Rodoz, from the Bourg de Montjovet
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Updated at: 28/04/2026
Access
Road Navigation
Leave the motorway at the Verrès exit, enter the roundabout and take the third exit onto the main road in the direction of Aosta. After 450m (0.45km), at the roundabout, take the first exit and continue on the state road for 3.9km (4.35km) to a roundabout near Berriaz. Turn left following the signs for Le Bourg and continue for 350m (4.70km) to the hamlet. Park in the centre of the hamlet.
Parking
Inside the medieval hamlet of Bourg de Montjovet there are a few free spaces 🅿️ along the road, the starting point of the itinerary.
Access by public transport
The place is served by public transport 🚌. For up-to-date timetables and routes please consult aosta.arriva.it.
Distance and travel time
🕒Travel time: 9 minutes
📏 Distance: 6.9km
GPS navigation
Information note
The information provided has been verified at the date of the survey of the itinerary. Before departure, it is recommended to check possible changes in the route or road conditions. Please consult Google Maps or Apple Maps for the latest information.
.Introduction
A round trip route that climbs the valley of the Grand-Rodoz stream from the village of Montjovet to the abandoned village of Rodoz, at an altitude of 1,071 metres. The route moves through a low-mountain environment that preserves a dense historical stratification: the paved mule track of the attack, the remains of a lime kiln recognisable by the low semicircular wall with its blackened interior, a barma enclosed by a dry stone wall, the ruins of the church and the Saint-Germain castle seen from above. The destination, Rodoz, is a ghost village where only the chapel and community oven survive restored - the rest has been abandoned for decades. The historic road network around the village of Montjovet is the other main thread running through the hike.
The low altitude makes the route passable even in the winter months, when the vegetation is at rest and the forest allows a better view of the ruins and the landscape of the valley. The path is well marked and does not have any technical sections, but the valley has a rough character that is already noticeable in the first part of the ascent. Difficulty T2.
Description
[0h00'T1] 0.00km From the car park at the end of the village of Montjovet, go along the road that runs alongside the chapel of San Rocco and reach the cable-stayed bridge over the Dora Baltea.
[0h05'T1] 0.28km Cross the bridge and take the path that attacks the orographic right side of the valley, initially wide and paved like a mule track. Proceed until the point where the track narrows to the width of a mountain path. Continue up the slope, quickly gaining altitude in the valley of the Grand-Rodoz stream. The path remains well marked as the forest thickens. Continue until reaching the area where there is a large barma partially enclosed by a dry stone wall. Pass the barma and continue in the direction of the centre of the valley, where the air becomes more humid. After a short stretch through the vegetation, reach the wooden bridge crossing the Grand-Rodoz stream. Cross the bridge and climb up the opposite slope, where the air immediately becomes drier. On the left side of the path, recognisable by the low semicircular wall with its limed interior, is what remains of a lime kiln. Continue uphill to the point where the path overlooks the church and the abandoned castle of Saint-Germain from above. Follow the path along a wide ridge, pass a tiny shrine at the foot and continue until you are below the village of Rodoz. Reach the fork from which the path branches off to the chapel.
[1h55'T2] 2.66km At the fork, keep to the right passing under the trunk of a broken tree and reach the Rodoz chapel, the only restored building in the village along with the bakery. The village of Rodoz (1,071m) [2h10'T2] 3.02km .
Return along the same route followed during the ascent [1h20'T2] 3.02km .