The Mountain

The Peaks

The mountains of the Aosta Valley are rugged and fascinating at the same time

It offers atmospheric landscapes, It offers dry summers and cold winters. The Aosta Valley is home to some of the highest peaks in Europe, capable of accommodating the great snows in winter and giving life in the pastures to tall grasses and flowers in summer.

A telling environment

The Aosta Valley is a story of everyday life and experiences, of people and products. The mountains of the Valle d'Aosta are an environment that tells of a small Alpine world in which man has been able to exploit, over the centuries, the limited resources of an often hostile environment and transform them into splendid opportunities.

It is precisely on this basis and in this context that the Fontina PDO.

Wilderness

In Valle d'Aosta, the “crown” of mountains contours its profile, which, at high altitudes, remains almost constantly above 3,000 metres.

The average altitude is over 2,100 metres: a characteristic that makes it sparsely inhabited, but also perfect for hosting the best conditions for summer grazing.

Moreover, it is a geographical condition that has favoured natural spaces. The 13% of the Aosta Valley territory (425 sq. km out of 3,263) is in fact made up of parks and nature reserves.

It is a true paradise for the wilderness, as well as an ideal place for mountaineering, hiking and all outdoor activities.

The Pastures

A mountain rich in resources

In addition to the possibilities offered to man, the mountains of the Aosta Valley are rich in resources that are ideal for grazing cows.

For centuries, during the summer period, cattle are herded together in herds of 80-150 cattle and driven into the mountains to graze the vast high-altitude pastures, four-fifths of which are above 1,600 metres in height: a characteristic, this, that makes the organisation of alpine pastures for the use of alpine pastures one of the peculiarities that characterise the economy and mountain landscape of the Valle d'Aosta.

Moreover, this creates the perfect conditions for the production of a cheese with unmistakable characteristics: Fontina PDO.