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Location: Aosta and surroundings, arrival by bus or flight to Turin.
Tour Type: Agricultural study tour with customized accompaniment.
Activities: 5-day tour with private services, technical and cultural visits.
Pace: Fast-paced, not suitable for disabled or physically challenged people.
Best Season: Late spring, summer, early autumn.
In the smallest region of Italy, bordering France and Switzerland, in the Aosta Valley, we find the highest peaks of the Alps such as the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, the Gran Paradiso, and its majesty the Mont Blanc which, at 4810 m, has no rivals in Europe:
The jewel of the region is Courmayeur, considered one of the most important ski resorts in the world and the birthplace of mountaineering, where the first school for Alpine guides was founded. But in addition to skiing, the Aosta Valley produces high-quality agri-food excellences, small niche productions. In a territory where landscape and nature reign, you will meet farmers who, while not forgetting ancient traditions, are attentive to new technologies.
(50 km dall’APT MXP – 110 km dall’APT LIN)
Arrivo del gruppo all’aeroporto di Milano nel primo pomeriggio e accoglienza da parte della nostra accompagnatrice che resterà con il gruppo per tutta la durata del soggiorno in Italia. Partenza con il bus privato vero il lago maggiore. Cena e pernottamento in Hotel, sul lago maggiore
(ca. 160 km)
After breakfast, guided tour of Aosta and its main monuments: the Arch of Augustus, the church, the cloister and the priory of San Nostro, the Paleochristian Basilica of San Lorenzo, the Porta Pretoria, the Roman Theatre, Piazza Chanoux, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and the Cryptoportico.
Packed lunch or lunch at a restaurant/agriturismo.
In the afternoon, departure by bus to Gressoney Saint-Jean, visit to the Alpine botanical garden of Castel Savoia: inaugurated in 1990 at an altitude of 1350 meters, in the park of the Castle, it consists of a series of rocky flowerbeds in which alpine species and cultivars derived from them are enhanced with nursery practices to match the architecture of the rocky garden.
Before returning to the hotel, visit to a wine producer in the region with 16 hectares of vineyards and photovoltaic panels.
Dinner and overnight stay in Aosta.
(ca. 50 Km)
Visit to an apple producer in the region: about 7 hectares and production of various varieties (Golden, Renette, Gala, Royal, Fuji).
We continue with the visit to a medicinal herb producer. Meeting with Cristina, a naturopath with a passion for herbs. She cultivates medicinal herbs and flowers at 900 meters above sea level in Valle d’Aosta, in the municipality of Saint Pierre a Champretavy. We will visit the synergistic field (from March/April to November), the fields of medicinal plants, and the surrounding meadows.
Packed lunch or lunch at a restaurant/agriturismo.
In the afternoon, meeting with an association that brings together different typical agricultural realities of the area. The association is committed to promoting short supply chains – directly from small producers to your table – selecting the excellences of the territory and supporting rural and mountain communities. You will meet with a representative of the association who will introduce you to their network of producers and their e-commerce platform.
The day ends with a visit to an old rural house where the spaces necessary for the survival of people and animals were grouped under one roof. In this ancient Valdostan house, it is possible to learn about the food preservation methods adopted by the local population in the past, such as salting, drying, the icehouse, and many others faithfully presented in the different museum spaces.
Dinner and overnight stay in Aosta.
(ca. 50 km)
After breakfast, departure by bus and visit to a dairy farm: visit to the dairy cows, the dairy, explanation of the various cheese processing stages (from milking to aging), and finally the aging warehouse. At the end of the visit, tasting of different cheeses and products such as yogurt, raw milk, etc.
Meeting with a gardener to deepen the management of a golf course in Valle d’Aosta: management and use of fertilizers, irrigation system, needs of the field through the various seasons.
Packed lunch or lunch at a restaurant/agriturismo.
In the afternoon, visit to a craft beer producer. Visit to the plant where seven types of unpasteurized craft beer are produced, with a great common element: the Alps, the ideal natural environment for the production of this beverage.
Dinner and overnight stay in Aosta.
(ca. 30 km)
Visit to an excellent beekeeping farm, which has been operating since 1991, using exclusively organic methods and directly controlling every phase of the production process. Its philosophy is based on multifunctionality and rural tourism, which are seen as important opportunities for the growth and development of the agricultural sector, as they convey, especially to young people, an image of the farmer as a person attentive to the conservation of traditions and peasant culture, but who is also open to the future through research and the implementation of sustainable and ecological agricultural systems. The hilly location, on large terraces with good exposure to the sun, allows the production of high-quality monofloral honeys, the cultivation of small fruits and fruit trees, as well as open-field or greenhouse horticulture.
The visit can be carried out by choosing a theme:
-The organic vegetable garden and orchard
Exemplification of a vegetable cultivation cycle, with soil preparation, sowing, and transplanting; recognition of the main fruit trees and their particular characteristics.
-Solar energy and the various uses of the farm
The description and visit of the different areas of the farm will illustrate some themes such as photosynthesis, drying, greenhouse cultivation, and the production of electricity through photovoltaic solar panels.
Packed lunch or lunch at a restaurant/agriturismo.
ACQUAFORTE TRAVEL DESIGNER DI ALICE S.R.L. | PIVA 03814960278 – N° REA VE340833 | CAP SOC IV € 50.000