Pré-Saint-Didier

Updated October 2026 · Sources: Aosta Valley Region (lovevda.it), italia.it, Courmayeur Mont Blanc Funivie, Arriva, Wikipedia

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Pré-Saint-Didier is in the Aosta Valley, in north-west Italy, in the upper Valdigne at the foot of Mont Blanc, at 1,004 metres. The village is about 5–6 km from Courmayeur, 10 km from La Thuile and 31 km from Aosta. Geneva airport is about 112 km away through the Mont Blanc Tunnel, Turin airport about 148 km. Just under 1,000 people live here.

The village is known for its thermal baths. The Romans already knew the hot springs, they have been used regularly since the mid-17th century and the bath house dates from 1834. Today most visitors come for the outdoor pools facing Mont Blanc. One rule to know before you plan: children under 14 are not allowed in.

There are no ski lifts in the village, but two ski areas are 15 minutes away: La Thuile, linked to La Rosière in France, and Courmayeur. In summer you come for the gorge and its cantilevered viewing platform, the road and bike climb to the Little St Bernard Pass, and hikes in Val Veny, Val Ferret and around La Thuile. Accommodation usually costs less than in Courmayeur, and the village is on the main bus line.

The village is small: in half an hour on foot you see the centre, the baths and the mouth of the gorge. Places in neighbouring villages are listed under day trips.

Pré-Saint-Didier thermal baths

The baths are in the centre, on Allée des Thermes. According to Italy’s national tourist board, the water comes out at about 37 °C in a grotto at the foot of the gorge and is piped to the spa. Today they are run by QC Terme: outdoor pools facing the Mont Blanc range, saunas, hot tubs, water cascades and more than 40 wellness treatments. Opening hours, rules and history are covered further down.

The gorge (Orrido) and the viewing platform

Just above the village, the Dora di Verney, the stream that flows down from La Thuile, squeezes through a narrow, deep gorge with near-vertical walls and a waterfall. This is the Orrido di Pré-Saint-Didier. The hot springs that feed the spa rise beside the waterfall.

Above the gorge, a cantilevered viewing platform sticks out 160 metres above the stream, with views of Mont Blanc and the La Thuile valley. It is closed in winter. How to get there is explained in the summer section.

The gorge waterfall

You get a good view of the Dora di Verney waterfall from the path that climbs from the gorge to the platform. It is at its strongest in late spring and early summer, when the snow melts. Near the start of the path an old stone bridge crosses the stream. No source gives its age, so be wary of anyone calling it a “Roman bridge”.

The village and the church of San Lorenzo

The old centre is clustered around the parish church of San Lorenzo. It dates back to the 11th century, was rebuilt in the 15th and enlarged at the end of the 19th. Its Romanesque bell tower is one of the oldest in the Aosta Valley. From the square you see Mont Blanc. On 10 August the village celebrates its patron saint with local food and dancing in the square.

The hamlets and Verrand castle

The hamlets are Verrand, Palleusieux, Champex, Élévaz, La Balme, Torrent and Revers. The chapels in Verrand, Palleusieux, Champex, Élévaz and La Balme hold carved and painted wooden statues from the 14th to the 16th century. In Verrand there is also a large fortified building, the “Grand bâtiment” or Verrand castle, which you see as you walk through the hamlet.

The Casino and the spa’s history

Next to the 1834 bath house stands the old Casino, built in 1888. In the 19th and early 20th centuries Pré-Saint-Didier was a spa town favoured by the Savoy court: for more than 150 years its baths were one of the Aosta Valley’s main attractions. From 1939 to 1946 the village was called San Desiderio Terme. The name comes from the Latin Prata ad Sanctum Desiderium, “the meadows of Saint Desiderius”.

Fontina from the tunnels

Pré-Saint-Didier is linked to Fontina, the Aosta Valley’s PDO cheese: some of it is aged here in underground tunnels dug during the Second World War. Try it in the village shops and restaurants with a glass of Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, the white wine from the Valdigne’s mountain vineyards.

There are no lifts in Pré-Saint-Didier. You sleep here and ski at La Thuile or Courmayeur, each about 15 minutes by car. They are separate ski areas with separate lift passes, so you can pick day by day depending on snow and wind. The 2026/27 season runs from 28 November 2026 to 11 April 2027 in both.

