Sommer in den Bergen: Turin, Aosta & Chamonix

About the destination: Turin, popularly known as the city of the car, is located in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy. The river Po and the Alps circumscribe this beautiful city, which offers visitors a feast of baroque architecture, ornate art nouveau cafés and museum collections covering everything from Egyptology to contemporary art. The heart of the city since Roman times is based on the Piazza Castello, Castle Square, surrounded by arches, each built at different periods. Nearby, the royal palaces of the Savoy House, Palazzo Madama and Palazzo Reale, lie with modest splendour. If Florence has its Duomo, Turin has its Mole Antonelliana. Crowned with a massive dome and conical spiral, the high building is the symbol of the city. Go up the glass elevator to the observation deck to get the best view of the city and before sunset, a superb view of the neighbouring Alps. Turin has proved to be more than an industrial city. To get a sense of the city’s urban revival stroll along its beautiful porticoes for some fine shopping and stop to enjoy a Vermouth before being delighted by its delicious cuisine.

About the destination: Aosta is the principal city of Aosta Valley, a bilingual region in the Italian Alps, north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, at the confluence of the Buthier and the Dora Baltea, and at the junction of the Great and Little St. Bernard routes. Aosta is not the capital of the province, because Aosta Valley is the only Italian region not divided into provinces. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Roman ruins. From walls to amphitheatres. • Mont BlanC. Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps.

About the destination: Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Situated near the massive peaks of the Aiguilles Rouges and most notably the Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix is one of the oldest ski resorts in France and is known as the ""gateway to the European Cascades."" The north side of the summit of Mont Blanc, and therefore the summit itself are part of the village of Chamonix. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Mer de Glace. One of the biggest glaciers in continental Europe, accessible by the Montenvers rack railway. • Aiguille du Midi cable car. One of the highest cable cars in the world. • Brevent cable car. • Musée des cristaux. A museum exhibiting an impressive collection of crystals, mostly from Chamonix, but also from the rest of the Alps and worldwide.