Travel Guide Bionaz

After passing Oyace, Valpelline becomes, if possible, even wilder and more ruggedly beautiful. It is up there, at the end of the world, in the middle of the larch forests, that the few villages gathered in the commune of Bionaz are located, curiously inhabited by an important Belgian community. Its territory is one of the most extensive and rich in natural beauty of the entire region. Upstream from the main town, access to the beautiful and unspoilt upper valley is via two stages: first, it is several kilometres by car to reach the artificial lake of Place Moulin, the largest in Valle d'Aosta, surrounded by vast stretches of mountain pastures. From there, it is still necessary to walk along the paths leading to the mountain cirque that closes the combe, dominated by the imposing glaciers that descend from Mount Braoulé, the Tête blanche, the Château des Dames, the Jumeaux and especially the Dent d'Hérens (4,179 m.), the giant of the valley. Four alpine refuges contribute to making Bionaz a mecca for hiking (summer and winter), mountaineering but also ski touring: dozens of itineraries descend the snow-covered slopes of the mountains that serve as a setting for the village. Bionaz is also one of the places where the Franco-Provençal language has been best preserved: almost all the inhabitants, including children, use it daily.