Valle D'Aosta - Pila

Two hours from Milan is the Valle D'Aosta where you can see the great Monte Bianco mountain and the San Bernardo mountain which on one side is France and the other side is Switzerland. Just about half hour you can go to either country. Pila a great place for family skiing and fun.

I also found out that the people from this part speak a mixture of Italian and French. Very interesting and culturaly rich. We had an all day skiing adventure where my son learned how to snowboard and I move to another level in my skiing abilities. Below is a write up about this side of the Italy.

Aosta

Aosta is a city rich in Roman and Medieval remains, exhibition centres and museums, and represents the historical and cultural heart of Valle d’Aosta … and it’s only a short walk away from Pila – just 20 minutes by cable-car.

So, the choice is up to you – lodge up the mountain or down in the valley, in any case you know that you can leave your car in the hotel garage (a free skibus shuttle service will take you from the hotel to cable-car) ...

This “Rome of the Alps” (so called due to its huge cultural heritage) is the ideal place for an aperitif, to do some shopping in the old centre or spend an evening until late at a “Saison Culturelle” show – you can chose from cinema, theatre or concerts.

On 30 and 31 January each year, the thousand-year old “Fiera di Sant’Orso” is held along the streets of the old centre, this is the most important and ancient craft fair of the region.

Just a few kilometres away from Aosta are numerous medieval castles and manor houses, the most famous being Issogne, Verrès, Fénis and Sarre which naturally you can visit.

Lastly, for those of you who like a gamble there is the casino in St. Vincent.