Guidebook for Montestrutto Castle and Environs

Karl
Guidebook for Montestrutto Castle and Environs

Local Dining and Shopping

For the nearest fully equipped grocery store for picnics or your meals at the castle, this Conad branch is only a 5-minute walk north on Strada Statale 26, which is the main road passing by the castle.
Conad City
5 Via Montiglie
For the nearest fully equipped grocery store for picnics or your meals at the castle, this Conad branch is only a 5-minute walk north on Strada Statale 26, which is the main road passing by the castle.
La Sosta, a converted hostel less than a kilometer north on Strada Statale 26, offers extraordinarily economical yet delicious, locally sourced, often organic dishes in a charming rustic setting.
7 personas locales recomiendan
Osteria La Sosta
31 Strada Statale 26 della Valle d'Aosta
7 personas locales recomiendan
La Sosta, a converted hostel less than a kilometer north on Strada Statale 26, offers extraordinarily economical yet delicious, locally sourced, often organic dishes in a charming rustic setting.
For pizza that is widely reputed to be the best in the area, consider dinner at La Dolce Vita, in the village of Montestrutto.
Pizzeria La Dolce Vita
For pizza that is widely reputed to be the best in the area, consider dinner at La Dolce Vita, in the village of Montestrutto.
For a quick lunch, the snack bar at La Turna, the rock-climbing park at the base of the castle hill, offers pasta, sandwiches, salads, and beverages at reasonable rates.
6 personas locales recomiendan
La Turna
Via Vittorio Emanuele
6 personas locales recomiendan
For a quick lunch, the snack bar at La Turna, the rock-climbing park at the base of the castle hill, offers pasta, sandwiches, salads, and beverages at reasonable rates.
Just to the south of La Turna Climbing Park, at the base of the castle's south side, you can find Agrimont Agrigelateria, which offers fantastic ice cream made from the local cows' milk and featuring such exotic flavors as pear and ricotta, in addition to many of the standard flavors.
Agrimont Agrigelatetia
Just to the south of La Turna Climbing Park, at the base of the castle's south side, you can find Agrimont Agrigelateria, which offers fantastic ice cream made from the local cows' milk and featuring such exotic flavors as pear and ricotta, in addition to many of the standard flavors.
Though it's at the end of a very windy road and offers a comparatively narrow range of food, much of which is vegetarian, it is excellently prepared, the wine list is one of the finest and most extensive in northwest Italy, and the views from its hillside location are truly stunning.
La Marenda Sinoira
69 Via Settimo-Cavalgrosso
Though it's at the end of a very windy road and offers a comparatively narrow range of food, much of which is vegetarian, it is excellently prepared, the wine list is one of the finest and most extensive in northwest Italy, and the views from its hillside location are truly stunning.
No long wine list, no fancy frills, just excellent, excellent food from an ever-changing menu served by a friendly and knowledgeable staff.
7 personas locales recomiendan
Trattoria Ramo Verde
42 Via Torino
7 personas locales recomiendan
No long wine list, no fancy frills, just excellent, excellent food from an ever-changing menu served by a friendly and knowledgeable staff.
Excellent food served by a friendly and knowledgeable staff while you enjoy beautiful views of Ivrea's Sirio Lake. What more could you want?
Vecchio Cipresso Trattoria con Salotto
19 Via Casali Sirio
Excellent food served by a friendly and knowledgeable staff while you enjoy beautiful views of Ivrea's Sirio Lake. What more could you want?
Gourmet local dishes served in beautiful rooms, though please know ahead of time that the servings are European size and the prices are proportional to its status as the highest-rated restaurant in the (small) city of Ivrea.
7 personas locales recomiendan
Ristorante La Mugnaia
53 Via Arduino
7 personas locales recomiendan
Gourmet local dishes served in beautiful rooms, though please know ahead of time that the servings are European size and the prices are proportional to its status as the highest-rated restaurant in the (small) city of Ivrea.
