Although Val d'Aosta is the smallest region in Italy, it is one of the most ethnically diverse. Bordering on France and Switzerland, Val d'Aosta (also called Valle d'Aosta) has incorporated French and German culture, language and food into its traditions. The region was once governed by France but became part of Italy in 1861, the same year that the Italian language was adopted. In addition to its French heritage, there is also a strong German presence in Val d'Aosta's Gressoney Valley. The Walser community migrated to the area in the 12th century and left its mark on the language and food there. In fact, in this province, German, French and Italian are taught in the schools and spoken in most homes.

The Great Outdoors
The topography of the region has also had a strong influence on the culture. Val d'Aosta shares the famous Monte Bianco (or Mont Blanc) with France and Monte Cervino (also known as the Matterhorn) with Switzerland. Another mountain, Monte Rosa, overlooks the Gressoney and Ayas valleys. In part because of its mountainous terrain, Val d'Aosta is fairly autonomous from the rest of Italy, and 90 percent of its taxes are spent locally. The region is a popular destination for downhill and cross-country skiing in the winter. And in the spring and summer, while the rest of Italy is hot and humid, Val d'Aosta is a great place for walking, hiking or cycling. One of the best places to hike is the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso. This national park was established in 1919 when Vittorio Emanuele II donated his family's hunting grounds to the state. It is Italy's oldest national park and now covers 173,000 acres. The park is famous for the stambecco (ibex), a white mountain goat with large horns. In 1945 the ibex had been hunted almost to extinction, but the species was rescued, and today there are between 3,000 and 4,000 living in the park. There are also foxes, golden eagles and chamois. To watch the beautiful sunrise and sunset, many visitors stay overnight in one of the rifugi (mountain huts) in the park. Val d'Aosta has ski lifts crisscrossing nearly the entire region, perfect for avid downhill skiers. One of the chicest places to enjoy the slopes is Courmayeur, set against the backdrop of Monte Bianco. Some experienced skiers hire a guide to ski across Monte Bianco to Chamonix in France while others take a breathtaking cable car ride from La Palud to Chamonix on the Funivia del Monte Bianco. It takes an hour and a half (in good weather) to get over the mountain. The cable car goes straight up to the 10,000-foot high Punta Helbronner on the French border, and then glides above the giant glacier for more than a mile before beginning its long descent into France.

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