Riserva naturale stagno di Holay, Pont-Saint-Martin: visitor guide

A mountain pond is a rarity in itself in the Aosta Valley, where standing water is scarce. The Holay pond lies between 750 and 790 metres above Pont-Saint-Martin, and it keeps relict species of plants and animals that have almost disappeared from the rest of the region.

What to see

The reserve really is small: 1.45 hectares, established in 1993 along with other protected areas in the valley. In 2005 a special conservation area was recognised around the wetland, covering a wider surface and joining the European Natura 2000 network. The pond sits a few steps from the ruins of the castle of Suzey, on the same promontory.

Our editors' tip

This is a stop, not an outing: half an hour is enough, and it makes sense alongside the castle and the walk above Ivéry. Spring is the moment, when the pond vegetation is at work and the amphibians make themselves heard.

Also in Pont-Saint-Martin

Castello di Suzey 📍 200 m A ruin above Ivéry: in 1351 the Vallaise held an Ivrea merchant prisoner here for ransom. castello di Pont-Saint-Martin 📍 800 m The old castle, with its rare hexagonal keep, half an hour up through the vineyards above the town. Pont Saint-Martin 📍 800 m Two thousand years of traffic on a single span: the boldest flat arch left from Roman times.

Nearby

The closest places worth seeing as the crow flies, even across province lines.

Torre di Pramotton 📍 Donnas · 2.0 km A twelfth-century hexagonal tower at 540 metres, signalling to the Pont-Saint-Martin castle and the fort of Bard. Ecomuseo della latteria turnaria di Treby 📍 Donnas · 3.2 km The 1897 co-operative dairy, where members took turns carrying home the day's cheese. Museo della vite e del vino 📍 Donnas · 3.3 km In the cellars that held the barrels of the first DOC wine of the Aosta Valley, among Donnas's terraces. arco romano di Donnas 📍 Donnas · 3.8 km The consular road cut into the rock, the stone arch and milestone XXXVI from Augusta Praetoria. Bard Fortress 📍 Bard · 5.2 km Rebuilt in the 19th century, this imposing Savoy fortress is a masterpiece of military engineering in the Aosta Valley.

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