For down-home cooking and mountain views at ridiculously low prices in a dining room that looks like a North Dakota Elks Lodge (and I speak from experience here), you can't beat this family-run restaurant directly across the river from Settimo Vittone. As of August 2022, the 11€ weekday lunch special included: local cheeses for an antipasto, bottled water, a glass of wine, a salad, a generous primo piatto of spaghetti pomodoro, an even more generous secondo piatto of pork-chop marsala or the local version of wiener schnitzel, home-made french fries, dessert (e.g., a wedge of chocolate brownie pie), and coffee.
Ristorante Bar Alpi
2 Via Gerbioni
For down-home cooking and mountain views at ridiculously low prices in a dining room that looks like a North Dakota Elks Lodge (and I speak from experience here), you can't beat this family-run restaurant directly across the river from Settimo Vittone. As of August 2022, the 11€ weekday lunch special included: local cheeses for an antipasto, bottled water, a glass of wine, a salad, a generous primo piatto of spaghetti pomodoro, an even more generous secondo piatto of pork-chop marsala or the local version of wiener schnitzel, home-made french fries, dessert (e.g., a wedge of chocolate brownie pie), and coffee.
For a quick coffee and/or snack, the Bar Statale, just across Strada Statale 26, can fill your need most hours between 5 AM and 8 PM.
Bar STATALE
49 Strada Statale 26 della Valle d'Aosta
For a quick coffee and/or snack, the Bar Statale, just across Strada Statale 26, can fill your need most hours between 5 AM and 8 PM.
For more of the organic, locally sourced wine we usually provide upon your arrival at the castle, as well as a selection of other wines and, if you wish, an Italian and/or English tour of the winery and vineyards themselves, a two-minute walk north (along Strada Statale 26) from the castle will bring you to this charming, family-run establishment in and surrounded by traditional houses, terraced landscapes, and beautiful mountain views.
Figliej - Viticoltura di montagna
For more of the organic, locally sourced wine we usually provide upon your arrival at the castle, as well as a selection of other wines and, if you wish, an Italian and/or English tour of the winery and vineyards themselves, a two-minute walk north (along Strada Statale 26) from the castle will bring you to this charming, family-run establishment in and surrounded by traditional houses, terraced landscapes, and beautiful mountain views.
If you don't mind driving a long way south on the A5 for fabulous, reasonably priced food, or if you're (otherwise) on the way to the Mediterranean coast, consider visiting this little gem of a restaurant. You'll need to make a reservation at least a month ahead of time, but you'll be able to say you had a 13-course prix fixe meal in a quaint osteria that has hosted the famous French actor Gerard Depardieu and many another celebrity.
15 personas locales recomiendan
Osteria da Gemma
6 Via Guglielmo Marconi
15 personas locales recomiendan
If you don't mind driving a long way south on the A5 for fabulous, reasonably priced food, or if you're (otherwise) on the way to the Mediterranean coast, consider visiting this little gem of a restaurant. You'll need to make a reservation at least a month ahead of time, but you'll be able to say you had a 13-course prix fixe meal in a quaint osteria that has hosted the famous French actor Gerard Depardieu and many another celebrity.

Sightseeing

If you want a bit more of a brisk walk than a stroll in the castle gardens, you can go for picturesque hikes on the many trails behind the castle, where you can hear and perhaps see goats and sheep, visit abandoned hostels, farmhouses, and other structures, some of which date back to the Middle Ages, and view countless natural wonders, not to mention spectacular views of the castle and the rest of the valley. I particularly recommend the medieval road that starts at the village gate to the castle property and winds up the hills to the village of Nomaglio, about 45 minutes away.
Nomaglio
If you want a bit more of a brisk walk than a stroll in the castle gardens, you can go for picturesque hikes on the many trails behind the castle, where you can hear and perhaps see goats and sheep, visit abandoned hostels, farmhouses, and other structures, some of which date back to the Middle Ages, and view countless natural wonders, not to mention spectacular views of the castle and the rest of the valley. I particularly recommend the medieval road that starts at the village gate to the castle property and winds up the hills to the village of Nomaglio, about 45 minutes away.
