Courmayeur lies at around 1,200 m directly at the foot of Monte Bianco and is one of the most tradition-rich mountain resorts in Italy. The traffic-calmed pedestrian zone with stone houses, the alpine museum and the proximity to the Skyway, Val Veny and Val Ferret make the town a fashionable base for summer and winter alike.<\/p>\n
| Elevation<\/td>\n | around 1,200 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Location<\/td>\n | Foot of Monte Bianco, Aosta Valley<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Tradition<\/td>\n | historic mountaineering town<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Nearby<\/td>\n | Skyway, Val Veny, Val Ferret<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\nPractical info<\/h2>\nGetting there:<\/strong> By car through the Mont Blanc Tunnel or via the motorway from Aosta; bus connections.<\/p>\n Best time:<\/strong> Hiking June to October; winter sports December to April.<\/p>\n Cost:<\/strong> Town free; mountain railways and accommodation upscale (please verify).<\/p>\n Safety:<\/strong> In winter mind the avalanche situation; valley walks are unproblematic.<\/p>\n Tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n Courmayeur lies at the foot of the Italian side of Mont Blanc, which here is called Monte Bianco and towers over the valley with its mighty ice flanks and rock ridges. The place looks back on a long and proud tradition as a mountaineering village, for from here the pioneers set out for the especially difficult ascents over the Italian ridges and glaciers of the massif. The famous mountain guides' society of Courmayeur is among the oldest in Italy and shaped, over many generations, the history of mountaineering in the entire Mont Blanc area.<\/p>\n As early as the 19th century Courmayeur was known as a spring resort, for the mineral-rich waters drew spa guests into the remote valley, before the place gradually developed into an elegant holiday and winter sports resort. A close connection exists with the French Chamonix on the other side of the massif: since the opening of the Mont Blanc Tunnel in 1965, the two valleys, once separated by the high mountains, have been directly connected with each other. Above the valley the modern Skyway cable car today opens up the glaciated high-mountain world at the Pointe Helbronner. Thus Courmayeur unites proud alpinistic history with the magnificent backdrop of the highest mountain in the Alps and at the same time preserves the character of a grown Aosta Valley mountain village.<\/p>\n |