RoutesBike touring routes & trailsItalyAosta ValleyArvier
Sarriod de La Tour Castle – Porta Pretoria (Aosta) loop from Arvier
RoutesBike touring routes & trailsItalyAosta ValleyArvier
Sarriod de La Tour Castle – Porta Pretoria (Aosta) loop from Arvier
Hard
97
riders
Sarriod de La Tour Castle – Porta Pretoria (Aosta) loop from Arvier
03:59
57.4km
970m
Cycling
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.
Last updated: June 26, 2026
Waypoints
A
Start point
Train Station
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1
4.74 km
Châtel-Argent Castle
Highlight • Castle
Recent studies have shown that the castle was built in its current appearance around 1275, although the toponym Castrum Argenteum appears as early as 1176.
The builder was probably Master James of Saint Georges, architect of Count Peter II of Savoy, already active in Wales.
The promontory on which the castle stands and which overlooks the town of Villeneuve was already inhabited in proto-historic times, as well as in Roman times.
Its strategic position meant that the castle always remained in the hands of the Count of Savoy.
The castle consists of a vast enclosure with fortifications and a lookout tower also outside.
On the east side there is the chapel, the oldest part of the complex (11th-12th century). The western part of the enclosure is delimited by a defensive wall into which the entrance is made. This second enclosure contained the now destroyed dwelling, leaning against the wall, the vaulted cistern and the circular keep.
The architecture highlights the defensive purpose of the original structure: the entrance door was positioned several meters high and the only lights are the slits, almost invisible externally.
The castle is accessible on foot, in a quarter of an hour, from the small road that starts from the bridge over the Dora Baltea in the town center of Villeneuve.
The builder was probably Master James of Saint Georges, architect of Count Peter II of Savoy, already active in Wales.
The promontory on which the castle stands and which overlooks the town of Villeneuve was already inhabited in proto-historic times, as well as in Roman times.
Its strategic position meant that the castle always remained in the hands of the Count of Savoy.
The castle consists of a vast enclosure with fortifications and a lookout tower also outside.
On the east side there is the chapel, the oldest part of the complex (11th-12th century). The western part of the enclosure is delimited by a defensive wall into which the entrance is made. This second enclosure contained the now destroyed dwelling, leaning against the wall, the vaulted cistern and the circular keep.
The architecture highlights the defensive purpose of the original structure: the entrance door was positioned several meters high and the only lights are the slits, almost invisible externally.
The castle is accessible on foot, in a quarter of an hour, from the small road that starts from the bridge over the Dora Baltea in the town center of Villeneuve.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
2
6.12 km
Sarriod de La Tour Castle
Highlight • Castle
The oldest part of the castle of the Sarriod de la Tour family dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries. Inside it houses frescoes from the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
21.8 km
Casaforte di Rhins
Castle
4
25.0 km
Gignod
Highlight • Rest Area
Like all municipalities of the Great Saint Bernard Valley, the history of the Gignod area is strongly influenced by the Via Francigena. It was a transit route between the north and south of Europe and was traveled by pilgrims traveling to Rome and the Holy Land in the Middle Ages.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
5
33.5 km
Porta Pretoria (Aosta)
Highlight • Historical Site
The Porta Praetoria was one of the main gates of the Roman city of Augusta Praetoria Salassorum, as Aosta was called in ancient Rome. It served as the main access to the city from the side of the Roman road that crossed the Aosta Valley. The location of the gate is strategic as it allowed the connection between the Roman Forum and the Roman Theater.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
6
34.2 km
Arch of Augustus
Highlight • Monument
One of the most characteristic monuments of Aosta that tells of its Roman origins: built in 25 BC by Aulus Terentius Varro Murena, not far from the eastern entrance of the city walls.
Showing Translation
Tip by
7
44.3 km
Les Îles Green Area
Highlight • Natural
At the gates of Gressan, next to the Dora Baltea and along the cycle path that connects Sarre to Pontey, there is the splendid green area "Les Îles". Extending over a surface area of 38,959 m2, it is dedicated to the practice of traditional games and surrounded by a 1,028-meter cycle ring, which can also be used as a fitness trail, jogging track and roller skating track.
The area is equipped with a children's playground, an artificial sports climbing gym, two fountains and numerous benches. Access is free, but in some periods of the year it may be partially limited to allow training and competitions of traditional local games such as rebatta, fiolet and tzan. In particular, from March 1 to May 31 and from September 1 to October 15, a part of the area and the related section of the cycle path are reserved for these activities.
In the immediate vicinity there are bars, restaurants and a private sports center with a swimming pool and padel courts, both indoor and outdoor, with catering service.
The entire area is connected to the Montfleury sports center in Aosta via a cycle/pedestrian walkway that crosses the Dora Baltea and is served by two convenient parking lots.
The area is equipped with a children's playground, an artificial sports climbing gym, two fountains and numerous benches. Access is free, but in some periods of the year it may be partially limited to allow training and competitions of traditional local games such as rebatta, fiolet and tzan. In particular, from March 1 to May 31 and from September 1 to October 15, a part of the area and the related section of the cycle path are reserved for these activities.
In the immediate vicinity there are bars, restaurants and a private sports center with a swimming pool and padel courts, both indoor and outdoor, with catering service.