Ten minutes south by car from Montestrutto, in the famous music city of Ivrea, you may want not only to visit the huge outdoor Friday market just south of the city center, but also to stroll the pedestrian walkway through the middle of town, view the outside of the nearby castle from up close (though note that the inside is barred to visitors), or spend some quiet moments in the beautiful medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque cathedral just a few dozen meters from the castle.
Ivrea Cathedral
16 Piazza Castello
Ten minutes south by car from Montestrutto, in the famous music city of Ivrea, you may want not only to visit the huge outdoor Friday market just south of the city center, but also to stroll the pedestrian walkway through the middle of town, view the outside of the nearby castle from up close (though note that the inside is barred to visitors), or spend some quiet moments in the beautiful medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque cathedral just a few dozen meters from the castle.
If you'd like to supplement the many possible outdoor adventures within walking distance of the castle, you can drive an hour west to Italy's most famous and most popular national park, Gran Paradiso. There among many other outdoor activities and depending on the season, of course, you can climb the Alps on foot and/or by hand, ski downhill and/or cross country, snow shoe, hang glide, mountain bike, kayak, water raft, swim, ride horses, stroll, bird watch, or just sit and enjoy a picnic amid perhaps the most spectacular scenery Europe, and perhaps any continent, has to offer.
Gran Paradiso Alps
If you'd like to supplement the many possible outdoor adventures within walking distance of the castle, you can drive an hour west to Italy's most famous and most popular national park, Gran Paradiso. There among many other outdoor activities and depending on the season, of course, you can climb the Alps on foot and/or by hand, ski downhill and/or cross country, snow shoe, hang glide, mountain bike, kayak, water raft, swim, ride horses, stroll, bird watch, or just sit and enjoy a picnic amid perhaps the most spectacular scenery Europe, and perhaps any continent, has to offer.
If you'd like to see up-close one of Montestrutto's best-preserved, best-restored, and most accessible big siblings, consider driving 30 minutes north up the Valle d'Aosta to Fenis Castle, where, for a small fee, you can not only stroll around the outside, but also see the collection of late-medieval furniture and see some of the woodwork that inspired Montestrutto Castle's early-twentieth-century restorers. You may also want to visit one or more of the other major restored castles in the Valle, such as Bard or Issogne, or to just see how many of the Valle's more than 200+ castles you can spot as you drive through it.
62 personas locales recomiendan
Fenis Castle
1 Località Chez Sapin
62 personas locales recomiendan
If you'd like to see up-close one of Montestrutto's best-preserved, best-restored, and most accessible big siblings, consider driving 30 minutes north up the Valle d'Aosta to Fenis Castle, where, for a small fee, you can not only stroll around the outside, but also see the collection of late-medieval furniture and see some of the woodwork that inspired Montestrutto Castle's early-twentieth-century restorers. You may also want to visit one or more of the other major restored castles in the Valle, such as Bard or Issogne, or to just see how many of the Valle's more than 200+ castles you can spot as you drive through it.
A massive nineteenth-century castle built by the Savoy family on the ruins of castles dating back to at least the 5th century and occupying a dramatic promontory 13 km up the Valle d'Aosta (and Strada Statale 26) from Montestrutto. It now houses the Museum of the Alps and numerous traveling exhibitions, as well as musical and theatrical performances during the summer.
147 personas locales recomiendan
Fort of Bard
Snc Via Vittorio Emanuele II
147 personas locales recomiendan
A massive nineteenth-century castle built by the Savoy family on the ruins of castles dating back to at least the 5th century and occupying a dramatic promontory 13 km up the Valle d'Aosta (and Strada Statale 26) from Montestrutto. It now houses the Museum of the Alps and numerous traveling exhibitions, as well as musical and theatrical performances during the summer.

Local activities

For cliff climbing that ranges in level from beginner to expert, consider La Turna, the park at the southern foot of the castle hill. Adventurers from all over Europe come to climb its slopes, but for those of us who have a little less Spider(wo)man in us, there's also a zipline, rope course, small playground, picnic tables, open fields, and a snack bar, not to mention nearby pony/horse rentals and, a couple hundred meters to the south, the aforementioned Agrimont Agrigelataria.
