Saint-Jacques in Val d’Ayas: Village, Cultural Heritage and Mountain Trails

Saint-Jacques in Val d’Ayas is a small village between meadows and forests. Several trails start here and lead to mountain destinations. For planning your trip, this combines a village setting with culture and varied hikes.

Historic character in Val d’Ayas

The historically and culturally significant complex of the Chiesa vicariale di Saint-Jacques dates from the 18th century and is already mentioned in 1227. Saint-Jacques is one of the historic villages of Val d’Ayas. Together, these villages form a historic, architectural and landscape heritage of exceptional value.

The Cappella di San Giacomo is accessible from the main road via steps. Alongside the mountain trails, this means that a specific religious site is also among the impressions you can experience together in Saint-Jacques.

Ayas can be reached by the “Verrès – Saint-Jacques” bus route. The connection also places Saint-Jacques within the wider regional context of Val d’Ayas.

Hiking trails to Lago Blu and Rifugio Mezzalama

The hike to Lago Blu begins in Saint-Jacques at an altitude of 1,689 metres, ascends 550 metres and takes just under two hours. The route follows trail no. 7 via Fiéry and the lower Plan di Veraz. Lago Blu has intensely turquoise-coloured water; the Monte Rosa massif lies in the background.

The route from Saint-Jacques to the Rifugio Mezzalama mountain hut follows trail no. 7 through the Plan di Veraz area and crosses a glacial moraine to reach the hut. When choosing a mountain destination, Saint-Jacques therefore offers both a route to a lake and a route to a high-altitude mountain hut.

Plateaus, circular trails and mountain-pass views

The Anello Ferraro / Verra circular trail begins in Saint-Jacques and passes through Fiéry and the Piani di Verra. The route from Saint-Jacques to the Piani di Verra takes around three hours and involves an elevation gain of 364 metres to the lower plateau and 693 metres to the upper plateau. The Piani di Verra offer wide yet close-up views of Monte Rosa.

The route from Saint-Jacques to the Colle Superiore delle Cime Bianche is part of the Tour del Monte Rosa and reaches the pass in around four hours with an elevation gain of 1,293 metres. The approximate time and elevation gain make this destination classifiable as a longer mountain hike, without limiting the route to a single type of excursion.

The hike from Saint-Jacques to Colle della Bettaforca begins near the village church and follows trail no. 9 towards Résy and Rifugio Ferraro. At Colle della Bettaforca, views open up over the valleys of Ayas and Gressoney. The Sentiero Frassati also offers views of the Walser village of Resy.

Saint-Jacques as a starting point for your planning

If you choose accommodation in Saint-Jacques, its location may play a role as a starting point for your personal selection. You can plan your stay around different destinations: the Chiesa vicariale di Saint-Jacques or the Cappella di San Giacomo, Lago Blu, the Piani di Verra, a mountain hut or a pass. The various routes connect meadows and forests, plateaus, moraines and wide views of Monte Rosa with the historic character of Val d’Ayas.

More destinations to compare

Ayas, Introd, Rhemes-Saint-Georges, Issogne, La Salle, Chambave, Chef-lieu and Pontboset.

For the overview of the wider region: Aosta Valley.