The Marché Vert Noël of Aosta is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Its 43 wood chalets will thrill the visitors in this little corner called the “Rome of the Alps”, which is often forgotten by its inhabitants during the year, but very appreciated by tourists and visitors during the holidays.
During Christmas time, from 25th November to 7th January, the magic of Christmas will enchant the city of Aosta. Visitors will be immersed in this typical “Alpine village” in the archeological area of the Roman Theatre, characterized by chalets, Christmas trees and lights, bonfires, wooden sculptures and much more.
At the chalets, visitors will be able to taste and learn about the tpical food and wine delicacies of Aosta. They will also find Christmas presents among the hand-made products such as laces, Christmas decorations, ceramic, wood and glass objects, candles, hand-made soaps, antique objects and furniture, clothing articles made of boiled wood and felt.
In addition to handicrafts, local wine and food products are worth trying, especially the DOP (Denomination of Protected Origin) and DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) such as Fontina cheese, confictionery, pastries, cured meats and wines. Visitors can get warm drinking a hot chocolate or vin brûlé, kindly offered by the locals. There will also be live music played by folk groups or by the various bands of the Valley. Bringing home a souvenir from the Marché means rediscovering the local savoir-faire, which is very much felt by the inhabitants of the region.
Why visit the Marché? Because it is considered the best Christmas market of the Alps and because it is a perfect occasion to combine Christmas shopping and sport. In fact, the Aosta Valley has 900 km of ski slopes between Courmayeur and Cervinia and 300km of cross-country trails spread in the various valleys.
The Marché is open every day in the following hours: from Sunday to Friday from 10 am to 8 pm; Saturday, 7th and 8th December the Marché until 11pm; on Christmas and New Year’s Eve only in the afternoon from 4 pm until 8 pm.
The novelty of this years is the “selfie stage”, a social space where you can be photographed or take pictures of yourself with the magical background of the chalets.
The Marché Vert Noël is waiting for you to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere in the Aosta Valley.
Article and photos by: V. Zilio
