The Aosta basin forms the largest flattish area in the whole of the region, and is located at the confluence of the Dora Baltea and the Buthier Torrent, the river's main tributary. Here, in the 1st century B.C., the Romans founded the ancient Augusta Praetoria Salassorum, at around 580 m a.s.l., surrounded by a natural amphitheatre made up of mountains and peaks, from the Becca di Nona, to the Monte Emilius, from the Becca di Viou to Punta Chaligne, from Mont Fallère to the Grand Combin, Grivola and Rutor glaciers that close off the area.

The area of the region between Sarre and Fénis really does appear to be an open history book, in which each century has left behind art treasures, churches, palaces and castles.... pages of splendid pictures that are a delight for both the eyes and the soul. This is a splendid destination indeed for anyone wishing to spend a holiday that combines culture with sport and nature, for visitors who wish to alternate sightseeing with unforgettable moments of complete relaxation.

From the town of Aosta, a short trip with a fast, eight-seater gondola lift or a drive along the regional road will take you to Pila, one of the Valley's leading ski areas. And for those of you with your head perennially in the clouds, there is the fabulous astronomical observatory in Saint Barthélémy.