Fontainemore: Holiday Apartment for Nature, Mountain Culture and Family Experiences

Fontainemore combines impressive mountain scenery with tangible history and experiences for a variety of holiday itineraries. Those choosing a holiday apartment in Fontainemore can combine nature, regional traditions and family-friendly activities – from views of a deeply carved gorge to a visit to a historic mountain village.

Mont Mars: Mountain Scenery and Trails Through Nature

The Mont Mars nature reserve covers approximately 390 hectares. It extends from 1,670 metres to the 2,600-metre summit of Mont Mars. Trails lead to clear mountain waters; snowshoe tours and more challenging hikes to the summits are also part of the range of routes. A wide selection of routes is designed for all seasons. This gives Fontainemore appeal both for peaceful nature observation and for experienced mountain hikers.

Visitor Centre and Living Mountain Culture

The visitor centre of the Mont Mars nature reserve provides information, publications on natural history, and a map of the area showing trails and sights. A multipurpose room is intended for educational and cultural events. Permanent exhibitions focus on the protected area and the Oropa Procession, a pilgrimage of the municipality of Fontainemore whose origins date back to the second half of the 16th century.

The Ecomuseo della media montagna presents Fontainemore's rural architecture in two restored buildings with traditional furnishings and objects. The ecomuseum also includes a wooden rascard with an area for threshing rye and storing supplies, as well as a cellar for maturing cheese. The tools of the traditional, seasonal masonry trade, known as “macon”, are also on display.

Church, Gorge and Mountain Village

The parish church of Sant'Antonio Abate was built in 1494. Its features include a 15th-century semicircular apse, a rose window bearing the Vallaise coat of arms, and five Baroque and Rococo altars. The church can be reached on foot via the stone bridge over the Lys. The Orrido di Guillemore provides a contrasting landscape: here, the Lys has carved a deep gorge into the rock, complete with an impressive waterfall. For several centuries, the Orrido was a compulsory passage where two mule tracks converged as they climbed through the Lys Valley.

Farettaz is considered a typical example of a permanently inhabited rural settlement in the Valdostan middle mountains. The bread oven, mill, school and chapel are regarded as symbols of the self-sufficiency of a mountain village. In Farettaz, a 16th-century mill and the village bread oven have been restored and put back into operation.

Family Experiences and Regional Products

The Sentiero della volpe is considered a child-friendly circular trail; several wooden sculptures can be found along the route. Parco Avventura Fontainemore has four adventure courses of varying difficulty. The obstacles are set at increasing heights of 1.5, 3, 6 and 9 metres. Local livestock products provide a delicious addition: they can be tasted and purchased at Caseificio La Vallaise, while the cheese dairy collects and processes milk from the entire valley.

The Right Base for Planning Your Trip

Fontainemore can be reached by bus via the “Pont-Saint-Martin – Gressoney” route. When choosing accommodation in Fontainemore, your preferred mix of daily activities can be a useful guide: Mont Mars is ideal for nature-focused days, while the church, ecomuseum and Farettaz offer cultural discoveries, and the circular trail, adventure courses and cheese dairy provide opportunities for different shared activities. This makes it possible to choose a holiday apartment in Fontainemore based on the experiences you want to shape your stay.

For further travel planning, you can also discover Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Roisan, Chambave, Valpelline, Saint-Oyen, Gignod, Brusson and Aymavilles.

For the main travel overview: Aosta Valley.