Champoluc

Like the Aosta town of Gressoney and the Piedmontese Alagna Valsesia - two other venues for summer hikes and winter sports on Mount Rosa - Champoluc owes its origins to the Walser migrations in the 12th and 13th centuries, when the zone was populated by German-speaking peoples from the area of what is now Canton Valais in Switzerland. The growth of this town in recent decades is thanks to tourism, as you will see from the many holiday villas, shops and hotels, but also to the care and attention lavished on the place by the locals 

The classic summer excursion takes you to Lake Bleu, but the trail is really only suitable for the fit and experienced hiker. It takes you as far as Crest, which you can also reach by cable car, by walking up from Champoluc. To get to the hamlet of Walser di Resy and Pian di Verra Inferiore, along the trails 8B, 7 and 7A, as well as the lake also on 7A, the routes are straightforward but may take hours! Remember to leave enough time for the descent.