Gressoney-Saint-Jean: Culture, Trails and Mountain Landscape

When exploring Gressoney-Saint-Jean, you will encounter courtly history, sacred art, historic houses, trails leading to waterfalls and an alpine landscape. Castel Savoia, Lago Gover and two easy circular trails give your trip different focal points, without requiring you to limit yourself to a single experience.

Castel Savoia and older buildings

Castel Savoia was built between 1899 and 1904 at the request of Queen Margherita di Savoia; she stayed there during the summer months until 1925. From the car park below, you can reach Castel Savoia with a walk of about 15 minutes through the park.

The parish church of San Giovanni Battista also takes you into the history of the town: it was built in 1515 and extended in 1753. Its parish museum houses a 13th-century crucifix, considered one of the oldest in the Aosta Valley. In Greschmatto stands the oldest house in the flat area of Gressoney-Saint-Jean; it bears the date 1547 and formerly served as a courthouse and prison. Dresal is a group of stone and wooden houses; the oldest building bears the date 1587.

Alpine landscape and seasons

The alpine botanical garden of Castel Savoia consists of a series of rock gardens with alpine plants from the region and from other parts of the world. At Lago Gover, the landscape is characterised by centuries-old pine and fir trees; at the same time, the lake offers an impressive setting overlooking the Monte Rosa massif. Sport fishing is possible at Lago Gover during the summer months. During the winter season, it is transformed into a natural ice rink for skating.

Waterfalls and easy trails

The Cascata Borgofier is located along the Lys promenade at signpost 14 in the direction of Gressoney-La-Trinité. From the main town of Gressoney-Saint-Jean, it can be reached after about 15 minutes on foot, on the right-hand side. You can reach the Cascata di Underwald directly from the hamlet of Gresmatten in less than 10 minutes.

The Anello Regina Margherita is an easy tourist circular trail connecting places that were loved and visited by Queen Margherita di Savoia. The Walser Réng is an easy, 8-kilometre circular trail that lets you explore the landscape and cultural heritage of Gressoney-Saint-Jean and its surroundings. The various time and distance details help you compare these trails according to your own daily rhythm.

Choose accommodation based on your travel interests

When choosing your accommodation in Gressoney-Saint-Jean, you can therefore start by deciding on your main focus. For architectural and sacred history, there are Castel Savoia, the parish church, Greschmatto and Dresal; for short walks to waterfalls, the Cascata Borgofier and the Cascata di Underwald; and for landscapes and seasons, Lago Gover. This allows you to base your accommodation decision on the themes you want to explore locally.

More destinations

For further travel planning, you can also find Champoluc, Brengon, Saint Vincent, Saint-Christophe, Epinel, Fénis Ao, Rhêmes-Notre-Dame and Arvier.

For the overview of the wider region: Aosta Valley.