Suzey Castle, from IV November Square in Pont-Saint-Martin

Access

Road navigation

At the motorway junction of Pont-Saint-Martin, proceed for approximately 150m (0.15km) and turn right into the first roundabout. Take the second exit and continue for approximately 300m (0.45km) to the second roundabout. At the roundabout, take the third exit and enter the village of Pont-Saint-Martin. Continue for approximately 400m (0.85km), then turn right onto the regional road in the direction of Valle del Lys. Follow for about 500m (1.35km), ignoring the diversions to the right of the regional road and continue straight on for about 100m (1.45km). Cross the Lys stream at the Ponte Romano bridge and reach Piazza IV Novembre, the end of the road navigation.

Description of the car park

In Piazza IV Novembre there is a car park 🅿️ partly paid (blue zone) and partly regulated by a 60-minute disc. The car park is located close to the start of the excursion, near the Roman Bridge. There are additional free parking spaces in the immediate vicinity.

Access by public transport

The starting point can be reached by public transport.
🚌 Pont-Saint-Martin is served by regular buses of the company Vita Group, Aosta - Pont-Saint-Martin line, with a stop near Piazza IV Novembre.
🚊 The town is also served by the Turin - Aosta railway line of Trenitalia, with a station a short distance from the departure point. [from 2027]

Distance and travel time

🕒 Travel time: 3 minutes
📏 Distance: 1.4km

GPS navigation

📍 How to get there with Google Maps
📍 How to get there with Apple Maps

ℹ️ Important note

The indications provided have been verified on the date of the survey of the itinerary. We recommend checking for possible changes in the route or road conditions before departure. Please consult Google Maps or Apple Maps for the latest information.

Introduction

A round trip itinerary that takes in the hillsides at the entrance to the Valle d'Aosta, starting from the village of Pont-Saint-Martin and climbing up to Suzey Castle. The route largely follows ancient paved mule tracks and well-marked paths, crossing chestnut and beech woods, historic rural nuclei and environments shaped by centuries of agricultural use. Highlights include the Roman bridge at Pont-Saint-Martin, the village of Ivery, the Holay Pond Nature Reserve and, at the end, the remains of the medieval castle, perched on a rocky knoll dominating the lower valley.

The hike is moderate in height and development, with moderate hiking difficulties and a clear course, but care is required on the paved sections and paths near the castle, where the terrain can be uneven. The predominantly westerly exposure makes the route pleasant in mid-season; the recommended period is from March to November, depending on the ground conditions and the possible presence of snow. All in all, this is an itinerary with a historical-landscape character, which offers a significant interpretation of the area and restores, especially in the final stretch, a cosy and suggestive atmosphere. 

Description

0h00' 0.00km  From the car park, cross the Lys stream over the road bridge; at the end of the bridge you will come to a signpost.

0h00' 0.00km Cross the bridge and, at the end of it, turn left onto the paved road that climbs up the orographic left of the Lys stream until you reach the characteristic Roman bridge. Turn right and climb up a narrow lane that, having passed a portico, soon emerges from the built-up area. On reaching the last dwelling, the lane turns into a mule track and begins to climb up towards the former power station above the village. The path is very wide and well-maintained and, with a series of hairpin bends, reaches the building of the former power station and joins the regional road for Gressoney. Once you have reached the road, follow it, continuing to the left, for about fifty metres until you come to the beginning of an agricultural track that after a few metres reaches the carriage road for Ivery: follow it, continuing to the right until you come to the start of a new stretch of mule track. One begins to ascend the beautiful paved mule track through the beech and chestnut forest. After an initial uphill section, the route encounters a short flat section bordered by a metal railing and then begins to climb again on the long steps created in past centuries to facilitate the journey from the villages above. Along the way, one also encounters the characteristic pergolas on which the vineyards were planted: they are now in a state of abandonment but still exude toil and history, recalling the times when people tried to make the most of these impervious territories to obtain relatively low yields, only for subsistence. Slowly the mule track climbs up the forest until it reaches an oratory: by now the forest has thinned out, and pastures can be glimpsed; we climb up them and soon reach the village of Ivery (670m) 💧. 

0h50' 1.56km When we reach the village, we follow the road along a hairpin bend to the left until we reach a fountain, near which the trail starts again. Continue for a short, almost flat stretch until you come to a flight of steps near an aqueduct: go up it and take the beautiful mule track again, which winds its way across the rough and barren, mainly rocky slopes. Easily negotiate several jumps on a comfortable path until you reach the pleasant plateau where the Holay Pond Nature Reserve is located (774m).

1h10' 2.20km Just above the pond, near a ruin, a small agricultural road starts out and quickly joins up with the tarmac road. Here, continue to the left through a short clearing with a few scattered dwellings: continue along the small road. The remains of the castle are already visible and can be reached from the village of Valeille: at a hairpin bend on the left, a track begins that passes between some houses and continues in the direction of the castle. Go round the hillock on which the old building stands and, following the tracks of the path, climb up it until you reach the walls of the old Suzey castle (840m) 1h30' 2.49km .
The return is along the same route as the outward journey 1h00' 2.49km .

Visit information

The Château de Suzey can be visited freely: it is a ruin with no protective structures, so care must be taken near the walls and rocky sections.

Points of interest

• Pont-Saint-Martin
• Roman Bridge of Pont-Saint-Martin
• Ivery
• Holay Pond
• Holay Pond Nature Reserve
• Suzey Castle

Collections

• hikes departing from Piazza IV Novembre in Pont-Saint-Martin - on the map
• hiking in Pont-Saint-Martin - on the map
• hiking in the lower Aosta Valley - on the map
• hiking the castles of the Aosta Valley - on the map