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Stemma di Valtournenche

Aosta Valley · Aosta Valley

Valtournenche

The valley under the Cervino, home of the guides who raced Whymper up the mountain in 1865.

Known for

  • CERVINO

    The Italian face of the Matterhorn, 4,478 meters, climbed first from this side by Jean-Antoine Carrel in July 1865.

  • MATTERHORN GUIDES

    Valtournenche produced the Carrel, Maquignaz and Gorret families who dominated late-nineteenth-century alpinism on the Italian face.

  • BREUIL-CERVINIA

    Resort head of the valley at 2,050 meters, lift-linked across the Theodul Pass to Zermatt, with summer skiing on the Plateau Rosa glacier.

When to visit

Best · Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar

  • J2°
  • F4°
  • M4°
  • A7°
  • M11°
  • J17°
  • J21°
  • A21°
  • S15°
  • O11°
  • N6°
  • D3°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

The festa: Antonio abate, 17 January

Why come

Valtournenche sits at 1,524 meters along the Marmore torrent, a long upper-valley commune running from Châtillon up to the Italian foot of the peak the Swiss call the Matterhorn. The road from Châtillon climbs 1,000 meters over 27 kilometers and ends at the glacier, tracing the whole rise of the valley in a single line from river town to ice.

The village itself is the older story, set apart from the resort that grew up at the valley head. It was here that the guide who led the Italian race for the mountain was born in 1829, reaching the summit from the southwest ridge three days after the British party arrived from the Swiss side. The gorge below the resort was opened to visitors that same year, a second, quieter opening alongside the mountain's. Upper valley and lower village, resort and centro storico, read together as one place organized around a single ascent: the mountain gave the valley its name abroad, the village gave it the men who first climbed it.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Valtournenche’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

How to get there

From Turin (TRN), about 2h 35m by car.

Milan (BGY) is about 3h 50m away.

By car from the centre of Genoa 4 hours.

Valtournenche — photo 1
Valtournenche — photo 2

What to see

  • Il Cervino

    The pyramidal peak closes the valley head, a wall of rock and ice standing over the resort and the village below it.

  • Breuil-Cervinia

    Resort frazione with around 150 kilometers of pistes linked across the border to Zermatt.

  • Piazza delle Guide

    Main square of Valtournenche village, with a plaque listing the names of the Matterhorn guides born in the valley, Carrel among them.

  • Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant'Antonio

    Parish church in the centro storico of Valtournenche village.

  • Gouffre des Busserailles

    Narrow gorge on the Marmore torrent below Breuil-Cervinia, opened to visitors in 1865 with bridges and walkways.

  • Lago Goillet

    Reservoir lake at 2,526 meters above Breuil-Cervinia, holding water for the Hydroelectric system in the Marmore valley.

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We recommend

Where to eat

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

Through the year

What happens here

Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.

Living here

  • Population 2,178
  • Off the beaten pathi
  • Pharmacy in town
  • Nearest airport Turin, 2 h 35 min drive
  • Regional capital Aosta, 1 h 49 min drive

Common questions

What is Valtournenche known for?
Valtournenche is the valley under the Cervino, home of the guides who raced Whymper up the mountain in 1865.
Where is Valtournenche?
Valtournenche is a comune in the province of Aosta Valley, in Aosta Valley, at 1524 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Valtournenche?
Turin (TRN), about 2h 35m by car.
How long is the drive from Genoa to Valtournenche?
About 4 hours by car.
When is the best time to visit Valtournenche?
Best in Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar. July is the warmest month, averaging 21 degrees, and June the wettest, with about 18 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Valtournenche?
Yes. Festa Patronale di Cignana. August is when the first of them falls.
Which other towns are like Valtournenche?
Cogne, Ayas and Canazei.
How many people live in Valtournenche?
2,178 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

The numbers

  • Elevation: 1524 m
  • Population: 2,178
  • Surface area: 116.15 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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