The best running trails around Montjovet

In this stretch, the Via Francigena follows the ancient Roman route of the Via delle Gallie, where the paving retains the ruts of millennia-old carts. Connecting Augusta Prætoria to the Alpine passes, this strategic road shaped the landscape with rest stops and villages, some of whose names still indicate the distance in miles from the city. Traveling it today means experiencing a direct connection between the spiritual journey of medieval pilgrims and the engineering of the Romans.

Saint-Germain Castle (or Montjovet Castle), of uncertain origins, marked the history of the Aosta Valley, passing from the Savoy to the Challant family, before finally returning to the Savoy in 1438. Used as a military garrison by Amadeus VIII, it was abandoned in 1661 when the garrison was transferred to the Bard Fort. Completing the site is the Church of Saint-Germain: a small Romanesque building that, through frescoes and architectural details, preserves the spiritual memory of the local community.

The Arlaz Waterfall can be reached either from the Col d'Arlaz or from the Orbeillaz car park, following path number 31 which runs alongside the Rû d’Arlaz, a 14th-century artificial canal that channels the water of the Evançon stream and carries it to the municipalities of Challand, Emarese and Montjovet.

The Col d'Araz is located between Montjovet and Challand-Saint-Victor and offers a beautiful view of the central valley and the mountains. The climb on both sides has some sections with challenging slopes, but the beautiful views repay every effort.

The Castello di Verrès is an impressive medieval castle in the Aosta Valley, built in the 14th century by Yblet de Challant. The castle is known for its unique monolithic structure, which resembles a solid cube and differs from most other castles of the time which consisted of multiple buildings within a walled enclosure. Dominating the town of Verrès and the entrance to the Val d'Ayas, the castle has a military character that merges with elegant stone details that adorn the windows, doors and monumental mantelpieces. The castle has no corner towers nor a keep.

The Castello di Saint Germain is a medieval castle in ruins, located in the frazione of the same name in the municipality of Montjovet in the Valle d'Aosta, Italy. The castle is located at an altitude of 656 meters above sea level, on a rocky spur overlooking the gorge cut by the Dora Baltea. This strategic position made the castle one of the most important defenses in the region, together with the Fort of Bard and Châtel-Argent. It was easy to control and defend the village at the foot of the rock and the central valley of the Valle d'Aosta from here.

The castle played an important role in the history of the Aosta Valley. Few traces remain of its original appearance, and its exact date of construction is uncertain. Around the end of the 13th century, the Savoys became owners, replacing the Montjovet family. As with Bard, the pretext for this was the abuses that Feidino di Montjovet inflicted on the valley dwellers and travelers. Subsequently ceded to the Challant family, it returned to the Savoy domains in 1438, when Amadeus VII installed a garrison there. This garrison remained active until 1661, when it was transferred to the fort of Bard, leaving Montjovet Castle in ruins.

Nice castle 🏰 or at least what's left... the castle is now closed to the public but it's still a nice place to visit