La Thuile and the Espace San Bernardo

La Thuile is about 10 km away. The Espace San Bernardo ski area, shared with La Rosière in France, has 156 km of pistes: 83 runs (33 blue, 36 red, 14 black) and 37 lifts. The top station is Mont Valaisan, at 2,800 metres. The Italian side alone has 42 runs. Expect plenty of wide reds and the chance to ski over into France.

For 2026/27 an adult day pass costs 61 euros, a 3-day pass 179 euros and a 6-day pass 322 euros. Children up to 8 ski free if bought together with an adult day pass. Lifts run from 8.45am to 4.45pm. Info and online sales on the La Thuile website.

Courmayeur

Courmayeur is 5–6 km away: 33 runs over 42.4 km, 20 lifts, from 1,210 to 2,755 metres, plus off-piste from the Skyway on Mont Blanc. An adult day pass for 2026/27 costs 75 euros, or 90 including the Skyway. More in our Courmayeur guide.

Which one to choose

Families and mileage hunters: La Thuile, with more pistes, a cheaper pass and a trip into France. Freeriders, high-mountain fans and anyone wanting livelier evenings: Courmayeur. In recent winters a free ski bus linked Courmayeur and La Thuile via Pré-Saint-Didier: check the 2026/27 timetable on Arriva Valle d’Aosta.

Cross-country, snowshoeing and a spa after skiing

For cross-country skiing, go to Val Ferret in Courmayeur or the Arly area in La Thuile. In winter, snowshoe outings also start from Pré-Saint-Didier. After a day on the slopes the baths are a short walk away: book, because Saturdays and school holidays sell out.

Summer here runs from June to September. Within minutes you are on the trails of the Valdigne, below Mont Blanc or on the road to the Little St Bernard. Times below are for the climb.

Gorge trail and viewing platform

There are two ways to reach the platform. On foot from the village: the path starts below the baths, near the old bridge over the Dora di Verney, and climbs through the woods in about 40 minutes, gaining 180 metres (from 1,029 to 1,209 m). The average gradient is 15%, so wear hiking shoes. By car: drive about 3 km towards La Thuile and, after the hairpins and the first tunnel, turn right for Plan du Bois; from there it is a 10-minute walk.

In August 2024 a rockfall closed the dirt road to Plan du Bois and the path towards Élévaz, leaving only the path from the baths open. Before you go, ask the tourist office whether the road has reopened. Plan du Bois is also home to the Parco Avventura Mont Blanc, with tree-top courses and a zip line across the gorge: check opening days and prices.

Cycling to the Little St Bernard Pass

The climb starts at the main-road junction in Pré-Saint-Didier and ends at the Little St Bernard Pass, 2,188 metres, on the French border: 23 km and 1,178 metres of climbing, via Élévaz and La Thuile. It is one of the Aosta Valley’s classic climbs, rideable from June to September, when the pass is open.

Val Veny and Val Ferret

Courmayeur’s two valleys are a few minutes away. In Val Veny the easiest walk leads to Lake Miage: about 1 hour 15 minutes and 300 metres of ascent from La Visaille. In Val Ferret, Rifugio Bonatti is about an hour from Lavachey, with 320 metres of ascent, facing the Grandes Jorasses. Rifugio Bonatti is on the Tour du Mont Blanc. At peak times traffic in Val Ferret is restricted: use the shuttle bus.

Rutor waterfalls and Lago d’Arpy

Above La Thuile, from La Joux (about 1,600 m), trail no. 3 climbs past the Rutor waterfalls: the first fall is about 30 minutes away, the third and highest about two hours. In high season the road to La Joux can be closed to cars during the day. From Colle San Carlo, above Morgex, an easy walk of about 3 km through larch woods leads to Lago d’Arpy, just over 2,000 metres: under an hour, little climbing, good with children.

Rafting and activities in the village

The village has easy family trails, a fitness trail and a catch-and-release fishing reserve. Rafting on the Dora is open to ages 9 and up, and tandem paragliding is available nearby. On rainy days there are the baths, if everyone is at least 14.

The baths are the main reason to come to Pré-Saint-Didier. Here is what to know before you book.

Opening hours

Open every day of the year. Sunday to Thursday 9am–10pm, Friday 9am–11pm, Saturday 8am–11pm. Hours may change on public holidays: check the website.

