Monterosa Village

Champoluc, Gressoney St Jean, Gressoney La Trinite, Stafal, and Alagna are the main villages in the Monterosa area. The villages of Champoluc in the Ayas Valley, the furthest west of the three, and Gressoney in the central valley of the same name, are the best known ski resorts. Alagna to the east, is renowned for its off piste and free-ride potential, but it is also fully linked into the Monterosa ski area by a modern lift system.

Champoluc
This is the largest village within the Monterosa region, with the most hotels and a distinct ski-resort feel in comparison to the villages in the other valleys. Though without as much old-world charm as Gressoney and Alagna, Champoluc (1,564m) still retains the character associated with an Italian mountain village. The area around the main square houses the church and the tourist office, as well as some bars, restaurants and shops. The rest of the accommodation, shops, restaurants and bars are spread out along the road that runs from the main square, past the Crest Gondola, through Villy and on up to the Frachey lift and beyond, to the hamlet of St Jacques.

The neighbouring villages of Antagnod and Brusson, are also used as bases for skiers using the Monterosa circuit. Though both have their own small ski areas, they are only linked to the main Monterosa area by ski bus.

Gressoney
The upper Gressoney valley is home to two main villages: Gressoney St Jean and Gressoney La Trinite, which is 7km further up the valley. Access to the main ski area at Stafal, is a further 3 km north, where the road ends.

Gressoney St Jean
Though fifteen minutes by car from the principal lifts, Gressoney St Jean (1,385m) is popular for its exceptional village centre, which has a large pedestrianised zone of great charm with well-restored historic buildings. The main cobbled square is flanked on one side by the gallery of local photographer and guide Davide Camisasca, who stocks a good range of mountain books as well as his remarkable photographs, many of them from the Monterosa region - it’s worth a visit just for ideas on where you want your guide to take you. Through an alley is the church and a further square with St Jean’s most central hotels and the majority of its shops. This is a perfect base for skiers who don’t like ski resorts.
The village follows the river southwards for over a kilometer, across the broad valley floor with a mixture of old farms and substantial apartment-chalets (which make up the majority of the accommodation in this valley) leading to a group of shops, restaurants and a hotel near the base of the Weissmatten, St Jean’s own ski area. Nearby is the Castello Savoia, a castle built by the King for Queen Margherita in the 1800’s. She was a keen mountaineer, reaching a number of the peaks of the Monterosa under her own steam, before descending on a huge wooden sledge hauled by her entourage.

Gressoney La Trinite
Gressoney La Trinite (1,637m) has a smaller old centre and has been more developed as a ski resort. Several hotels and the double chairlift linking into the main ski area, makes it the resort centre for the valley. There is a square with a church, cafes and a small grocery store; ski shops and two of the main hotels are by a parking area and lift base, within half a kilometer of the centre.

Stafal
At the end of the valley, Stafal (1,824m) gives access to the ski areas on both sides of the valley. Recent hotel developments, make it an ideal base for visitors who don’t want a daily transfer to the skiing. During a good snowy week in January, this is the place to stay for maximum time on snow. The downside is simply the altitude and the steep valley sides, which make it a cold place in winter, with a relative lack of eating options and village charm.

Alagna
Alagna (1,200m) is a traditional and charming mountain village rather than a typical ski resort. It has always been a popular destination for ski mountaineers, needing a base from which to explore the many 4,000m peaks of the Monterosa range, but today with its huge free-ride area and modern links to Gressoney and Champoluc, it provides an unspoiled environment from which to explore the area. The old Walser houses and ancient footways reaching picturesque hamlets all add to its unique charm and some newly refurbished hotels and apartments provide the leisure facilities and services expected by the modern day tourist. Though the views from the top of the lifts are spectacular and the terrain dramatic, the position of the town itself, at the bottom of a steep deep sided valley is a limitation to early winter sunshine. Alagna has a small selection of shops, bars, restaurants and pizzerias.