Other Activities

Courmayeur

Courmayeur is nestled under the 14 peaks of the Mont Blanc massif. It is arguably the most sophisticated resort in the Aosta Valley, with a charming cobbled pedestrianised town centre offering a wealth of shops, cafés, bars, restaurants and pizzerias with a friendly yet stylish Italian feel. Dolonne is over the other side of the valley from Courmayeur town, yet within 1km of the town’s facilities.

Shopping

Courmayeur’s main cobblestone pedestrianised thoroughfare ‘Via Roma’ has a variety of interesting shops ranging from chic designer boutiques (with names such as Cartier, Hermes, Gant and Sergio Tacchini) and jewellers (only to be found in London, Paris, New York and Courmayeur!) There are also mouth-watering Italian delicatessens and shops selling books, maps and photographs of the local area, crafts created by local artisans, souvenirs, postcards and of course ski and mountaineering equipment. Via Roma is perfect for a leisurely morning browse or an early evening stroll. At the weekends Via Roma comes alive with the smart set from Milan and Turin parading along in their fur coats! There is also a weekly market on a Wednesday located near the Sports Centre.

Facilities

Courmayeur has a library, Alpine Museum, indoor ice rink and, multi-sports centre. The Palasport offers indoor tennis (tuition available), squash, 5-a-side football, volleyball, basketball, indoor golf and climbing wall. It also has a childcare centre for children from 6 months to 12 years (predominantly Italian speaking). Next door is the Palaghiaccio ice centre offering ice-skating, ice hockey, ice shows and ice disco in the evenings with psychedelic lighting and music. Also there is international Curling.

Activities/Excursions

• Hot Air Ballooning
• Quad bike trips with guide
• Heliski and Heliboarding Trips (see Ski Guiding)
• Glacier and off piste Guiding (see Ski Guiding)
• Ski 2 Countries - either Italy and France: Courmayeur to Chamonix (Vallee Blanche) or Italy and Switzerland: Cervinia to Zermatt (see The Local Area)
• Excursions to the Roman town of Aosta (including Medieval Castles)
• Shopping trip to Turin
• Pré St Didier Terme for a wonderful Spa Experience

La Thuile

Originally a silver mining village, La Thuile is set in woodland and now consists of a combination of attractive traditional old buildings, including several small family run hotels, with the modern residence of Planibel conveniently located right on the slopes. It is essentially a quiet resort, with a predominantly Italian clientèle, particularly at weekends.

Shopping

There is a good supermarket and butchers located in the Planibel centre, a bakery and several excellent delicatessens selling local cheeses, cured meats, salamis, fresh pasta, wines and liquors. There are also some charming shops selling handcrafted gifts, and of course a tobacconist, pharmacy and sports shops with ski and mountaineering equipment. There is also a weekly market on Saturday.

Facilities

• Swimming pool
• Fitness Centre
• Sauna & Turkish bath
• Pool tables
• Table tennis
• Garderie “Il Grande Albero” in Villaret for babies 0-3 years old 07.45 – 17.30 Monday – Saturday (predominately Italian speaking)
• Complimentary Mini Club, Planibel for children aged 4-12 years 09.00 – 18.00 (predominantly Italian speaking)
• Snow Tubing
• Snow Park
• Museum/Silver Mine Exhibition
• Thermal Spa in Pre St Didier

Activities/Excursions

• Glacier and Off Piste Guiding
• Cross country skiing
• Snowshoe walking excursions
• Excursions to the Roman town of Aosta (including Medieval Castles)
• Shopping trip to Turin
• Buses run to Aosta and Courmayeur
• Pré St Didier Terme for a wonderful Spa Experience
• Ski 2 countries:
  Italy and France:  La Thuile to La Rosiere and Courmayeur to Chamonix (Vallee Blanche)
  Italy and Switzerland: Cervinia to Zermatt