Chemp, from Nantay
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Updated at: 28/04/2026
Access
Road navigation
Leave the motorway at the Pont-Saint-Martin junction. Take the national road in the direction of Aosta for 110m (0.11km). At the roundabout, continue straight on the for 270m (0.38km). At the next roundabout, take the third exit and join the regional road in the direction of Gressoney. After 450m (0.83km), turn right and continue on . Follow for 4.0km (4.83km) in the direction of Valle di Gressoney. Turn left and follow the communal road for 1.0km (5.83km) to the Nantay car park on the right.
Parking area
At the end of the communal road is the 🅿️ car park in Nantay, the starting point of the itinerary.
Access by public transport
Private transport is required to reach the starting point of the itinerary, as Nantay is not served by public transport.
Distance and Travel Time
🕒 Travel Time: 9 minutes
📏 Distance: 6.2km
GPS Navigation
Information note
The information provided has been verified as of 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 itinerary that climbs from the bottom of the Lys valley to the village of Chemp (828m), following the mule tracks that connect the hamlet of Nantay to the high houses on the slope. The destination has a mainly cultural character: Chemp has over time become an art village thanks to the initiative of Giuseppe Bettoni, a sculptor from Perloz who chose to live and work here when the village was almost abandoned. His works - human figures blown by the wind, elderly vagabonds, children, animals - are distributed among the dwellings, in front of the white chapel and on the 16th-century grenier, in an arrangement that seems spontaneous rather than staged. To these are added sculptures by other artists that Bettoni hosts and collaborates with, making the collection heterogeneous in style and subject matter.
The ascent passes through a chestnut forest, flanks a rock face halfway up equipped with bolts for sport climbing and comes out onto the clearing from which the village first appears. The view opens out onto the Lys valley. The route is practicable from spring to autumn; the difference in altitude is moderate and the well-maintained signposts make it accessible to hikers of all levels, with the only exception of a branch-off without posts halfway up, clearly visible on the ground but not to be overlooked.
.Description
[0h00'T1] 0.00km Walk up the small tarmac road to the village of Nantay (578m), where the cart track ends.
[0h05'T2] 0.14km Cross the small square and continue between the buildings. Take the mule track uphill to the first crossroads: turn right following the sign, passing between two dry stone walls. Leave the village on a partly paved mule track, initially steep, then dirt road with a more moderate gradient. Walk along a short flat stretch until reaching a branch-off to the left, which has no markers but is clearly visible on the ground: turn uphill.
[0h15'T2] 0.22km Continue uphill with a good incline along the marker . Tackle a stepped section, then the path meanders through the chestnut wood, skirting some ruins of stone buildings. The path then climbs upwards, flanking a rocky wall with a long flight of steps, on the lower section of which a climbing wall equipped with bolts has been set up. Once the rocky section has been completed, the path bends to the right and the slope becomes gentler, while the view opens out over the Lys valley.
[0h35'T2] 0.51km Leave the forest and reach the clearing on which the village of Chemp stands, dominated by the small white chapel. As you approach the first buildings, you will encounter the sculptures of the open-air museum - including the conductor - that dot the entire village. There is a fountain 💧 between the houses, useful for refilling water. Walk through the village exploring the buildings, including a 16th-century grenier, a multi-storey house with stone arches and a chapel dating from 1670. Continue past the chapel, on the back side, taking the mule track downhill towards Nantay, the end point of the Chemp loop (828m) [0h50'T2] 0.95km .
[1h05'T2] 1.77km After a few metres, the mule track bends to the left passing under a rocky crag. Descend between ruins, chestnut trees and abandoned terraces until you reach a ridge, then leave it by descending to the left and rejoin the mule track, which is paved in places. Re-join the path taken on the outward journey and follow it in the opposite direction to Nantay (578m), where the loop ends, and from here descend again to the little road leading to the car park (564m) [1h30'T2] 1.91km .
Instructions for visiting
The village of Chemp houses an open-air museum with sculptures distributed among the houses and historical monuments. There are no access times: the village can be visited freely. For information on the works and the sculptor Giuseppe Bettoni, contact the Perloz municipality.