Courmayeur is a stunning mountain town in the Italian Alps. It is probably better known as a ski resort town, but we visited in the summer so I can’t really speak to the winter vibe of the place. Based on our time there, though, I can only imagine that it is so full of life and so fun during any time of year. It is a small town, but it is packed full of restaurants, bars, pizza shops, cafes, and anything else you’d need while skiing, or trekking, through the beautiful Italian mountains. The views surrounding the town are like a movie scene and you could sit for hours staring at the surrounding landscape.
For us, Courmayeur was the gateway to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc. For many others, it is a stop during the trek around the mountain or a rest day location. It can also be an easy day trip or overnight stop from many places in Italy. We actually took a very easy Flix bus ride here from Turin, Italy and were pleasantly surprised with how easy the bus system was. This is all to say that Courmayeur is easily accessible, and even if you’re not hiking or skiing, it is a gorgeous place to visit.
We had a full day here at the end of June 2022, so we were able to enjoy a lot of what it has to offer, and I am going to share all of our favorite experiences. I can only imagine how fantastic it would be to lodge here while spending a few days skiing!
Where to stay
We stayed at “Hotel Crampon”, which was a family run hotel that has been in business since 1971. It happened to be our anniversary when we checked in, and my sister had asked them to prepare Prosecco and some snacks for us upon our arrival. They were so thoughtful and seemed so excited to present us with our little surprise. Our room had an incredible balcony overlooking the mountains and it was very comfortable. We had a great breakfast here before starting our hike and we’d highly recommend staying here if you’re in Courmayeur.
Get some focaccia
When we arrived in town, our first stop was naturally at the Focaccia shop I had read about before coming. It was called “Pan Per Focaccia” and it was phenomenal. They had so many choices of amazing delicious things to try. The place is also the most adorable ever and you truly feel like you’re having an alpine experience when you walk in. I can just picture how cozy it would be in the winter months while skiing and dropping in for some warm focaccia.
Get some pizza
For our next meal, we stopped for lunch at “Pizzaria du Tunnel” and it did not disappoint. We got a GIANT pizza and I was trying to be “healthy”, so I got a caprese salad and ended up with the largest ball of mozzarella ever! It was a great stop and we had a drink while enjoying the beautiful views out of the window. It was a perfect lunch spot, and we were just so happy and excited to be there! I hear this place is pretty popular, so I’d assume you may want to make a reservation if you were attempting to go for dinner.
Wander the streets
One of the best things about Courmayeur is that simply walking the streets is a wonderful activity in itself. There are so many shops to pop in and things to do and see. We loved seeing all of the adorable alpine style buildings and hotels and we walked around for hours taking it all in. Right in the center of town, near the Guides Office and where the hike begins, there is a big, wide open terrace where you can sit and sip drinks and enjoy the sunshine. We enjoyed relaxing there and having a spritz while taking in the scene, it was lively and we could people watch and mountain watch at the same time!
Grab an aperitivo
After a full day of exploring, we had drinks at an adorable bar called the “Cable Bar”. The drinks were served out of a ski lift style cable car, and it was a fun atmosphere with music playing throughout. It was a perfect place to chill out for a little happy hour before dinner.
Dinner reservations
Courmayeur is a very popular place in both summer and winter, so it is important to make dinner reservations in advance. We learned this the hard way by popping in quite a few places to ask about dinner availability while walking around and getting turned down.
All those rejections turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as we decided to look across the river at the small village of Dolonne and made a reservation at Fuori Pista. I am so thankful that we did! In all honesty, it was probably one of the best meals I’ve ever had in Italy. We started with a delicious homemade flatbread with olive oil and garlic, it was so simple and yet so good that we knew it was just a hint of what was to follow. My dinner was the most delicious pasta with both a light red tomato sauce and pesto sauce. While I love them both separately, I had never even thought to combine those two sauces, and it was truly incredible. I still dream about it. I honestly can’t even remember what my husband ate that night, I was too obsessed with my own meal.
We had excellent wine with dinner and were given limoncello at the end, which is always the perfect ending. I can’t recommend this place enough if you’re in the area of Courmayeur. You would also be remiss if you went to Courmayeur and didn’t take a little bit of time to cross the river and walk around Dolonne. It has such quiet beauty, and with the backdrop of the mountains surrounding the village, it is just a sight to see.
Do a little after dinner wander
Since we only had a day here, this was mostly the extent of our exploring, but we did (ate) a lot for a single day! You could definitely spend a few days here, making it your home base to come back to after skiing or doing some day hikes. If we’d had another day, I would have wanted to tour a nearby wine region to try Italian mountain wine. Courmayeur will be in my dreams and hopefully we’ll go back someday!
If you want to move onward from Courmayeur by bus here are some links for busses you can use!
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