Minimum age, booking and what to bring

Children under 14 and pregnant women are not admitted. Entry must be booked, also online; for winter weekends and August, book well ahead. Your ticket includes the wellness circuit, towel, bathrobe, slippers and the evening aperitivo. Bring a swimsuit. You pay on site; a credit card is taken as a guarantee.

Prices

There are timed, full-day and evening tickets, plus massages and packages. Prices vary by day and season: the current list is on the QC Terme website. Be careful with prices you find online, which are often several years old.

From the 17th century to today

The springs were known in Roman times, but proper spa use began in the mid-17th century. The bath house was built in 1834 and the Casino in 1888. Through the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, aristocrats and the wealthy came to take the waters, starting with the royal family. Decline followed the wars: the baths stayed closed for more than thirty years, then were restored and reopened in the early 2000s as a wellness spa rather than a medical spa.

• Courmayeur (about 5–6 km): Via Roma, the Alpine Museum and the Skyway cable car up to Punta Helbronner, 3,466 metres.
• Notre-Dame de Guérison (Courmayeur, about 10 km): the sanctuary at the entrance to Val Veny, facing the Brenva glacier. The first chapel dates from 1792, the present church from 1867.
• La Thuile (about 10 km): skiing with La Rosière in winter, the Rutor waterfalls in summer.
• Little St Bernard Pass (23 km, summer only): the hospice, the prehistoric stone circle on the border and, just inside France, the Chanousia botanical garden. The road then drops to La Rosière and Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
• La Salle and the Lenteney waterfall (about 8 km): the waterfall, fed by water from the Rutor glacier, is a short walk from the road.
• Aosta (about 31 km): the Roman theatre, the Porta Praetoria and the Arch of Augustus.
• Chamonix (about 27 km through the tunnel): the Aiguille du Midi and the Mer de Glace.
• Breuil-Cervinia (about 90 km): the Matterhorn and high-altitude skiing.

Pré-Saint-Didier is small, so what matters is what you plan to do each day.

• The centre, near the baths: for spa breaks and for travellers without a car. The bus stop, restaurants and the gorge trail are all walkable. Hotels, B&Bs and apartments.
• Along the road to La Thuile (Élévaz and around): for skiing at La Thuile every day while paying less than at the foot of the slopes. You need a car.
• Hamlets towards Courmayeur (Verrand, Palleusieux): for skiing at Courmayeur or hiking in Val Veny and Val Ferret. Quieter, stone houses, a few chalets to rent.
• Apartments and residences: for families with young children, who cannot use the baths and spend more time on the slopes and trails.

Staying here generally costs less than in Courmayeur. For Christmas and New Year, February and August, book early.

By car

From Turin take the A5 motorway towards Aosta and Courmayeur, exit at Morgex and follow the SS 26 for about 5 km: about 145 km, 2 hours. From Milan it is about 217 km. From Geneva and France, come through the Mont Blanc Tunnel (toll; prices and closures on the Mont Blanc Tunnel website). In summer you can also cross the Little St Bernard Pass from Bourg-Saint-Maurice; in winter it is closed. Carry snow tyres or chains in winter.

By train

Trains no longer reach the village: the Aosta – Pré-Saint-Didier line has been suspended since December 2015, with no reopening date. The nearest working station is Aosta. Until 13 December 2026 the Ivrea–Aosta section is replaced by buses for electrification works: check Trenitalia. From Aosta, continue by bus.

By bus

Arriva buses on the Aosta – Courmayeur line stop in Pré-Saint-Didier on the main road, at the “Terme” stop: about 50 minutes from Aosta, 8 from Courmayeur. One bus a day runs direct to Milan Lampugnano (about 3 hours 20 minutes), the others change in Aosta; booking is compulsory on the Milan services. Line 573 links La Thuile to the village centre in about 15 minutes. Timetables on Arriva Valle d’Aosta.

By plane

The closest airport is Geneva, about 112 km through the Mont Blanc Tunnel, roughly two hours by car. Then come Turin Caselle (about 148 km) and Milan Malpensa (about 210 km). From Geneva there are private transfers and seasonal buses to Courmayeur, then an 8-minute bus ride. From Turin or Malpensa, buses run to Aosta and Courmayeur.

Parking

In the centre you park near the baths; for the viewing platform there is a car park at Plan du Bois, on the road to La Thuile. On winter weekends arrive early: the village is small and spaces near the baths fill up fast.

Pré-Saint-Didier Meteo