Champdepraz between nature park and mining history

Champdepraz combines protected mountain landscapes with visible traces of mining. Mont Avic Nature Park protects the upper catchment area of the Torrente Chalamy here. At the same time, trails, woodland areas, rural villages, and historic sites tell of the valley’s use and character.

Mont Avic Nature Park and distinctive landscapes

Extensive sequences of green rocks occur in the Champdepraz area. These include, above all, peridotites, eclogitic metagabbros, and eclogitic-glaucophanitic metabasalts. These geological terms refer to different types of rock that help shape the character of the area’s landscape.

Another distinctive feature is the large number of peat bogs in Mont Avic Nature Park. They are considered the most important biotopes in the protected area. Visitors interested in nature observation will also find various forest types along a hiking trail, the rural villages of Boden and Gettaz des Allemands, the pastures of Pana, and the lake of the same name.

Hiking in every season

Hiking is possible on the trail network of Mont Avic Nature Park in every season. From November to May, many trails are usually largely covered in snow and can only be used by experienced people with suitable equipment. The season therefore directly affects which hiking experience in Champdepraz is practical.

The main route of the Giroparchi trail network connects Mont Avic Nature Park with Gran Paradiso National Park. One starting point is in Chevrère di Champdepraz, at the Covarey visitor center. The rural road from Veulla to Pont de Leser offers a different perspective: after sunset, it can be used with a portable lamp and an audio guide. Fifteen stopping points, identifiable by reflective markers, provide a special nighttime perspective on the protected area.

Separate from this, a hiking trail in Mont Avic Nature Park passes through various forest types, leads to the rural villages of Boden and Gettaz des Allemands, crosses the pastures of Pana, and reaches the lake of the same name. Along this hiking trail, visitors can also observe geomorphological features, rural architecture, forest birds, and the flora and fauna of wetlands; there are also views of Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn.

Traces of mining and rural architecture

Above the main settlement of Champdepraz, outside the park, lie the iron-copper mineralizations of Hérin. They were intensively exploited in the 18th century and intermittently until 1951. Along trail no. 8, remains of the copper mine are visible there: buildings, inaccessible adit entrances, a large spoil heap, and several cableway supports.

The Lac Gelé mine is also visible from trail no. 6. The surviving traces include the entrances to the adits and the spoil heaps from the mining operations. The ruins of the Servaz blast furnace preserve structural details that make it possible to understand how it functioned. In the Barma de Rova millstone quarry, several only roughly worked millstones can be seen on the rock face.

Numerous charcoal-burning sites lie along trails 3, 5c, and 7a in the forests of Val Chalamy. This historical picture is complemented by the rural buildings in Champdepraz, constructed from stone and wood sourced locally. Here, natural landscapes, village structure, and the history of work are not separate subjects, but are encountered together in the area’s landscapes and trails.

Champdepraz as a travel choice

If you are looking for accommodation in Champdepraz, you can plan your trip around your main interests: the nature park and peat bogs, hikes through forests and pastures, or the mining heritage along trails no. 6 and 8. When choosing your travel period, the information about snow conditions from November to May is particularly important. The connection between the Giroparchi trail network and Gran Paradiso National Park broadens the landscape setting, while the trail through Boden, Gettaz des Allemands, and over Pana brings together several different impressions in a single hike.

More destinations for planning your trip

Rhemes-Saint-Georges, Verrès, Challand-Saint-Victor, Fontainemore, Aosta, Émarèse, Saint-Oyen and Breuil-Cervinia

For the higher-level travel overview: Aosta Valley.