Federation Aeronautique Internationale - 102nd FAI General Conference 2008 - Aosta Valley, Italy
- COURMAYEUR, THE ROOF OF ALPS and THE FENIS CASTLE
- BARD FORTRESS TOUR
- TOWN OF AOSTA TOUR
- FULL DAY EXCURSION TO TURIN
COURMAYEUR, THE ROOF OF ALPS and THE FENIS CASTLE
Friday October 03rd
Full day - Transport by private coach and guided tour
Departure from the hotel for this excursion is at approximately 08:30.
First Stop: Courmayeur - Mont Blanc Tour
In 20 minutes from Courmayeur you reach Punta Helbronner (3462 m) and its fantastic Terrace on the Glaciers where the view on Mont Blanc (4807 m) and the Giant's tooth is breathtaking. This incredible journey by cable car takes you up 2000 metres where the mountain crest dividing Italy and France enable you to have the whole Aosta Valley at your feet: an unforgettable experience. At Punta Helbronner the Permanent Mont Blanc Crystal Exhibition hosts 150 minerals and quartzes.
Notes:
At 3400 m sunlight is very strong; please wear sunglasses and use a highly protective sun cream. Please note that temperatures can drop below 0°C, always take some warm clothing with you.
Departure from Courmayeur is approximately at 12:00 to reach the village of Nus, where the best of Aosta Valley's products will be cooked for you and served in a welcoming atmosphere.
Second Stop: the Fénis Castle
A real medieval icon, Fénis Castle is famous for its extraordinary architecture and the evocative power of its towers and turreted walls. This complex, harmonious structure, which is organised in a concentric manner around an inner courtyard, evokes an almost fairy tale image.
The castle is now the property of the Regional Council. It has a pentagon layout; the corners have round towers, expect the south-west corner which has a big tower and the southern corner with a square shaped tower. The keep is surrounded by a double wall, with a look-out tower and walking post. You can access the manor by passing through the square tower. The inner courtyard, with a semi-circular stairs and wooden balcony, is decorated with precious frescoes.
The return to the Hotel is approximately at 18:00.
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BARD FORTRESS TOUR
Saturday October 04th
Half day, in the morning - Transport by private coach and guided tour
Departure from the hotel for this excursion is at approximately 09:00
Almost intact from the moment of its construction, the Fortress of Bard represents one of the best examples of early 1800 military strongholds.
The Fortress of Bard is formed of 3 main defence stations positioned at different levels upon a high imposing rock spur; the top of the fortified rock is easily accessible thanks to futuristic external glass lifts with stunning views, taking you from the medieval village of Bard at the foot of the fortress right up to the Carlo Alberto Opera.
The first floor of the Carlo Alberto Opera hosts the Museum of the Alps, which is an avant-garde museum space telling the story of a living, breathing mountain transformed in the hands of mankind. Tradition and modern technology are fused together to take you on a voyage into time and space where the sets are brought alive through visual projections, sounds and interactive multimedia games, offering an extremely enjoyable learning experience that plunges you deep into the alpine culture.
The return to the Hotel is approximately at 12:00 to have lunch at the Hotel
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TOWN OF AOSTA TOUR
Saturday October 04th
Half day, in the afternoon - Transport by private coach and guided tour
The city of Aosta is to be found at the centre of the Valley of Aosta, 580 a.s.l. Capital of the autonomous Valle d'Aosta Region, it was founded by the Romans in 25 B.C. and is located in the point where the physiographic catchment of the Dora Baltea reaches its maximum width and where the main roads heading to France and Switzerland converge.
It is surrounded by magnificent mountains and is rich in monuments. Some of the more memorable monuments include the megalithic area of Saint-Martin de Corleans, due to be opened to the public in the near future. It offers a wealth of remains from Roman times, such as the Praetoria Gate, one of the few examples from Roman times still perfectly intact, the Theatre, the forum Cryptoporticus, the perimeter of the boundary walls almost completely intact, a well preserved extra muros villa and the magnificent Augustus' Arch. It is also home to two masterpieces of Medieval art, the Cathedral and San'Orso, real treasure chests of masterpieces such as the Ottanian frescoes in the garret, floor mosaics, the wooden choir, the treasure museum for the Cathedral and the frescoes, wooden choir and enchanting cloisters in the Sant'Orso Collegiate
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FULL DAY EXCURSION TO TURIN
Sunday October the 5th, 2008
Half day, in the afternoon - Transport by private coach and guided tour
Two alternatives are offered to participants:
- Downtown sightseeing, with the possibility of visiting the Egyptian Museum and the national Museum of Cinema;
- Visit to the World Air Games 2009 main venues.
The Egyptian Museum
The Egyptian museum is the only museum other than the Cairo
Museum that is dedicated solely to Egyptian art and culture.
Many international scholars, since the decipherer of Egyptian hieroglyphs
Jean-François Champollion,
who came to Turin in 1824, spend much time pouring over the
collections. It was Champollion who famously wrote, "The road to Memphis
and Thebes passes through Turin".
The collections that make up today's Museum, were enlarged
by the excavations conducted in Egypt by the Museum's archaeological
mission between 1900 and 1935. The Egyptian Museum was formally founded
in 1824 with the acquisition by King Carlo Felice of a large collection.
Six and half thousand objects are on display, whereas a further 26,000 objects
are in storage. (www.museoegizio.org)
The National Museum of Cinema
The only one in Italy and among the most important ones in the world, the National Museum of Cinema is located inside the Mole Antonelliana, the historic building representing the city of Turin.
n 1941, a project of Maria Adriana Prolo, historian and collector, gave life to the National Museum of Cinema.
