Our Lady of the Guard

The ascent follows the very steep Tor des Géants route up to the sanctuary of Notre-Dame de la Garde, before continuing along a level path towards the village of Perloz.
From the sanctuary, enjoy a splendid view over the entrance to the Aosta Valley and the Canavese region.
The village itself is well worth exploring carefully, with its hidden gems: two castles, the traditional wine press (torchio), and the charming church.
The descent takes you along the attractive mulattiera leading back to the village. Notable sights along the way include the Fontaney Church, whose interior reproduces the Aosta Cathedral, and the historic cemetery with its beautiful funerary chapels.

From the Pont-Saint-Martin motorway exit, turn left towards Aosta. At the roundabout, take the right turn towards the town centre.
Upon reaching I° Maggio Square, turn left in the direction of Perloz, where the climb begins. The multi-storey car park is on the right.

From the car park, return for less than 50 metres towards the centre of Pont-Saint-Martin, then ascend the steep mule track leading to Perloz.
The wide mule track passes close to the beautiful Fontaney church and the old cemetery (with Baraing Castle clearly visible on the right), crosses the road, and from here follows the Tor des Géants route. Pass beneath the regional road, then cross it to reach the vineyard road higher up.
The mule track continues for about 100 metres until a left-hand deviation leads along the Tor des Géants path through the vineyards. After a short flat section, the path climbs steeply with some stone steps until it meets the road coming from Perloz. Follow this road gently to the right until you reach the path to the sanctuary of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, accessible via a wide mule track.
From the sanctuary, follow the road level to the beginning of Perloz, then take the left-hand road and immediately after the right-hand road into the village. Explore the village, admiring the castle, the wine press, and the beautiful church.
Retrace your steps to the second junction after the village, where a left-hand mule track descends to Plan de Brun. After crossing the village, continue until rejoining the morning route, which leads back to the car.