エマレゼの天然記念物・トップ20

Impressive view in good weather

The Pinter Lakes are located just below the hill of the same name, nestled in a grassy basin surrounded by rocky peaks. They are small mirrors of clear water that reflect the sky and the mountains, creating an almost magical atmosphere, especially on clear days. The path to reach them alternates between meadows and stony ground, with some slightly more technical but always rewarding passages. Once you arrive, the landscape repays all the effort: here the silence is profound, interrupted only by the wind and the distant call of a marmot. A perfect place for a long break, to soak your feet or simply to be enchanted.

Even in spring it's a spectacle!

finding peace like this place elsewhere, if you go there during the week, is very difficult

The Lago di Villa Nature Reserve was established in 1982 and extends over 25 hectares, at an altitude of between 810 and 980 meters, between the municipalities of Challand-Saint-Victor and Montjovet. An oasis of peace and tranquility where you can listen to the sounds of nature and observe the surrounding mountains. It is interesting to visit in every season, to admire the colors of the changing leaves, as well as the plant and animal species that populate it. Here are some technical data on the natural area: Environment: low mountain peaty lake basin, characterized by a clear contrast between the marshy environment of the lake and the surrounding arid environment. Fauna: the nature reserve represents the main regional reproductive station for the common toad. Among the reptiles there are the maraou lizard and the whip snake, while the fish fauna consists of cyprinids and eels. Flora: the lake waters are home to two very rare floating plants in the Aosta Valley, the white water lily (if you want to enjoy its bloom, the recommended months are June and July) and the amphibian polygon. The reed bed is mainly made up of common reed; the arboreal vegetation is made up of hygrophilous thickets near the banks and thickets of Scots pine and downy oak on the surrounding sunny slopes.

Aside from its size, unmatched elsewhere in this region and rarely found outside, its centuries-old existence and the fact that it survived the devastation caused by the terrible phylloxera aphid between the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century make this majestic specimen of the native "Petit Rouge" grape variety a vegetal monument steeped in history and tradition. Age and partial abandonment have weakened it somewhat, but, supported by the pergola once erected as its training system, it still manages to miraculously produce a few bunches of grapes every year. The shoots, subjected to analysis, confirmed that the specimen belongs to this native grape variety typical of our region, abundantly widespread in the vineyards of the central valley, between Saint-Vincent and Avise.

It deserves to climb Zerbion at least once in your life, with its priceless panoramic view over the whole Ayas valley. I therefore advise you to choose a clear day so as not to lose all the panoramas that can be admired both at the summit and during the upper part of the excursion. It starts from the hamlet of Barmasc and can be reached in about 3 hours, a trip suitable for everyone which, in the absence of snow, presents no difficulties, just a few steep sections. Along the way, many young people and even over 60s.

Beautiful waterfall if only there had been water… when I went it was completely dry as they had closed the channel