At the foot of Mont Blanc: Pré-Saint-Didier, Courmayeur, Entrèves and Cogne

Beginning in Pré-Saint-Didier, a day at the historic spa is definitely the best way to get started. QC Termemontebianco Spa & Resort is a 4-star hotel on the slopes of Mont Blanc surrounded by a panoramic view of the Alps and forests. After a restful night in this enchanting place, you can devote yourself to discovering the local food and wine at the Le Chapiteau 1861 restaurant just a few minutes' walk away. This traditional spot dates back to the second half of the 18th century and is not to be missed: enjoy regional dishes ranging from zuppa valdostana (a hearty soup) to polenta, mushrooms, cured meat appetisers, and platters of local toma cheese. To take a bit of Pré-Saint-Didier home with you, stop off at the Cooperativa Produttori Latte e Fontina. Founded in 1957, its name is still a guarantee of quality when buying PDO fontina, toma di Gressoney, Aosta Valley fondue and fontìfette cheese.

A 10-minute drive away lies Courmayeur, one of the most well-known ski destinations. For accommodation, Le Massif is a luxury chalet in the town centre offering wellness treatments and programmes as well as gourmet experiences. Inside, the LM38 gourmet restaurant, headed by Michelin-starred chef Alfredo Russo, is the newest of the hotel's four offerings. The food here is traditional mountain cuisine made with local ingredients and high-quality products, to be enjoyed against a mountain backdrop of Alpine colours and materials, reimagined with a contemporary twist. In the historic centre, the Cadran Solaire restaurant, owned by the Garin family, tells its story through traditional dishes, carefully selected local wines, and a "country chic" ambience. Try the costoletta alla valdostana, the house gnocchi, and the platter of local cured meats, including mocetta, coppa al ginepro and boudin. The Grand Hotel Royal and Golf is another luxurious spot with a superb menu. Opened in 1854, it has hosted illustrious names including Queen Margherita of Savoy. Pastificio Gabriella is a real paradise for anyone looking to buy pasta, whether it's made from fresh egg, semolina, hard and soft wheat, or soybean, as well as other homemade products such as cheeses, cured meats, and extra virgin olive oil. The bakery Pan per Focaccia is perfect for bread and filled rolls, pizzas, focaccias, crêpes, tarts and other sweet and savoury baked goods. The Panizzi grocery store, meanwhile, offers dairy products such as artisanal yoghurt made from milk from the store's own cows, as well as fontina cheese – including fontina d'alpeggio – and goat's or cow's milk cheeses. It also stocks sliced meats, sausages, fondue and preserves.

North of Courmayeur in the ski resort of Entrèves, the Brasserie La Sapinière, a restaurant housed in a chalet, seems to have been untouched by time and offers a culinary experience that balances tradition and creativity. In the heart of the town, La Maison de Filippo is the best-known historic restaurant, with a homely atmosphere, a menu of Aosta Valley dishes since 1965, and the young sommelier, Altai Garin, who unveils his impressive wine collection by showcasing the features of the local land. Just a few steps away, the Auberge de la Maison, which offers a majestic view of Mont Blanc, has a restaurant with real rustic charm, L’Aubergine. Here, dishes made with the best ingredients from local producers or from the hotel's own garden are served on the sun-kissed terrace, or indoors by the fireplace in winter.

After a few days spent in Pré-Saint-Didier and Courmayeur, another charming destination is Cogne, a bucolic window on the massif of the Gran Paradiso. Leaving Courmayeur in the direction of Cogne, a nice stop along the way is Vinosteria Antirouille in Aymavilles. A small wine bar in a town known for its winemaking, surrounded by vineyards, this is the place for a snack or a nice platter of cured meats and cheeses and a glass of local wine. And for those looking for an even quainter little place, less than a thirty-minute drive away is the Lou Bequet restaurant in Cretaz, at the entrance to the Gran Paradiso National Park. A warm welcome awaits in this cosy space, dominated by the central fireplace and the large window overlooking the Sant'Orso meadow, where visitors can enjoy traditional dishes including the popular Gran Paradiso soup in all its seasonal variations. Arriving in Cogne, the Du Grand Paradis hotel, dating from the late 19th century, is the oldest in the centre, boasting charming rooms decorated in timeless style as well as the private La Baita spa. Cogne also has no shortage of places worth a visit. The first of the restaurants to try is Bar à Fromage, with a menu strongly rooted in tradition: from raclette to polenta pasticciata (polenta lasagne), via cheese dishes such as favô and ecorce de sapin, you can taste the mountain in every mouthful. The bar is part of the Bellevue Hotel & Spa, a historic hotel founded in 1925, with rooms full of character, a spa, saunas, pools, relaxation grottoes, and a wellness centre. On the culinary front, the place also has plenty to offer, from the terrace for summer barbecues to the various restaurants run by the hotel itself. For example, the Bellevue has a wine and cheese cellar and a distinctive circular vegetable garden, which provides the chefs and bar staff with fresh herbs. Heading up Rue Grand Paradis, La Maison du Goût is one of the town's oldest grocery stores, where you can find Gran Paradiso breads, wholemeal fruit breads, and mécoulin di Cogne, a sweet bread with raisins. Not to mention cured meats, cheeses, wines and local delicacies such as motsetta di Cogne, lardo d'Arnad, toma, fontina, and bottles from vineyards that grow native grape varieties. Just a few steps away is a restaurant steeped in tradition: La Brasserie du Bon Bec, also owned by the Bellevue Hotel & Spa, offers classic, simple dishes. Specialities include the snails, Aosta Valley fondue and fondue chinoise, plus assiette valdôtaine, polenta gnocchi, frecachà, tartiflette and pierrade.

Just 30 metres away, Perret is an institution when it comes to sweet treats. Owner Stefano Vassoney has reinvented the town's signature dessert, crema di Cogne (Cogne cream). As you head up Via Bourgeois, you will find Boutique Agricole, the grocery store that goes from farm to table. The shop is a place for local breeders and farmers to sell their sausages, cheeses, and fruit and vegetables, plus a good selection of wines, grappa, spirits and craft beers. Also not to be missed is Lou Tsaven de Noutra Tera, a small gourmet food shop selling agricultural products. In patois (the local dialect of the valleys) 'lou Tsaven' means the basket in which, in the past, fruit, vegetables and other foodstuffs were stored. Thus, travellers can leave with a basket of local excellence.