6 personas locales recomiendan
La Turna
Via Vittorio Emanuele
6 personas locales recomiendan
For cliff climbing that ranges in level from beginner to expert, consider La Turna, the park at the southern foot of the castle hill. Adventurers from all over Europe come to climb its slopes, but for those of us who have a little less Spider(wo)man in us, there's also a zipline, rope course, small playground, picnic tables, open fields, and a snack bar, not to mention nearby pony/horse rentals and, a couple hundred meters to the south, the aforementioned Agrimont Agrigelataria.
For excellent skiing in winter and hiking in summer, this resort is just 40 minutes away and boasts beautiful views not only when you're there but also along the way.
31 personas locales recomiendan
Monterosa Ski - Champoluc
69 Route Ramey
31 personas locales recomiendan
For excellent skiing in winter and hiking in summer, this resort is just 40 minutes away and boasts beautiful views not only when you're there but also along the way.
A mere 60 km (45 minutes in good weather along A5/E25) drive from the castle you can take a gondola from the small city of Aosta to Pila's 24 excellent, reasonably priced slopes ranging from beginner to expert with an emphasis on intermediate. The weekends can get a bit crowded, but the weekdays are comparatively empty and there's always a great food scene waiting for you when you finish.
88 personas locales recomiendan
Pila
4 Str. Pont-Suaz
88 personas locales recomiendan
A mere 60 km (45 minutes in good weather along A5/E25) drive from the castle you can take a gondola from the small city of Aosta to Pila's 24 excellent, reasonably priced slopes ranging from beginner to expert with an emphasis on intermediate. The weekends can get a bit crowded, but the weekdays are comparatively empty and there's always a great food scene waiting for you when you finish.
For truly world-class skiing, not to mention the most chic of shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, consider Courmayeur, on the slopes of Mont Blanc, 90 km from the castle via the A5E25.
30 personas locales recomiendan
Courmayeur Mont Blanc Funivie Spa - Telecabina Dolonne
1/B Via la Villette
30 personas locales recomiendan
For truly world-class skiing, not to mention the most chic of shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, consider Courmayeur, on the slopes of Mont Blanc, 90 km from the castle via the A5E25.
If you didn't bring your own raft or kayak, you can rent one here and set out on a water adventure for a reasonable price in a beautiful setting just 20 minutes (18 km) from the castle. And if water sports aren't your thing, you can always go for a hike or bike ride while your friends and/or family brave the rapids.
Rafting Aventure Arnad Patta Libra
If you didn't bring your own raft or kayak, you can rent one here and set out on a water adventure for a reasonable price in a beautiful setting just 20 minutes (18 km) from the castle. And if water sports aren't your thing, you can always go for a hike or bike ride while your friends and/or family brave the rapids.
For a bit more horseback adventure than the local A Me Mi Pony Club, guests of all ages can go just 35 minutes south on the A5 highway and just north of Turin to this "club" amid beautiful fields and streams in the Volpianesi Hills
Accademia dei Cavalieri
For a bit more horseback adventure than the local A Me Mi Pony Club, guests of all ages can go just 35 minutes south on the A5 highway and just north of Turin to this "club" amid beautiful fields and streams in the Volpianesi Hills
This fabulous little church and its adjacent baptistery date to at least the 10th century and house a series of frescoes that represent every major phase of Italian art from that era through the late Renaissance (early 16th century). While the exterior is fascinating in and of itself as a great example of Romanesque architecture roughly contemporary with that of our castle, we encourage you to contact us (well ahead of time, if possible) to arrange a tour of the otherwise off-limits interior.
Battistero di San Giovanni e Pieve di San lorenzo
This fabulous little church and its adjacent baptistery date to at least the 10th century and house a series of frescoes that represent every major phase of Italian art from that era through the late Renaissance (early 16th century). While the exterior is fascinating in and of itself as a great example of Romanesque architecture roughly contemporary with that of our castle, we encourage you to contact us (well ahead of time, if possible) to arrange a tour of the otherwise off-limits interior.
During summer, children can ride a pony at A Me Mi Pony Club, which is located next to the La Turna Climbing Park on the south side of the castle's hill.
