Etroubles, Italy – Walking Tour (4K UHD)

Etroubles, Italy – Walking Tour (4K UHD)

Welcome to Etroubles, Aosta Valley, Italy. With less than 500 inhabitants, Etroubles is one of the most picturesque villages in the Aosta Valley region. The town is subdivided into 11 charming hamlets, covering a total area of 39,57 km². Right now, we’re in La Collère situated at 1370m (4,494ft) above the sea level.

Etroubles is nestled in the historic Gran San Bernardo Valley, renowned for the pivotal Great St Bernard Pass connecting Italy and Switzerland for centuries. This valley is dominated by the majestic Gran Paradiso massif, the highest mountain in the Aosta Valley, rising to an impressive 4,061 meters (13,323 ft).

The subdivision of Vachéry’s landmark is this tower, called Tour de la Vachère. It’s an imposing tower built in Medieval times on ancient Roman ruins. Vachéry is a relaxed residential area with Alpine-style houses and a nice old fountain. The wooden windows and the colored flowers on the balconies are very characteristic of this area.

The valley’s scenery is truly breathtaking. The history of Etroubles dates back to the Roman period: from 23 b.C, it was recognized as the most important settlement of the valley. The Romans conquered this area because they wanted to control the ancient Via delle Gallie, which used to lead to Switzerland.

Via delle Gallie, during Medieval times (10th-14th centuries), became part of Via Francigena, a crucial pilgrimage route from Great Britain to Rome. Indeed, Etroubles has always been a refuge for wayfarers and pilgrims crossing the mountains, entering Italy towards Rome. Around 1880, Etroubles began to emerge as a well-known tourist center.

The Cappella della Vergine Addolorata e San Giovanni dates back to the 16th century, but it was probably rebuilt 300 years later. The frescoes adorning the facade were obscured by black smoke from a fire in 1945, but were rediscovered in 1995.

The Aosta Valley is the smallest, least populous, and least densely populated among Italy’s 20 regions. Despite its small size, the region’s beautiful mountains offer prime conditions for skiing and hiking, attracting visitors from around the world. We are now going to walk down to the old center of the village.

The downhill pathway is quite steep but satisfying, as it offers nice, soothing views over the surrounding landscape. The trail is split into two parts. We are currently walking the first section. Part one completed.

From here, two options open up: you can either go down Rua de Vachéry (this way) or take Rua de Bordonnet. Rua de Vachéry is lined with adorable houses, but going down this way takes a bit more time. Rua de Bordonnet, on the other hand, leads directly to the heart of Etroubles.

Let’s opt for this one; it offers breathtaking views over the valley! The Aosta Valley region adopted both italian and French as its official languages. Among the locals, 77% speak Italian, 18% converse in Valdôtain (a Franco-Provençal dialect), and 1% use French as their mother tongue.

The architecture here is typical Alpine rural, with houses made of local wood and stones, adorned with white plaster. It’s not hard to find logs piled up against the walls, relaxing wooden balconies, charming flower vases and handmade wooden artifacts. Part two done. We’re now in the village center.

This adorable Biblio-Tronco (book log) is a proper open-air library, free for anyone to enjoy. This is a small square adorned with charming red and pink geraniums. Overlooking the square is Parrocchiale di Santa Maria Assunta, the main church of the village.

The picturesque bell-and-clock tower is way older than the church: it was built with local stone at the end of the 15th century. The church, with its white façade, was built in the early 19th century using stones from a tower that used to stand here.

This is the emblem of Etroubles. It recalls the coat of arms belonging to a local ancient noble family, La Tour. Due to the pivotal role of the La Tour family in the village’s development, this street is dedicated to them. The Maison Communale (Casa Municipale) serves as the town hall of Etroubles.

The buidilng recalls the classical alpine architecture with a stone base, wooden upper floor, and a shingled roof. This view faces northwest, towards the peaks of Monte Bianco. If you have kids, you can stop a bit more and appreciate the peacefulness of the area while they play safely.

I visited Etroubles on October 22th and found it quite empty — the village felt almost like a ghost town. Etroubles is only 16 kilometers from Aosta, the main city of the region.

I initially planned to film a walking tour of Aosta, but the weather turned bad during my visit, forcing me to cancel the plan. This typical house hosts the historic “latteria” (dairy shop), the first one in the region.

It was established in 1853 and served as an example for all the future ones in the Aosta Valley. Here, butter and typical local cheeses have been produced until 1988.

This area is private, but I asked the lady who lives here to film her lovely garden; she was totally fine with it and very accommodating. Can you imagine waking up to such amazing views? Enjoying breakfast in a neat and charming garden like this one can’t be bad either.

The name “Etroubles” has its origins in the Roman “Eudracinum,” later evolving into “Estrobles.” The current name might mean “turbid waters” in the local dialect, reflecting ties to its Roman history as “Restapolis” and “Stipulae” (Latin for “straw”).

An alternative interpretation links the current name to the local language, meaning “straw-covered fields” referring to the straw remaining after harvesting wheat and rye. This house here is where Napoleon stayed for one night in 1800, while marching through with 40,000 soldiers.

Legend has it that despite having a mattress, he chose to sleep on a straw bed alongside his soldiers. A plaque has been placed on the building in his honor. We finally get to the main little square: the heart and symbol of Etroubles.

The square is adorable, surrounded by quaint houses that almost seem to “hug” each other. The murals on this building refer to Via Francigena, an ancient pilgrimage road for all those who wanted to reach the holy city of Rome.