The entire area is connected to the Montfleury sports center in Aosta via a cycle/pedestrian walkway that crosses the Dora Baltea and is served by two convenient parking lots.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
8
48.9 km
Sarre Castle
Highlight • Castle
History
The castle stands in the Lalex area, on a promontory overlooking the Aosta plain above the state road to Mont Blanc, just beyond the crossroads for Cogne.
Built in 1710 by Giovanni Francesco Ferrod of Arvier on the remains of a strong house from 1242, after various changes of ownership it was purchased in 1869 by the King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II, who renovated it and used it as a residence during his hunting trips in the Aosta Valley.
The royal castle of Sarre, which became part of His Majesty's private heritage, then became the headquarters used by the king of Italy for his expeditions in the valleys of Cogne, Rhêmes and Valsavarenche.
To host the first king of Italy, the residence underwent some modifications, including the raising of the tower and the construction of a new stable. Inside, the rooms were completely renovated and modernized. The conservator of the Royal Palace of Milan was specifically entrusted with the furnishings, which he arranged by transferring the furnishings from other royal residences.
Vittorio Emanuele's successor, Umberto I (1844-1900), also assigned the Alpine castle to uses linked to hunting.
In the last years of his reign, Umberto I paid particular attention to the residence of Sarre, whose internal renovation he promoted. The works carried out on that occasion include the important decorative campaigns of the monumental environments, decorated with ibex and chamois trophies.
The castle was inhabited as a holiday by Queen Maria José even in the years following the monarchy.
In 1989 the Valle d´Aosta Region purchased the complex to restore it. The castle, which appears as a longitudinal body with a square tower in the centre, can be considered a museum of the Savoy presence in the Aosta Valley.
Visit
The visit itinerary unfolds on three floors:
the ground floor is set up as a museum and introduces a guided tour of the upper floors; some rooms are dedicated to the hunting theme and illustrate the territory, the management methods and the technical specificities of real hunts.
the first floor, which still retains the furnishings and the appearance it took on in the second half of the 19th century, recalls the residential dimension of the Umbertine phase of the castle; the rooms are presented, with some exceptions, with the furniture documented by the 1890 inventory and with the textile furnishings described by the same inventory and reproduced on the basis of some original samples preserved in the State Archives of Turin.
on the second floor, the exhibition presents a chronological setting linked to the members of the Savoy dynasty who lived in the castle from the beginning of the twentieth century to the post-World War II period.
The castle stands in the Lalex area, on a promontory overlooking the Aosta plain above the state road to Mont Blanc, just beyond the crossroads for Cogne.
Built in 1710 by Giovanni Francesco Ferrod of Arvier on the remains of a strong house from 1242, after various changes of ownership it was purchased in 1869 by the King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II, who renovated it and used it as a residence during his hunting trips in the Aosta Valley.
The royal castle of Sarre, which became part of His Majesty's private heritage, then became the headquarters used by the king of Italy for his expeditions in the valleys of Cogne, Rhêmes and Valsavarenche.
To host the first king of Italy, the residence underwent some modifications, including the raising of the tower and the construction of a new stable. Inside, the rooms were completely renovated and modernized. The conservator of the Royal Palace of Milan was specifically entrusted with the furnishings, which he arranged by transferring the furnishings from other royal residences.
Vittorio Emanuele's successor, Umberto I (1844-1900), also assigned the Alpine castle to uses linked to hunting.
In the last years of his reign, Umberto I paid particular attention to the residence of Sarre, whose internal renovation he promoted. The works carried out on that occasion include the important decorative campaigns of the monumental environments, decorated with ibex and chamois trophies.
The castle was inhabited as a holiday by Queen Maria José even in the years following the monarchy.
In 1989 the Valle d´Aosta Region purchased the complex to restore it. The castle, which appears as a longitudinal body with a square tower in the centre, can be considered a museum of the Savoy presence in the Aosta Valley.
Visit
The visit itinerary unfolds on three floors:
the ground floor is set up as a museum and introduces a guided tour of the upper floors; some rooms are dedicated to the hunting theme and illustrate the territory, the management methods and the technical specificities of real hunts.
the first floor, which still retains the furnishings and the appearance it took on in the second half of the 19th century, recalls the residential dimension of the Umbertine phase of the castle; the rooms are presented, with some exceptions, with the furniture documented by the 1890 inventory and with the textile furnishings described by the same inventory and reproduced on the basis of some original samples preserved in the State Archives of Turin.
on the second floor, the exhibition presents a chronological setting linked to the members of the Savoy dynasty who lived in the castle from the beginning of the twentieth century to the post-World War II period.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
9
51.7 km
Saint-Pierre Church and Castle
Highlight • Castle
Place of historical, cultural and architectural interest
11010 Saint-pierre AO
11010 Saint-pierre AO
Translated by Google •
Tip by
B
57.4 km
End point
Train Station
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
23.0 km
20.7 km
8.28 km
3.74 km
1.53 km
125 m
< 100 m
Surfaces
52.4 km
3.10 km
1.21 km
438 m
330 m
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Elevation
Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.
Highest point (950 m)
Lowest point (550 m)
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Weather
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Monday 27 July
31°C
17°C
27 %
Additional weather tips
Max wind speed: 8.0 km/h
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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.
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