Discover Saint Pierre – Castle, Museum and Wine

Saint Pierre combines impressive buildings, natural history discoveries and activities centred around wine. The castle of Saint-Pierre stands on a hill and towers over the town of Saint-Pierre. Since 1985, it has housed the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences. A holiday apartment in Saint Pierre can therefore be a suitable starting point if culture, nature and varied activities are all to be part of your holiday.

Holiday apartment in Saint Pierre between the castle and museum

The tour of the Efisio Noussan Regional Museum of Natural Sciences leads through 16 rooms on the ground floor and the two upper floors. The Lyskamm marmot, considered the oldest mummified find discovered in Italy, can also be seen there. The Priorato di Saint-Pierre is documented as early as 1176 and was rebuilt between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It welcomes guests in single rooms and has two conference rooms, two libraries, two dining rooms and a private chapel.

Historical details around Saint-Pierre

Immediately below the castle of Saint-Pierre, the parish church of Saints Peter and Paul stands on a rocky promontory. The Sarriod de La Tour Castle also offers remarkable details: the Hall of Heads contains a wooden ceiling from the late 15th century, decorated with anthropomorphic figures, monsters, insects and animals. In 1420, Jean Sarriod had the existing tower expanded into a representative castle; a spiral staircase and cross-shaped windows made of hewn stone were added at that time.

Nature and activities for varied days on holiday

The “Ambienti xerici di Mont Torretta – Bellon” area extends across the municipalities of Sarre and Saint-Pierre. At low altitudes, rare animal and plant species of steppe and/or Mediterranean origin can be found there. Paragliding is possible in Vetan, at the foot of Mont Fallère. Near the castle and priory of Saint-Pierre, there are artificial outdoor rock-climbing facilities suitable for beginners and advanced climbers.

Along the path from Vetan to the Mont Fallère mountain refuge, there is an open-air museum with wooden statues. In winter, a prepared snow area is available in the village of Vetan for descents by bobsleigh, sled and tyre. When choosing a holiday apartment, this allows you to take different priorities into account: historical sightseeing in Saint-Pierre, nature observation or active days with climbing and winter sports activities in Vetan.

Wine, regional products and local traditions

The Di Francesco-Gasperi Vino&Spiriti winery offers tours of the vineyards and tasting room all year round, subject to advance notice by telephone or in writing. The family-run Di Barrò winery opens its cellar and vineyards for tours with wine tasting; during the visit, there is also an opportunity to buy wine. Château Feuillet offers tours of its cellar and vineyards, during which the winemaking process is explained from harvesting through pressing, fermentation and bottling to ageing.

Cofruits collects and stores the apple harvest from local farmers and also sells other typical products from the Aosta Valley. At the end of June, the Pro Loco of Saint-Pierre organises the patronal festival of Saints Peter and Paul with three days of events, including meals, dance evenings and activities for children. From Aosta, Saint-Pierre can be reached by bus route 29, “Saint-Pierre–Villefranche”, as well as by the “Aosta–Courmayeur” route. This connection can play just as much a role in planning accommodation as the desired proximity to cultural attractions, wine offerings or nature experiences.

Other places for planning your trip include Chef-lieu, Chamois, Saint-Oyen, Doues, Bard, Oyace, Issime and Arnad.

To the higher-level travel overview: Aosta Valley.