A Me Mi Pony Club Asd
During summer, children can ride a pony at A Me Mi Pony Club, which is located next to the La Turna Climbing Park on the south side of the castle's hill.

City/town information

For a huge, 2,000-year-old Roman bridge, lovely dining in the piazza below it and next to a rushing river, an excellent selection of the world-famous wines produced in the suburb of Carema, and/or for the only regional gelateria that can rival Montestrutto's Agrimont Agrigelateria, visit this charming town just an 8 km drive north (along Strada Statale 26) from the castle.
10 personas locales recomiendan
Pont-Saint-Martin
122 Via Roma
10 personas locales recomiendan
For a huge, 2,000-year-old Roman bridge, lovely dining in the piazza below it and next to a rushing river, an excellent selection of the world-famous wines produced in the suburb of Carema, and/or for the only regional gelateria that can rival Montestrutto's Agrimont Agrigelateria, visit this charming town just an 8 km drive north (along Strada Statale 26) from the castle.
For extraordinary skiing and dining deep in the Alps, consider driving an hour directly north on the A5 and SR 46 to this beautiful resort on the border with Switzerland. In addition to views of the Matterhorn and other famous mountains in the vicinity, you can access slopes that lead to Zermatt and other renowned Swiss resorts, as well as to the Plateau Rosà and Ventina glaciers.
17 personas locales recomiendan
Cervinia Valtournenche
Frazione Breuil Cervinia
17 personas locales recomiendan
For extraordinary skiing and dining deep in the Alps, consider driving an hour directly north on the A5 and SR 46 to this beautiful resort on the border with Switzerland. In addition to views of the Matterhorn and other famous mountains in the vicinity, you can access slopes that lead to Zermatt and other renowned Swiss resorts, as well as to the Plateau Rosà and Ventina glaciers.
More than just the sum of its sites mentioned above under activities and restaurants, Ivrea is an exceptionally famous music and theater city with a comparatively long and tranquil pedestrian walkway that features a plethora of shops, restaurants, cafes, Baroque churches, spacious piazzas, and quiet lanes that date back to Antiquity and lead to not only the world-famous cathedral and castle but also hidden gems, such as Roman walls, stunning views of the Dora River, and terra cotta flower boxes stuffed with pink carnations against sun-drenched lemon-yellow walls.
Ivrea - Ufficio del Turismo
More than just the sum of its sites mentioned above under activities and restaurants, Ivrea is an exceptionally famous music and theater city with a comparatively long and tranquil pedestrian walkway that features a plethora of shops, restaurants, cafes, Baroque churches, spacious piazzas, and quiet lanes that date back to Antiquity and lead to not only the world-famous cathedral and castle but also hidden gems, such as Roman walls, stunning views of the Dora River, and terra cotta flower boxes stuffed with pink carnations against sun-drenched lemon-yellow walls.
Perhaps after journeying two hours south from the castle to Genoa, consider driving 30 minutes east to the famous fishing village of Portofino, which is renowned for its seafood restaurants, chic boutiques, stunning views of the coast, and even more amazing array of pastel house colors.
454 personas locales recomiendan
Portofino
454 personas locales recomiendan
Perhaps after journeying two hours south from the castle to Genoa, consider driving 30 minutes east to the famous fishing village of Portofino, which is renowned for its seafood restaurants, chic boutiques, stunning views of the coast, and even more amazing array of pastel house colors.
If the coastal views in Genoa and Portofino aren't sufficient, consider driving another 40 minutes southeast along the coast to Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. There, you'll find five of the cutest coastal villages you're likely to find anywhere in the world, or at least in this neck of the Mediterranean, nestled on dramatic seaside cliffs that are much more dramatic than they are cute, as is the delicious and highly economical seafood drenched in the local specialty--pesto.
Reeser Str. 106, 46446 Emmerich am Rhein, Alemania
If the coastal views in Genoa and Portofino aren't sufficient, consider driving another 40 minutes southeast along the coast to Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. There, you'll find five of the cutest coastal villages you're likely to find anywhere in the world, or at least in this neck of the Mediterranean, nestled on dramatic seaside cliffs that are much more dramatic than they are cute, as is the delicious and highly economical seafood drenched in the local specialty--pesto.
