altitude of 1,147 metres above sea level. Guided tours of the ageing cellar are offered there and must be booked at least 24 hours in advance. If you would like to include this tour in your stay, make sure to book early enough.

The route to Becca di Viou from Valpelline passes through woodland and mid-altitude pastures before reaching the wild valley leading to Lago d’Arpisson. Its course therefore takes in a sequence of different landscapes. Fishing in the Buthier near Valpelline is regulated and requires special permits. If you plan to go fishing, check the permit requirements in advance.

Discover more destinations: Brengon, Saint-Christophe, Valgrisenche, Émarèse, Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, Saint-Oyen, Oyace, Epinel

For the wider travel overview: Aosta Valley.