The Saint-Barthélemy Valley and the Cuney Sanctuary
In the Aosta Valley, above Nus, the Saint-Barthélemy valley stays ignored by those racing toward the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. Yet it holds alpine lakes and the Cuney sanctuary, among the highest in Europe, reachable only on foot in silence.
Foto: F Ceragioli (CC BY-SA 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons
The Aosta Valley is made of famous peaks, and precisely for this reason of forgotten side valleys. While the crowds concentrate toward the Matterhorn or Mont Blanc, you need only climb above the village of Nus to enter the Saint-Barthélemy valley, a quiet, luminous lateral valley where mass tourism has simply never arrived. Here the starting point is the basin of Lignan, known to stargazers for its astronomical observatory: the sky is so dark and clean that an observatory was built here, and this already says a great deal about the isolation of the place.
The sanctuary
The goal of the walk is the Cuney sanctuary, dedicated to Our Lady of the Snows, one of the highest places of worship in Europe. It is a small stone building set in an amphitheatre of pastures and rocks at altitudes where the trees have already given up, beside a small lake. Reaching it is in itself the experience: there is no road, no lift, you get there only on your own legs along trails that climb gently through still-active alpine pastures.
The itinerary
The classic itinerary starts from the area of Lignan and Porliod, where the road ends, and climbs toward the alp and the lakes that serve as the antechamber to the sanctuary. Along the way you meet mirrors of water such as Lake Cuney and the other small lakes of the valley, dark jewels framed by flowering meadows and scree. The progression is the typical one of the high Aosta Valley mountains: you leave the larch woods, cross the pastures with their stone huts, and finally climb into the mineral world where the sanctuary appears. Those seeking a longer experience can link the sanctuary with the nearby passes and valleys, because this area is a junction of ancient trails connecting the Valpelline with the Matterhorn valley, once travelled by pilgrims and shepherds.
From the sanctuary the gaze embraces a vast panorama over the peaks that separate the Aosta Valley from Switzerland: a reward that amply repays the effort of the climb. Many choose to spend the night in the refuge attached to the sanctuary to enjoy the sunset and dawn at altitude, far from everything, and to break the elevation gain over two days.
How to get there
You arrive by car climbing up from Nus, on the valley-floor main road, up to the villages of Saint-Barthélemy and the basin of Lignan. The final climb to the sanctuary is a genuine mountain hike: the elevation gain is demanding and the ground stony in places, but there are no technical difficulties or exposed passages, and the trail is well marked. It should be tackled with good fitness, suitable footwear and the awareness that you are walking at high altitude, where the weather changes quickly. The durations depend on the starting point, but it is reasonable to consider it a full-day outing, or more comfortably spread over two days with a night at the refuge.
When to go
The right time is high summer, from July to September, when the high trails are free of snow and the sanctuary's refuge is open. September is particularly beautiful: the air turns crystalline, the pastures turn to gold and the few summer hikers have already gone back down to the valley. The crowd is never a problem in this valley, precisely because everyone looks elsewhere, toward the more famous mountains: those who choose Cuney almost always find the trail to themselves.
A practical tip: set off with a supply of water and set off early. At high altitude the sun beats down hard by mid-morning and afternoon thunderstorms are just around the corner, so it is best to gain the sanctuary in the cool morning hours. Bring warm layers even in August, because up there the wind is always lurking, and if you can, stop for a night: the silence of the valley after sundown, beneath one of the starriest skies in the Alps, is the real reason to climb all the way here.
Practical guides for Como
Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Saint-Barthélemy Valley and the Cuney Sanctuary?
The recommended time is June, July and September, when it is less crowded.
Where is The Saint-Barthélemy Valley and the Cuney Sanctuary?
The Saint-Barthélemy Valley and the Cuney Sanctuary is located in Aosta Valley.