For the nearest and one of the culturally greatest big-city experiences in Italy, head 65 km south from the castle on the A5. Turin offers not only world-class dining and even better hot chocolate, but also: a gorgeous Baroque palace with a particularly extensive and important armor collection; a wonderful and economical cafe in the extensive, highly manicured royal gardens; large, excavated Roman ruins beneath and to the side of the palace; one of the world's greatest and most manageable collections of Roman art (in the basement of the palace); a terrific archaeological museum (also in the palace basement); fabulous shopping in the extensive gallery that runs around the piazza in front of the palace; an Egyptian museum two blocks from the palace and second in range and importance only to the Cairo Museum; and a car museum with over 200 exhibits that are guaranteed to rev up even the most jaded aficionado.
293 personas locales recomiendan
Turin
293 personas locales recomiendan
For the nearest and one of the culturally greatest big-city experiences in Italy, head 65 km south from the castle on the A5. Turin offers not only world-class dining and even better hot chocolate, but also: a gorgeous Baroque palace with a particularly extensive and important armor collection; a wonderful and economical cafe in the extensive, highly manicured royal gardens; large, excavated Roman ruins beneath and to the side of the palace; one of the world's greatest and most manageable collections of Roman art (in the basement of the palace); a terrific archaeological museum (also in the palace basement); fabulous shopping in the extensive gallery that runs around the piazza in front of the palace; an Egyptian museum two blocks from the palace and second in range and importance only to the Cairo Museum; and a car museum with over 200 exhibits that are guaranteed to rev up even the most jaded aficionado.
For an all-day excursion to some of the most famous lakes among some of the most famous views and most famous celebrities, take the A4/E64 two hours northeast to Como and the Lake District. There you can hope from one resort island to another in Lago Maggiore, go for a walking tour on the Island of Meditation in Lago D'Orta, or sip expensive beverages and look for George, Amal, and other friends by the shores of Lake Como.
257 personas locales recomiendan
Lake Como
257 personas locales recomiendan
For an all-day excursion to some of the most famous lakes among some of the most famous views and most famous celebrities, take the A4/E64 two hours northeast to Como and the Lake District. There you can hope from one resort island to another in Lago Maggiore, go for a walking tour on the Island of Meditation in Lago D'Orta, or sip expensive beverages and look for George, Amal, and other friends by the shores of Lake Como.
The city of Aosta, which was named after the Roman emperor Augustus and is only 40 minutes from the castle, offers some of the best-preserved ancient ruins in northwest Italy, including one of the most complete Roman theaters, extensive sections of the ancient city walls, a huge and complex Roman gateway in those walls, a smaller but still impressive outer Roman gateway; and a small but complete Roman bridge. The city also features: a terrific little museum dedicated to its heritage, particularly its Roman roots; a couple of magnificent medieval churches, including one built on visible Roman ruins; a particularly well-preserved and important cloister; access via gondola to skiing on the adjacent mountains; and, on the main roads of the original Roman settlement, extensive pedestrian walkways that feature countless restaurants, souvenir shops, and boutiques, not to mention the palatial city hall.
Reeser Str. 106, 46446 Emmerich am Rhein, Alemania
The city of Aosta, which was named after the Roman emperor Augustus and is only 40 minutes from the castle, offers some of the best-preserved ancient ruins in northwest Italy, including one of the most complete Roman theaters, extensive sections of the ancient city walls, a huge and complex Roman gateway in those walls, a smaller but still impressive outer Roman gateway; and a small but complete Roman bridge. The city also features: a terrific little museum dedicated to its heritage, particularly its Roman roots; a couple of magnificent medieval churches, including one built on visible Roman ruins; a particularly well-preserved and important cloister; access via gondola to skiing on the adjacent mountains; and, on the main roads of the original Roman settlement, extensive pedestrian walkways that feature countless restaurants, souvenir shops, and boutiques, not to mention the palatial city hall.