Courmayeur
Encyclopedia
Courmayeur is an Italian town and comune
in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley, in northern Italy
. It is located at the foot of Mont Blanc
, the highest mountain in western Europe
, in the Graian Alps
range, and is crossed by the Dora Baltea
. Courmayeur shares the summit of Mont Blanc with its neighboring commune of Chamonix
in France
, and owns the title of highest commune in Italy.
, which describes itself as Europe
's highest botanical garden
. In the summer months Courmayeur is a popular destination for hikers.
). The Mont Blanc Tunnel
links the region to France. Lyon
is 240 km away and can be reached in a few hours, and Geneva
, Switzerland
, is just 100 km away. A regular airport transfer service, door-to-door from Geneva Airport to Courmayeur is operated throughout the ski season by http://www.AostaExpress.com Seats are 48 Euros, each way.
The nearby village of La Palud is the base station of the Funivie Monte Bianco, the cable car
to the Pointe Helbronner
linking it to the Vallée Blanche Aerial Tramway
going to the Aiguille du Midi
where there is a link to the Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi, the cable car from Chamonix
.
Dolonne, a sister-town of Courmayeur, has many residential areas and hotels, as well as a large sports centre. It is connected to Courmayeur by a bridge that straddles a tributary flowing from Mont Blanc.
Another mountain that surrounds Courmayeur is Mont Chétif. It is a hiker-friendly mountain with a statue of the Virgin Mary at the summit overlooking the town. It can be seen from practically anywhere in Courmayeur.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley, in northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is located at the foot of Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
, the highest mountain in western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, in the Graian Alps
Graian Alps
The Graian Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in France , Italy , and Switzerland...
range, and is crossed by the Dora Baltea
Dora Baltea
Dora Baltea or Doire Baltée , is a river in northern Italy. It is a left-hand tributary of the Po River, and is about 160 km long...
. Courmayeur shares the summit of Mont Blanc with its neighboring commune of Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and owns the title of highest commune in Italy.
Tourism
Courmayeur’s picturesque mountain scenery and healthy mountain air make it an attractive destination year round. It is one of Europe’s most famous ski locations, and contains the Giardino Botanico Alpino SaussureaGiardino Botanico Alpino Saussurea
The Giardino Botanico Alpino Saussurea or Jardin botanique alpin Saussurea is an alpine botanical garden located at Pavillon du Mont Fréty, first station for the Mont Blanc cable car, in Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy...
, which describes itself as Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's highest botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
. In the summer months Courmayeur is a popular destination for hikers.
Transport and hiking
Courmayeur is well connected to north-western Italy (220 km from MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
). The Mont Blanc Tunnel
Mont Blanc Tunnel
The Mont Blanc Tunnel is a road tunnel in the Alps under the Mont Blanc mountain, linking Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France , and Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy . It is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes, particularly for Italy, which relies on the tunnel for transporting as much as...
links the region to France. Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
is 240 km away and can be reached in a few hours, and Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, is just 100 km away. A regular airport transfer service, door-to-door from Geneva Airport to Courmayeur is operated throughout the ski season by http://www.AostaExpress.com Seats are 48 Euros, each way.
The nearby village of La Palud is the base station of the Funivie Monte Bianco, the cable car
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
to the Pointe Helbronner
Pointe Helbronner
Pointe Helbronner is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps on the watershed between France and Italy.The peak which previously was a mere geodetic reference point was named after Paul Helbronner, a French polytechnicien, alpinist and geodesist who pioneered cartography of the...
linking it to the Vallée Blanche Aerial Tramway
Vallee Blanche Aerial Tramway
The Vallée Blanche Aerial Tramway or Funivia dei Ghiacciai or Télécabine Panoramic Mont-Blanc, is a passenger aerial tramway between Courmayeur and Chamonix by passing over the Mont Blanc Massif, in the Alps. The project was by Vittorio Zignoli of Polytechnic University of Turin...
going to the Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
The Aiguille du Midi is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps.The cable car to the summit, the Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi, was built in 1955 and held the title of the world's highest cable car for about two decades. It still holds the record as the highest vertical ascent...
where there is a link to the Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi, the cable car from Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
.
Dolonne, a sister-town of Courmayeur, has many residential areas and hotels, as well as a large sports centre. It is connected to Courmayeur by a bridge that straddles a tributary flowing from Mont Blanc.
Another mountain that surrounds Courmayeur is Mont Chétif. It is a hiker-friendly mountain with a statue of the Virgin Mary at the summit overlooking the town. It can be seen from practically anywhere in Courmayeur.