Via Francigena starts in Great Britain, passes through France and Switzerland, and enters Italy through Gran San Bernardo, right next to Etroubles. The wall artwork wants to celebrate the great sense of hospitality that Etroubles has always offered to pilgrims.

At the center of the square is a monument dedicated to Alpini (the Italian Alpine troopers). The monument is part of an open-air exhibition, “À Etroubles, avant toi sont passés”, displaying 22 art pieces by Italian and foreign artists. Here is another lovely spot of the village.

An ancient stone washy house, a triumph of flowers in an old wooden cart, the gentle sound of the water… …and a very nice view over the mountains, of course! Another piece of art worth noting is Chicco Margaroli’s Mon Courtì (my backyard) featuring verses of poems written in Franco-Provençal dialect.

This sculpture, named “Il Viandante” (“The Pilgrim”) was crafted by Sergio Zanni in 2005. It’s a clear reference to the pilgrims that used to walk along the Via Francigena to reach Rome.

The Via Francigena was also used as a trade road by all merchants who wanted to connect Great Britain and France to Italy and the Mediterranean area. Today, the pathway is still open: lots of travelers walk one or more legs of it, mainly for leisure and a sense of adventure.

Many residents of Etroubles decorate their yards and homes with flowers, especially geraniums. Geraniums are beautiful flowers with bright, lobed leaves that burst with vibrant colour. According to a 2023 census, the population of Etroubles is just 472.

The population is relatively balanced across age groups with the majority (64%) falling between 18 and 60 years old Etroubles is scattered with these typical stone fountains, whose fresh water streams directly from nearby Monte Vélan. This old and typical house serves as the village library.

This cute, wooden bridge is the easiest passage to the other side of the creek. While crossing it, you can enjoy the sound of the water while watching some historical pictures of the village. This spot is often chosen for postcards showcasing Etroubles.

Have you visited this region of Italy? Feel free to share your experience in the comments. If you’re enjoying this tour, consider leaving a like on this video. Your support greatly helps my work. Thank you! On the façade of the library is a painting by local artist Enrichetta Jorrioz.

It depicts the landscape of Etroubles with the inscription ‘Stipulae,’ paying homage to the rural past of the valley. At the top, you can see the Vachery hamlet, our starting point; we’ve been walking for 40 minutes so far. We are now looking at Centrale Bertin, a nice building on the creek.

The Centrale Bertin is the first hydroelectric unit built in the Gran San Bernardo Valley. It marks the early stages of modernization in the valley, affecting rural Italy from the early 1900s. Today, it houses a Museum of Energy with old documents, objects, and pieces of equipment like these ones.

Here are some of the awards recognizing Etroubles for its beauty, greenery, and charm. I hope you liked this tour of Etroubles, a village where art, history, and peacefulness meet. Thanks for watching.

Join me in this walking tour along the alleys of Etroubles, an enchanting village located in the Aosta Valley. Listed among Italy’s most beautiful villages, Etroubles is the typical fairytale Alpine retreat… also featuring some art and history gems you may not expect!

This walking tour will lead us to Etroubles, a lovely village in the Aosta Valley in north-west Italy. Next to its typical Alpine features, like the amazing landscapes and the mountain stone houses with wooden balconies, you’ll also find a lot of history and art. This rural area welcomes pilgrims along the Via Francigena, as well as unique art pieces in a permanent open-air exhibition, a tiny library in a log, and a curious fact about Napoleon.

But Etroubles is so much more than this…come find out in this walking tour!

Things to see:
[00:00] *Welcome to Etroubles*
[01:00] *La Collère hamlet*: starting point of our tour
[03:25] *Vachèry Tower*: a Medieval testimony
[03:55] *Vachèry (⭐)*: a hamlet with spectacular views
[07:40] *Vachèry’s chapel*: one of Etroubles’ five rural chapels
[11:25] *Rua du Bordonnet*: path leading to the historic center
[13:55] *Biblio-Tronco*: reading from a tree
[15:30] *Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta*: the main religious building
[17:05] *Rua La Tour*: street dedicated to the La tour family
[17:40] *Maison Communale*: Etroubles’ town hall
[21:45] *Dairy of Etroubles*: first dairy in the Aosta Valley
[35:40] *Napoleon’s Stay*: an anecdote about the French emperor
[26:45] *Main square (⭐)*: the hub of village life
[27:50] *Via Francigena*: a series of murals dedicated to the Pilgrim’s Route
[28:55] *”À Etroubles, avant toi sont passés”*: a permanent, unique art exhibition
[29:30] *Old washhouse (🥇)*: the most picturesque spot of Etroubles
[32:05] *Mon Courtì*: artwork by Chicco Margaroli
[33:10] *Il Viandante*: sculpture commemorating the Via Francigena
[38:15] *Library*: the village library
[39:40] *Wooden bridge*: Picture-perfect spot, often captured in postcards
[40:40] *Etroubles painting*: artwork by local artist Enrichetta Jorrioz
[41:50] *Centrale Bertin*: the first hydroelectric unit in the valley
[44:00] *Awards Plaques*: Awards won by Etroubles
[44:30] *Closing View (⭐)*: a final glimpse from below

📜 Turn on the CAPTIONS to read descriptions, historical facts and lots more!

🇺🇸/🇬🇧 Closed Captions are available in English.

Malcesine, Italy: https://bit.ly/malcesine-tour
Bardolino, Italy: https://bit.ly/bardolino-tour

#etroubles #aostavalley #aosta #italy #4k #walkingtour #viafrancigena

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