Chamois, at 1,815 metres asl, is reachable only on foot, by bicycle or by cable car.
The village chose a cable car over roads back in 1955
In Italy’s northern Aosta Valley region, this little town is not to be missed for the crisp mountain air that sweeps down from the Matterhorn valley, and it is guaranteed to make visitors forget the heat and stress of the city. Back in 1955 the subject of environmental sustainability was not yet popular, but the village of Chamois did not succumb to the lure of building a road, choosing a cable car to connect the village with the valley below. The cable car was not only a fast and direct means of transport, it also avoided the construction of roads and consequently the emission of harmful gases and the disturbance from traffic noise.
Chamois’s small stone streets add to its charm
Although the opinions of travellers at the beginning of the century decreed the construction of a carriage road as a necessary success factor for the tourist future of the “splendid climatic resort,” as Sylvain Lucat wrote in 1908, the people of Chamois refused the building of a road which would necessarily have changed the surrounding landscape. In fact, the presence of the cable car blends in perfectly with the small stone streets and alleyways that run between the renovated houses, preserving the charm of the area.
From the cable car it is easy to spot chamois deer
Since then much work hasbeen carried out to make the cable car safer and more comfortable. And a ride in this cable car is always a thrill, as you fly over the Valtournenche at a height of 250 metres above the ground, often admiring chamois deer as they graze placidly on grassy ledges or along the steep mule track from Buisson to Chamois. The Buisson-Chamois cable car is open every day of the year (except for short maintenance periods) from 7 a.m. to 10.30 p.m., with rides every 30 minutes, or every 15 minutes in the case of heavy traffic. During the summer, opening hours are extended on Saturdays and Sundays, as they are also during the August bank holiday period and in the case of events or shows.
There are walking trails for all levels of hikers and climbers
From the village of Chamois, it is possible to go further up the mountain by chairlift and reach such beauty spots as Lake Lod, where there is a picnic area and refreshment points, making it a pleasant place to relax, while it is also a starting point for various hikes and excursions. Experiences walkers and climbers can make it up to Chamois on foot following the old mule track that still connects the town to the valley floor, or they can choose to leave from the municipality of La Magdeleine along a path that is suitable for all levels, and can also be enjoyed on mountain bikes.