Member of the Fédération Internationale des Archives du Film (FIAF) since 1953, the Museum became a Foundation in 1992, thanks to the support of the Piedmont Region, the Municipality of Turin and the Province of Turin, of the Cassa di Risparmio di Torino and of the National Museum of Cinema Association.
The Museum is located inside the Mole Antonelliana, designed by the great mind of Alessandro Antonelli, and was inaugurated in July 2000. François Confino's spectacular setting has turned the historic building representing the city of Turin into a unique vertical museum. (www.museonazionaledelcinema.it) .The Mole is the symbol of Turin. The tower's composite, classical style contrasts with its verticalism. Until a few years ago it was the highest stone building in Europe (167.50 metres).The Mole was built in 1863 like Synagogue, then become the house of the Museo del Risorgimento, and now it's the site of the new National Cinema Museum.
Visit to the World air Games main venues
Planned tour is bound to visit the Turin-Aeritalia airport, hosting most of the WAG2009 competitons and the Avigliana spot, hosting the hang-gliding and paragliding competitions.
The World Air Games include all air sports, from motorised aerobatics to gliding to helicopters, from parachuting to hang-gliding, from paragliding to hot air ballooning, from gas balloons to aero-modelling, from ultra-lights to experimental aircraft.
In the spirit of the new-style World Air Games, the competitions, demonstrations and record attempts will take place in a very restricted geographical area, centred on Turin, thus allowing the spectators easy access to the greatest number of events possible. Of the planned 27 competitions, 21 will take place at the Turin-Aeritalia airport.
Avigliana, a beauty spot close to Turin and positioned at the foot of the mountains, is the ideal selected location for the hang-gliding and paragliding competitions.
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Transfers to Turin (TRN) and Milan (MPX) airports are available for delegates leaving Italy.
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HELI TOURS DURING FAI2008GC
any day during the CG period
Experience the unforgettable sensations of flying among the highest mountains of Europe, over enchanted castles, through alpine fairytale landscapes on board of panoramic and very comfortable Lama or B3 helicopters. These optional heli tours will be available during the event with a minimum of 4 participants.
Tour n° 1 - 20 minutes approx.
Take off from GH Billia Helisurface then head straight for Cervinia through the narrow Valley of Valtournenche for a final breathtaking ring around the Mount Cervino,the second highest peak in the Alps (4.478 mt) and one of the most famous mountains on earth.
COST 100 EURO PER PERSON (min 4 pax)
Tour n° 2 - 20 minutes approx.
Take off from GH Billia Helisurface for a smooth and panoramic flight over the famous medieval castles of Fenis, Ussel, Verres, Issogne and a final approach to the Fortress of Bard
COST 100 EURO PER PERSON (min 4 pax)
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CHAMOIS, A TERRACE ON THE ALPS
Wednesday October 1st - Half day, in the afternoon
Transport by private coach and with accompanying hostess
Departure from the hotel for this excursion is at approximately 14:30.
There are still places where you can "breathe" nature; Chamois lies on the sweet sunny slopes that face Cervino mountain ( Matterhorn ), 1815 m above sea level, endlessly above everyday troubles. Chamois is the unique municipality in Italy not reachable by car: it is accessible by a mule track with 93 hairpin curves, by light aircrafts or by cableway. Coming to Chamois means experiencing the pure essence of real mountain life: no asphalted roads, no cars, no traffic. The return to the Hotel is approximately at 18:30.
COST ¤ 40 PER PERSON (min 10 pax)
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TO DISCOVERY GENUINE FLAVOURS
Thursday October 2nd - Half day, in the morning
Transport by private coach and with accompanying hostess
Departure from the hotel for this excursion is at approximately 9:00
First Stop: Valpelline
The Milk and Fontina Cooperative Producers was founded in 1957 with the aim to collect, mature and market Aosta Valley's most important agricultural product: the FONTINA cheese. Some years ago the Cooperative has organized a visitors centre closed to the Valpelline's warehouse in order to give to his guests an wider vision of the entire Fontina's production line. Through a video, a photo gallery and a small but interesting museum the visitor in a few minutes gets in touch with all the peculiar aspects which characterize the production of Fontina. A visit of the warehouse in a very suggestive environment illustrate with passion and competence how cheeses are manually cared one by one and the maturing process from the beginning to the end. At the end of the visit a Fontina taste is kindly offered and to conclude the pleasant excursion the visitor can buy a slice of Fontina to bring home.
Second Stop: Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses
The 'Vallée d'Aoste Jambon de Bosses' is a raw ham spiced with mountain herbs, produced at an altitude of 1600 meters in the location bearing the same name, Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses, situated in the Gran San Bernardo Valley, at the edge of the Swiss border. The characteristic flavor of the 'jambon', with a curing time of at least one year, is due to several factors: the skill of the 'curers', (inherited from father to son), the dry climate, the particular exposition and the crossing air flows descending from the hills, which create the ideal environment for its production and seasoning; the juniper, thyme and herbs of the valley which endow it with a delicate and aromatic smell, whilst hay, which is used during its seasoning, gives it its unmistakable fragrance. Due to its many properties the 'Vallée d'Aoste Jambon de Bosses' obtained the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in July 1996
COST ¤ 40 PER PERSON (min 10 pax)
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