The best running trails around Quart

Mountain tour through woods and spectacular panoramas

Blessed Emeric of Quart was a 12th-century Aosta Valley nobleman who chose a life of renunciation and prayer, retreating as a hermit in the woods above the present-day village of Quart. According to tradition, he lived in extreme poverty in a cave or natural shelter on the very site where the Oratory dedicated to him now stands. He was known among the population for his austerity and for the help he offered to travelers and local farmers. After his death around 1140, his retreat became a place of popular devotion, giving rise to the small oratory that preserves his memory.

currently the railway line is interrupted but we managed to leave from Chatillon by bus loading the bikes towards Aosta, then take the cycle path along the Dora Baltea mostly downhill. we found some interrupted sections with diversions

Quart Castle is currently (January 2025) undergoing conservation work. The work should be completed by summer 2025.

Travelling along the Via Francigena from Aosta to Nus, just before Quart you come across this Castle built on a hill, an enchanting and solitary place.

The Oratory of Blessed Emerico is a small church dedicated to Saint Emeric, patron saint of young people and students. Dating back to the 12th century, the oratory has a simple but fascinating architecture, with frescoes decorating the interior, dating back to later periods. Situated in a panoramic position, it offers an enchanting view of the surrounding mountains and the Aosta Valley landscape.

The regional capital is located in the middle of the valley of the same name. The city still has the layout of the old Roman castrum, and in the car-free centre several monuments recall the Roman period. Aosta was a lively religious centre in the Middle Ages. St. Anselm, the later Archbishop of Canterbury who died in 1109, was born here. Today Aosta is a busy tourist hub at the crossroads of the roads to the Great St. Bernard Pass and Switzerland.

Piazza Émile Chanoux is the central square of Aosta, located in the Valle d’Aosta region of Italy. Named after the notary and resistance leader Émile Chanoux, the square is a rectangular square with its long sides facing north and south. The square is surrounded by elegant buildings, including the neoclassical Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville), which is richly decorated with frescoes and marquetry. In front of the Town Hall is a monument to the Soldier of the Aosta Valley, made by Pietro Canonica in 1924. The square serves as a meeting place and venue for festivals and markets, and is also home to the Hôtel des États, an important 18th-century building now used for temporary exhibitions.