Events in the Valley

At the Regional Archaeological Museum, 120 works by Chagall on loan from the national museum in Nice, some of them never before shown in Italy, tell the story of his long dialogue with the Bible. Paintings, gouaches, lithographs and ceramics: these are the last few weeks to see them.

A whole weekend centred on the village’s mills and ovens. On Sunday you can follow the mill trail, from the grain being ground to the bread coming out of the oven, and there are meals with music on Saturday evening and Sunday lunchtime.

Musicastelle takes music to places that can only be reached on foot: Nina Zilli sings at Tzan Mort, above Saint-Vincent. The concert is free but places are limited and must be booked; in bad weather it may be moved to the following day.

A round of the championship: cows of the Aosta Valley breed lock heads to decide which of them will lead the herd, a tradition several centuries old. Admission €5, free for under-18s.

All day long, growers display and sell their apples and everything made from them, among stalls of local crafts. A jury awards prizes for the finest fruit and the best tarts.

The last autumn concert of Musicastelle: Alessandro Mannarino on the shore of Lake Lod, which you reach on foot. Admission is free, but by booking only.

Three days devoted to the autumn fruit above all others, a stone’s throw from the castle: roast chestnuts and afternoons in the open air, with the Pro Loco of Fénis.

Donnas is said to take its name from a local variety of chestnut, the ‘donnasc’. The highlight of the weekend is the Golden Chestnut competition, which decides who roasts chestnuts best.

18 km and 1,400 m of climbing, but the mood is festive: runners race in fancy dress, sometimes with their dogs, and every refreshment stop serves… beer. At the finish there is music and a meal open to all, runners and spectators alike.

The largest showcase for Aosta Valley produce sets up in the lanes of the medieval village: producers, tastings and stands where each sector explains its skills. Free shuttle buses run from the car parks in Bard and Donnas.

Here, dry and windy summers produce fragrant apples that need almost no spraying. Growers’ market, fruit trees, apple products, tastings and workshops for children.

Another round of the autumn championship of the “reines” (queen cows). For breeders it is often one of the last chances to qualify for the grand final at the Croix-Noire, at the end of October.

By lantern light, small groups follow guides in period costume through the most secret corners of Introd, on a real journey into the past. A preview on the 16th and the main evening on the 17th, which ends with a tasting.

Heifers, the moudzon, have their own championship from March to October, and their final is held in Aosta. Admission is free: a good way to spot the “reines” of tomorrow.

Communal ovens are fired up again all over the Aosta Valley to bake black rye bread, which was once made just once a year and kept for months on wooden racks. Some add chestnuts, cumin or dried fruit: best tasted hot.

The beekeepers have brought their hives down from the alpine pastures, and for one weekend Châtillon becomes the capital of Aosta Valley honey. Guided tastings, direct sales, old beekeeping tools and the prize-winning honeys from the competition.

After a season of fights all over the Aosta Valley, the best “reines” compete for the regional title. A unique tradition, best experienced from the stands.

A tournament on the WTA 125 circuit, played on hard courts at the foot of Mont Blanc: players from all over the world compete for ranking points and prize money. The finals are on the afternoon of Sunday 1 November.

Mountain potatoes and PDO alpine-pasture fontina take centre stage: evening dances, a food pavilion, craftspeople and, on Sunday, a market of local producers selling direct.

Started in 1981 by young breeders, goat fights now have their own regional final: as with the “reines”, the animals lock heads until only one is left. A festive day for the whole family.

For the feast of its patron saint, St Martin, the district fills with stalls: antiques, old objects, crafts and local produce. In the afternoon, chestnuts and folk groups.

The 45th edition of one of the oldest billiards tournaments in Italy, devoted to goriziana, or five-pin billiards. The best players meet at the Palais des Sports while work is carried out on the Palais de Saint-Vincent.

Place Chanoux turns into an alpine village: wooden chalets, wines and local specialities, crafts and Christmas decorations, every day until Epiphany. Combine it with a stroll among the city’s Roman monuments.

Tsalende a Tsambava: Christmas, in patois. The Muscat village opens the festive season with a gift market, food specialities and music.

Every evening the fort’s Place d’Armes lights up with a 360° sound and light show, inspired this year by Alice in Wonderland. Father Christmas’s village, hot drinks and sweet treats on site.