20 Attractions to Explore Near Col de Joux

The Monte Zerbion, also spelled as Dzerbion , is a mountain of Alps Monte Rosa in the Pennine Alps. It is located in Valle d'Aosta along the watershed between Valtournenche and Val d'Ayas. On its top, there is an imposing statue of the Madonna. From the summit, you can enjoy a broad view of the surrounding peaks and a large part of the Aosta Valley. The summit can also be climbed in winter on skis.

The Ussel castle is one of the castles medieval of Valle d'Aosta. It is located on top of a rocky ridge overlooking the village of Châtillon, in a position that guarantees control of the entrance to the Valtournenche and the valley floor of the Dora Baltea. The castle rises on a serpentinite rock, separated from the rest of the mountain by the "Aosta- Ranzola " fault worked over the centuries by the Pleistocene glacier.

The Gamba castle, from the historical point of view, is the castle "child" of the three in the municipality of Châtillon, in Valle d'Aosta: what Passerin d'Entrèves and to Ussel is in fact medieval era. The Gamba castle, dating back to the twentieth century, is located on a hillock in the western part of the town, in the locality of Cret-de-Breil, near the regional hotel school, and is completely surrounded by a park open to the public all year round. It is clearly visible from the A5 motorway.

The castle of Verrès is one of the most famous medieval Aosta Valley manors. Built as a military fortress by Ibleto di Challant in the fourteenth century, it was one of the first examples of a monobloc castle, consisting of a single building unlike the older manors formed by a series of buildings enclosed by a wall. It stands on a rocky promontory that dominates the town of Verrès and the Val d'Ayas road.

Castel Savoia(Savoy Castle) is a historic residence located in Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Italy. It is a three-storey eclectic villa characterized by the presence of five towers. The grounds of the castle house the alpine botanical garden "Savoy Castle Alpine Botanical Garden".

The Mont Avic Natural Park is a protected natural area in the Aosta Valley and has an area of ​​over 5,747 hectares. The first regional natural park in the region, after the Gran Paradiso national park, created in 1989 and enlarged in 2003, it extends between the Champdepraz valley and the Champorcher valley, crossed by the Chalamy stream, in a secluded position from the major Aosta Valley tourist routes.

Testa Grigia is a rocky prominence above the Theodul Pass, located on the border between Italy and Switzerland. It overlooks the Plateau Rosa section of the Theodul Glacier on its east side. It is usually climbed from the Gressoney side, where the climb presents no technical difficulties, as the route is assisted by a fixed rope. The summit offers a fine balcony view of Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn.

The Sundial House is one of the most famous castles in the Valle d'Aosta. It is located in the capital of Issogne, on the hydrographic right of the Dora Baltea, and appears as a Renaissance stately home, creating a sort of contrast with the austere castle of Verrès which is almost opposite the opposite side of the river. Famous are its inner courtyard, with the fountain of the pomegranate and the colorful arcades, a rare example of Alpine painting medieval.

The lake is located under Mount Charvaz, at 2019 meters above sea level, and can be reached by chairlift from Chamois, when it is open. From here you can see all the peaks that surround the town, ranging from Cima Longhede to the Château des Dames. On the shores of the lake there is a picnic area equipped with tables, barbecues, and fountains.

The Mont Avic is a mountain of Graian located on the ridge that branches off northwards from Mont Glacier. The summit is located in the Valle d'Aosta region, on the border between the municipalities of Champdepraz and Chambave, and gives its name to the park of the same name. On the summit in 1957, a Madonna was placed by some young people from Champdepraz, a gift from the Ivrea section of the CAI. One of the nice trekking destination and a good viewpoint too.

The Bätt pass is a pass in the Pennine Alps at an altitude of 2,727 meters in the Aosta Valley, between the Ayas valley and the Lys valley. This pass is commonly called col de Bettaforcaz, Frenchization of the word Bättfòrkò, meaning precisely col du Bätt in the titsch of Gressoney-La-Trinité. But it should be noted that the toponym Col de Bettaforcaz is in fact a repetition.

The lake Gabiet is a reservoir of Valle d'Aosta. The basin is located in the Lys valley above Gressoney-La-Trinité at an altitude of 2,373 m asl and feeds the Gressoney-La-Trinité hydroelectric plant and allows the generation of 11 MW, with a production of 14.5 GWh / year. The dam that made up the lake, made by a massive gravity dam, was built between 1919 and 1922. The lake can be reached via the gondola that goes from Stafal to just below the lake.

The fort of Bard is a fortified complex that was rebuilt in the 19th century by the House of Savoy on the rock overlooking the village of Bard, in the Aosta Valley. After a long period of abandonment, the fort has been totally restored with interventions inspired by conservative recovery: it was opened to visitors in January 2006. It currently hosts exhibitions of ancient, modern, contemporary art and photography.

The castle of Fénis, located in the homonymous municipality, is one of the most famous medieval manors in the Aosta Valley. Known for its scenographic architecture, with the double crenelated walls that enclose the central building and the numerous towers, the castle is one of the major tourist attractions of the Valley and one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Italy.

The Quintino Sella refuge to Felik is a retreat located in the municipality of Gressoney-La-Trinité, in the valley of Lys, in the Pennine Alps at 3585 meters above sea level in the Monte Rosa massif. It is located on the edge of the Felik glacier. It has a capacity of 142 seats. The indicative opening goes from June to September and is often conditioned by the climatic characteristics. The most frequented access takes place from the Lys valley.

The upper Colle Delle Cime Bianche is an alpine pass located at 2,980.6 m. slm ., which joins the Valtournenche with the Val d'Ayas in the Valle d'Aosta region. The Colle was of historical importance for the commercial exchanges that took place between the Aosta Valley and the Valais Canton. It is debated whether the Walser in the 13th century arrived in the Lys valley via the Colle del Lys or via the longer but easier road of the Colle del Teodulo, Colle Superiore Delle Cime Bianche, and Colle

The step of Salati is a mountain pass that constitutes the natural border between the Valsesia and the valley of Lys, respectively, in Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta. The pass opens between the Corno del Camoscio and the Stolemberg. It is reached by two important and modern cableways, a cableway coming from Gressoney-La-Trinité and a funifor from Alagna, included in the extensive Monterosaski ski area, one of the largest in Italy.

The Rifugio Città di Mantova is a refuge in the Aosta Valley in the Valais Alps. It is located at an altitude of 3498 m in the Lystal side valley near the Ghiacciaio del Garstelet glacier within the municipality of Gressoney. The hut is managed from the end of March to mid-April and from mid-June to mid-September and offers 80 mountaineers sleeping places.

The Giovanni Gnifetti hut is a refuge located in the municipality of Gressoney-La-Trinité, on the Valle d'Aosta side of Monte Rosa, in the Pennine Alps, at 3647 m asl. The refuge has 176 beds and is open, with overnight stay and restaurant service, from Easter to September. As long as there was the Bocchetta delle Pisse - Punta Indren cable car, hikers preferred to use this ski lift to avoid the Stolemberg section, which extended the excursion by about 2 hours.

The Blue Lake or Lake Layet is a lake with origins in the dam which is located just below Breuil-Cervinia in the Aosta Valley. Not far away is the bobsleigh track of Lago Blu, which from 1963 to 1991 hosted numerous international bobsleigh competitions. The lake can be reached by car or on foot from Cervinia in 5 and 20 minutes respectively. The real name is Lago Layet, but it is called Blue because some algae reflect these shades of color at the bottom of the lake.