Bard - Tête de Cou

Bard is the lowest municipality in the Aosta Valley, its valley floor sitting at just 364 m. Dominated by the imposing Forte di Bard — a Napoleonic fortress rebuilt in the nineteenth century and now an internationally renowned museum — the village is the starting point for this demanding trail, which gains 1044 m over 5.2 km to reach the Tête de Cou at 1410 m. The route climbs wooded slopes in the Valle del Lys area, passing through dense beech and chestnut forest in the lower section before transitioning to mountain scrub higher up. The Tête de Cou offers views over the lower Valle del Lys and the Dora Baltea. Suitable for fit hikers comfortable with sustained steep gradients.