Cogne, a village in the heart of the Gran Paradiso National Park

Cogne is a small high-altitude village, located at an altitude of 1500 meters, in a wooded valley at the entrance to the Gran Paradiso National ParkCogne is located in Italy, in the Aosta Valley region.

Like any village in the Aosta Valley, each house is a work of art in stone and wood, all covered with a heavy slate roof.

Whether in the capital, Cogne, at the very end of the valley at Valnontey, on the heights at Gimillan or in the neighboring hamlet of Lillaz.

It is through these villages that we will discover this valley at the foot of one of the 4000 of the Aosta Valley, the Gran Paradiso.

Cogne

We arrive at Cogne by a winding road that goes up from the central valley of the Aosta Valley, after having crossed Aymavilles and its elegant castle overlooking the valley. The valley becomes narrow as it crosses a dark and tight gorge before widening as it approaches the first houses of Cogne.

What immediately strikes the mind is the immense space on a very gentle slope, empty of any habitation, which seems to extend to the foot of the glaciers which overlook the valley.

Le Saint Ours meadow, as this large field is called, is a protected area for growing hay, essential for local farmers to feed their livestock. Signs explain the entire system of irrigation using channels that was set up to divert the course of the torrent and provide the water needed for the crops. In winter, this area becomes the cross-country skiing centre that makes Cogne the must-see place of this discipline in the Aosta Valley.

In the village, narrow streets lead to the church inside which you can see a statue of Saint Barbara, made of aluminum (which is quite rare), protector of miners.

Iron mines and lace in Cogne

Indeed, if today, Cogne seems like a village where Nature reigns supreme, for five centuries the main activity of the small valley was the extraction of magnetite, an iron-rich ore. Looking up, you can see the entrances to the mines and the buildings where the miners lived. You can still visit the miners' village and also the Costa del Pino mine which is traveled on board a small train. It is a good objective for a hike: sport and knowledge.

In the village, Cogne's reputation comes from its lacemakers, whose most beautiful pieces can still be seen at the Maison di Pits. The lace stitches are passed down from mother to daughter and are recognizable by experts in this art.

Discovering Valnontey

Quite naturally, it is towards the peaks of the Grand Paradis that the visitor is drawn. Which is quite simple because the path runs along the very large Pré de Saint Ours and therefore climbs with a very slight slope. Past a first lock where we get closer to the torrent, the valley widens again near the hamlet of Valnontey. At almost 1700 meters above sea level, the flowery meadows surrounded by forests are dotted with cows that enjoy the fresh grass and the abundant water that comes straight from the glaciers of the Gran Paradiso. These overlook the hamlet.

It is from this point that the trails gain height and enter directly into the territory of the Gran Paradiso National ParkThis territory, formerly a hunting reserve of the King of Italy, was offered in 1911 by Victor Emmanuel III to the Italian State to make it a protected area.

If you are tempted to spend a night in a refuge and climb to the 4061-metre summit, the valley guides are ready to take you there.

Other less difficult and shorter hikes take you to sites with magnificent landscapes such as Lake Lauson at an altitude of 3300 metres where ibex come to quench their thirst while contemplating the glaciers of the Grand Paradis. However, allow a day for the round trip, passing through the Vittorio Sella refuge.

For those who are content with discovering nature within reach, the Alpine garden Paradise will be an opportunity to discover the alpine flora.

Walk in Lillaz

From Cogne, in a few kilometers by paths that cross forests where in winter cross-country skiing is practiced, or by road, you reach Lillaz.

Before starting the walk in this hamlet, take the time to turn back towards the road that goes down to Cogne and admire Mont Blanc whose silhouette fits perfectly between the mountains.

Lillaz is very similar to Cogne. There is a fairly flat valley floor, a large meadow cultivated for fodder for animals and forests covering the mountain slopes. In the background, snow-capped peaks mark the border with Piedmont.

Lillaz is famous for its little waterfalls which can be approached from below and from the side. It is a popular walk for tourists, it is best to go there early in the morning.

From Lillaz, many hikes set off to conquer the surrounding passes, and it is possible to reach the Champorcher valley via the sanctuary of the Madonna delle Nevi, perched at an altitude of over 2500 metres. It is an important place of pilgrimage for believers from Cogne and champorcher in honor of the Virgin Mary who is said to have indicated to the pope of the time the place of construction of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome by an unexpected snowfall on August 5, in the year 356. A snowfall in Rome in the middle of August is necessarily a sign from heaven, and it is celebrated.

Gimillan

This small hamlet located above Cogne offers an unrivaled perspective on the landscapes of this valley. The main town and the Pré de Saint Ours, the Valnontey, the glaciers and the peaks of the Grand Paradis and the pyramid of the grivola, an emblematic mountain of the Aosta Valley.

Gimillan is located on a very sunny balcony, facing south, allowing you to hike facing the Grand Paradis, both on the downstream side with views of Mont Blanc, or on the upstream side in large pleasant and cool plateaus for high altitude walks. On the other side we find ourselves at the top of the ski resort of Pila which overlooks the city of Aosta.

This is also where you have to go to see the mines mentioned in the article.

Each of the valleys that make up the region of the Aosta Valley has its own particularity. Some are steep, others are wild, some are sporty and others more traditional. The Cogne Valley is a good mix of this set of qualities that give its tourist identity to the Aosta Valley: architecture, nature, mountains, sport and tradition. A stay in Cogne is a real discovery of the spirit of the Aosta Valley.

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