Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
provides information on hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities in the region,
as well as hotel and restaurant listings (though note that in the off seasons of
Dec 1-24 and January 7 to late April, it's open only Sat-Sun).
ACCOMMODATIONS AROUND MONTE BIANCO
€€
-
€€€
(c.p. 75, 11013 Courmayeur-Entrèves;
%
0165-
869733, off season
%
335-6463533; www.lagrange-it.com; closed May-June and
Oct-Nov)
may well be the most charming hotel in the Valle d'Aosta. This con-
verted barn in the bucolic village of Entrèves is ably managed by Bruna Berthold.
None of the rooms are the same, though all are decorated with pleasing antique
and rustic furnishings; some have balconies overlooking Mont Blanc, which quite
literally hovers over the property. The stucco-walled, stone-floored lobby is a fine
place to relax, with couches around a corner hearth, a small bar area, and a pret-
tily paneled room where the lavish buffet breakfast is laid out. There is an exer-
cise room and a much-used sauna. The highest rates of
55
La Grange
130 for a double are only
charged December 26 to January 6 and February 5 to March 5; otherwise dou-
bles go for a wonderfully low
€
€
80 to
€
100.
€€
-
€€€
In winter, the pine-paneled salons and cozy rooms of the chalet-style
(Via Marconi, 42;
%
0165-841590; www.albergoedelweiss.it; closed
May-June and Oct-Nov)
attract a friendly international set of skiers. In summer,
many Italian families spend a month or two at a time at this hotel, near the cen-
ter of Courmayeur. The Roveyaz family extends a hearty welcome to all and pro-
vides modern mountain-style accommodations and free bikes (just a few;
first-come, first-served). Many rooms—which range from
€
70 to
€
125, depend-
ing on the season—open onto terraces overlooking the mountains, and the nicest
rooms are those on the top floor, tucked under the eaves.
DINING FOR ALL TASTES
€€
5
Edelweiss
I never expected to find fresh fish at the foot of Mont Blanc, but that's just
what you can enjoy at a table in front of the hearth of cozy
Ristorante La Palud
(Strada la Palud, 17;
%
0165-89169; Thurs-Tues)
in the little cable-car settlement
just outside Entrèves. Seafood isn't the only option here at 1,290m (4,300 ft.),
however. Plenty of Valdaostana specialties are on hand, and
primi
rarely cost more
than
€
10: mountain hams, creamy
polenta concia
(cooked with Fontina cheese
and butter), and, in season,
cervo
(venison). The best dessert is a selection of
mountain cheeses. The wine list borrows heavily from neighboring Piemonte, but
includes some local vintages.
Drinking with the Best of Them
€
Caffè della Posta
(Via Roma, 51;
%
0165-842272)
is Courmayeur's most
popular spot for an après-ski grog. Since it opened 90 years ago, it has been wel-
coming the famous and not so famous into its series of cozy rooms with a fire
roaring in the open hearth.
