Italian Alps

After visiting Lake Orta, drive south to the main freeway and head west on A4 toward Turin heading for the Italian Alps. Before Turin, when the freeway branches, take A5 heading northwest toward Aosta and beyond to the French border. As you head into the mountains, many small roads lead off to narrow, valleys accented by gorgeous meadows, blanketed in summer with wildflowers. Most of these roads dead end when they are stopped by impregnable mountain ranges. In the winter, this is a paradise for downhill or cross-country skiing. One of the most famous ski areas is Breuil-Cervinia, almost at the Swiss border, just over the mountain from the Swiss resort, Zermatt. In summer the mountains beckon one to explore the beautiful paths that lead off in every direction. Our favorite place for walking or hiking is in the Grand Paradis National Park, just south of Cogne. To reach the park, from the A5, take the road south to Cogne. From here you can walk through a glorious meadow that stretches to the foot of the Grand Paradis, a majestic mountain that soars over 4,000 meters into the sky. If you drive a few kilometers beyond Cogne to where the road ends, you find Valnontey, a stunning hamlet of rustic, centuries-old, stone houses enhanced by pots of geraniums. As you stroll through the tiny village, it seems you have stepped back many centuries—it is so perfect, so untouched.