Autumn in the Aosta Valley, the season of colors and foliage, is also the time of year in which tastes and flavors are enhanced. It is the time of tradition, of festivals and markets, where the products of the earth find their magical moment, in a riot of emotions for the five senses.
Autumn in the Aosta Valley between foliage and food and wine
Unique flavours, with a past and a story to tell, which offer tasty opportunities for an outdoor weekend in the smallest region of Italy.
The apple is the protagonist
In the first two Sundays of October, the apple is the protagonist, the most cultivated fruit in the Aosta Valley, where, thanks to the Alpine microclimate, it reaches excellent, natural and healthy ripeness, giving intense aromas and flavours. And to tell the story of this juicy temptation, the 39th edition of the Apple Festival in Gressan is being held on 1 October, a village a few kilometers from Aosta, located among vast orchards, where you can also appreciate evidence of the Middle Ages.
The second appointment is on 7 and 8 October in Antey-Saint-André, in the middle Matterhorn valley, with Melevallée, a market exhibition, also animated by thematic workshops for children.
The Marché au Fort in the village of Bard
On the same dates, in the village of Bard, at the foot of the historic Fort, the appointment is with Marché au Fort, the most important and largest exhibition-market dedicated to food and wine and the sale of typical products of the Aosta Valley, with over 70 exhibitors from every area of the region; there are many opportunities for tasty tastings of the Aosta Valley tradition.
The bread festival
In line with the traditions of the Valle d’Aosta area, another unmissable event in the autumn calendar of the Valle d’Aosta is the festa de lo pan ner, which takes place on the weekend of 14 and 15 October in various locations.
An opportunity to taste and buy the typical wheat and rye bread, sometimes enriched with chestnuts, cumin or dried fruit, freshly baked, visiting the ancient community bakeries and participating in events in the name of conviviality.
The honey festival in Châtillon
To close the month of October, there is another festival which highlights another Aosta Valley excellence: honey. The honey from the Aosta Valley, in fact, is worked in the old-fashioned way and does not undergo any heat treatment, thus maintaining its organoleptic properties unaltered. Over the weekend from the 27th to the 29th in the streets of Châtillon, a municipality located at the entrance to Valtournenche, you can discover the many species of honey – from rhododendron to chestnut, from dandelion to linden, to wildflower – and purchase directly from the producers. There are numerous initiatives that animate the village including exhibitions of ancient beekeeping tools and guided tastings.
Go for chestnuts in autumn in the Aosta Valley
But autumn also means chestnut and the Aosta Valley chestnut is particular, because it is small in size but of great quality and particularly tasty. A fruit that has always been the protagonist in traditional dishes: served in combination with lard and motzetta, in soups or simply accompanied with butter or mountain milk, but above all appreciated as a dessert with many different delicious options.
Donnas, Fénis, Avise and Courmayeur are the places that organize events with chestnuts between October and November 1st, to spend a cheerful day outdoors.
Fontina DOP in Valtournenche
On a journey of taste in the Aosta Valley you cannot miss DOP fontina, in particular the mountain pasture one, which is celebrated together with another regional excellence, the mountain potato, with Torgnon d’outon.
On the first Sunday of November the charming town of Valtournenche will present a 0 km market, where you can buy typical products directly from the producers, taste typical dishes, see the making of Fontina and admire some artisans with their traditional work.
Autumn wineries and vineyards in the Aosta Valley
The autumn colors and flavors of the Aosta Valley are also those of the vineyards and cellars along the valley floor which from Pont-Saint-Martin and Donnas reaches the 1,200 meters of Morgex and La Salle, for a wine tourism experience in which to learn about the traditions and the ancient winemaking vocation of the region.
A route through the vineyards is also a great opportunity to visit medieval villages and castles and for the more sporty, a mountain bike ride along the slopes of Villeneuve, Aymavilles, Jovençan, Aosta, Sarre and Saint-Pierre (visits to the wineries are by reservation).
The Battle of the Queens
The typical features and traditions of the Aosta Valley are also found in the “Bataille de Reines”, where the protagonists are the Queens (Reines), that is, the cows who challenge each other with blows of horns. In nature it is precisely these animals that engage in fights within the herd, to define the hierarchy between the cows. And it is precisely this natural attitude, together with the passion of the breeders, that gave rise more than fifty years ago to the “Batailles de reines”, bloodless and instinctive battles for the animals, the aim of which is to decree in a natural way the “Queen ” of the herd. The final will take place on Sunday 22 October at the Croix Noire Arena in Aosta, which is the last great challenge between the best queens elected in the various matches of the year.
For an autumn weekend among flavours, nature, history and folklore, the Aosta Valley is the ideal destination and for anyone looking for where to stay in the Aosta Valley, the Valle d’Aosta Booking portal – the tool for booking managed stays directly from the Regional Tourism Office – offers the list of accommodation facilities in the Aosta Valley (hotels, RTA, B&Bs, farmhouses and apartments), with the possibility of booking directly online without intermediaries and without any booking costs, by selecting in based on the area or type of experience desired.
READ ALSO: Autumn excursions in Courmayeur
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2023-10-16 15:52:16
#Autumn #Aosta #Valley #foliage #food #wine
