Gran Paradiso e Monte Bianco

With dozens of peaks rising above 4,000 meters - including Mont Blanc - it is a wonder that the Aosta Valley has remained off the beaten path for so long.

We start our journey by exploring two of the most breathtaking glacial valleys in the Alps:Val Veny, with its glaciers, moraines, and windswept tundra-like landscapes, framed by the forbidding silhouettes of the Aiguille Noire and the Aiguille des Glaciers, and Val Ferret, where sheer cliffs rise thousands of meters above the valley floor and high-altitude meadows overlook the Mont Blanc range.

We then head to Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy's oldest national park, a sanctuary for Alpine wildlife and flora. Wolves, ibex, chamois, red deer, and marmots roam its mountains, while golden eagles and bearded vultures circle overhead. The lynx has also recently returned after an absence of nearly two centuries. Protected since 1922, the park has escaped much of the development that transformed other parts of the Alps. Its forests, alpine meadows, and rugged peaks remain remarkably untouched, making hiking here one of the most authentic mountain experiences in Europe.

As we move east, you'll discover that the Matterhorn has an Italian side too. Here, far from the crowds of Zermatt, hiking unfolds at a slower, more contemplative pace. We stand face-to-face with the Matterhorn which people here call “Cervino” and explore the panoramic mountain passes above Chamois, Italy's only car-free village, perched high above the valley and accessible only by cable car or on foot. Summit Becca d'Aver, a little-known peak with one of the finest panoramas in the Western Alps, and immerse yourself in the rich culinary traditions and mountain culture of this hidden corner of northwestern Italy..