Hotel Hermitage: neither lavish nor extra luxurious
It is the smallest region of Italy, the so-called Aosta Valley , a corner between mountains that thanks to its strategic location drinks from French savoir vivre, Swiss equanimity and Italian far niente . A perfect conjunction to discover a gastronomy as forceful as it is succulent in which polenta, cheeses, charcuterie abound..., fantastic hotels frequented by royal families or simple refuges to share a good wine after a day of hiking , dreamlike landscapes dominated by one of the highest mountains in Europe, Matterhorn , of 4478 meters, and a glacial, the Theodulgletscher that allows skiing on the 23 kilometers of slopes shared by Switzerland and Italy. Still don't believe it? Well take a look at this:
Aosta Valley: a unique refuge
For our alternative holidays we chose Breuil-Cervinia , the call Snow queen , a fraction of the Italian municipality of Valtournenche, a valley surrounded by high mountains covered with glaciers. Although the tourist vocation of Cervinia was born more than 200 years ago when climbers and scholars were the pioneers of a way of traveling that combined sports, scientific studies and intellectual summer vacations , the truth is that here you will not find the crowds so typical of other summer destinations. As the owner of one of the best-known hotels in the area tells us, "the summer season has yet to be discovered in Cervinia." We are definitely in the perfect place.
ASCENSION TO HEAVEN: SPORTS IN THE SNOW AND DELIGHTS UNDER THE SUN
Not one but four are the cable cars that must be taken to reach the so-called Plateau Rosa at 3480 meters . There we will caress the improbable clouds that dot an infinite blue sky and we will fully discover the natural terrace that dominates the Cervinia ski resort with **23 kilometers of slopes (13 in total) ** where skiers and snowboarders meet. slide through a blanket of perfect snow under a sun that reminds us, in case we had forgotten, that we are in summer.
This is the great moment of revenge, with my phone I take a selfie and post it on my Facebook profile. “ There you have beachgoers and beach bars from all over the world, I am in the middle of the snow in the middle of August ”. Ok, and now to enjoy.
After the sport we regain strength in Il Rifugio guide to the Matterhorn located at the foot of the slopes. An apparently simple place where we are nevertheless surprised with an opulent selection of appetizers from the region: Parma ham with chestnuts, raclette, mushrooms, polenta with fontina cheese (fat cheese made with whole cow's milk from a single milking) …, below “ Sausage stew with Valdostan polenta ” for the most daring or a carpaccio for those who still dare a certain frugality in a region where the word light does not exist... all, of course, washed down with a white wine from the region. And to finish an extraordinary liquor prepared with herbs called Genepy , which is taken in traditional wooden containers. Can you ask for anything more in life?
Restaurant La Chandelle
HOTEL HERMITAGE OR THE MASTER INTERPRETATION OF ITALIAN HOSPITALITY
Yes, you can always ask for something more, because on our return to Breuil-Cervinia we stayed in one of the best hotels in the region, the Hotel Hermitage . frequented by stephan gabbana , the tennis player Novak Djokovic or even the Swedish royal family, the Hermitage It is not a lavish or extra luxurious hotel. , but rather a charming chalet in stone and wood whose atmosphere is warm, refined but above all familiar , the kind of place to settle between the soft sofas in front of the fireplace and delight for hours in front of a good book.
From the moment we walked through the door neyroz family , which has been running the place for over 40 years, with the charming matriarch at the helm, makes us feel that the Hermitage is much more than a hotel. One has the impression of being received at the home of good friends . And as such we are led to the garden for the aperitif at the magical sight of the Matterhorn at sunset : candles, mulled white wine, kiwi with ham, again polenta with fontina cheese, raclette, the famous boudins made with beetroot capable of bringing the dead back to life...
“Dinner time”-they announce us. “ Dinner time? And this, what was it? ”. The promise of your kitchen La Chandelle restaurant worthy, they assure us, of the most demanding palates and a list of 400 wines that includes the best varieties of the Aosta Valley and other regions of Italy make me reconsider. I'll have dinner even if I can't anymore . And it is that in this valley of the North of Italy the food is all a question of principles.
The Hermitage hotel cellar has a menu with 400 references
COMMEMORATE 150 YEARS OF THE FIRST ASCENSION OF MONTE CERVINO... CLIMBING IT
In the shape of a pyramid, the Matterhorn is probably the most famous mountain in the Alps. "It is one of the most photographed in the world" - Valtournians tell us proudly. The truth is that its summit of 4,478 meters is the fifth highest in the Alps and the last of this mountain chain to be conquered by man. Surrounded by myths and legends , for more than a decade unsuccessful attempts were chained to crown the long-awaited summit.
Finally, on July 14, 1865, the British Edward Whymper and his team took the first ascent of the Swiss slope. An ascent that was bathed in tragedy when four of his companions died during the descent. Three days later, on July 17, the summit was also inaugurated on the Italian side, with the ascent led by Jean-Antoine Carrel and Jean-Baptiste Bich.
The town of Cervinia proudly celebrates its 150th anniversary this summer of this feat inviting you to emulate the ascension carried out a century and a half ago. The Cervinia Alpine Society _(+39 0166 948169) _ proposes a climb that starts at noon in the town of Breuil-Cervinia to reach the Carrel , at 3,836 meters high, where you camp for the night. The next day and after several hours of ascent, the summit is reached around 9 in the morning. After the ensuing photo shoot to hang on Facebook , Instagram and of course send WhatsApp to all friends, the descent to Cervinia begins to celebrate with a glass of wine and a diploma accrediting the feat. Of course, it didn't even occur to me to try...
Matterhorn: pure spectacle
TREKKING OR THE CONQUEST OF SPIRITUALITY
Yes, this is much more my style, hiking boots, light clothing and walking through green meadows dotted with streams and waterfalls . From the town of Cervinia there are several walks that can be done, such as the so-called " Great Balcony of the Matterhorn " or the "Balcony of the Matterhorn" that take you to the very heart of these mountains.
Many of them pass through the already mythical refuge ** Duca degli Abruzzi all'Oriondé ;** at 2900 meters of altitude, known as “The Great Entrance of the Matterhorn ”, almost mandatory stop for hikers and hikers.
The summer refuge erected in 1929 by Aimé Maquignaz, linked to the King of Savoy, has always been run by the same family whose passion for the place is more than evident. Just get to know Maria Gabriella to realize that this more than a job is a true vocation, “we are almost an NGO” laughs this energetic woman , a doctor by profession, and who spends his summer vacations managing the shelter.
The joy and wisdom of Maria Gabriella reminds me more of a guru from India than a hotel owner in Italy . As she herself tells us, the philosophy of this place is to "leave everything useless and futile in life to aspire to achieve a certain spirituality." Here you will not find luxuries, but an atmosphere of camaraderie, of conversations at the end of the afternoon over a glass of wine , from effluvia to pasta with venison that escape from the kitchen…. The closest thing to an ashram I have found in Europe (Oriondè, Breuil-Cervinia AO, Italy +39 347 675 9289; €60 double room with half board) .
*** You may also be interested in...**
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Duca degli Abruzzi all'Oriondé