Christmas in Val d'Aosta : Christmas markets, food festivals and art contests

December is the best month to discover (or rediscover if you have already been there) the Aosta Valley up in the north of Italy; Christmas markets and rustic food festivals (along of course with its snow trails) are its chief attractions; attractions which never fail to take tourists aback, usually unprepared to see so many stalls and things on view.

So if you’re planning to visit the Aosta Valley in December, you should make a stop at Noel au Bourg ( Borgo di Bard) where you can find the most lovely hand made nativity scenes you have ever seen; after that I recommend you to visit the Petit Marché du Bourg di Châtillon famous for what we would call delicatessen; but there’s another name and place to add to the list of the things one should see or do in Val d’Aosta in December: the festa del vischio or mistletoe festival which takes place at Saint- Denis (autostrata A5; exit at Châtillon-Saint-Vincent); a fascinating journey to rediscover Celtic traditions and at the end of a torchlight procession the most talented artist (the art works on display are all made of mistletoe) will be given a lovely prize.