Courmayeur (Aosta Valley)

Courmayeur is a town in northern Italy, in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley. At an elevation of 1,224 m (4,016 ft) above sea level, it is located at the foot of the southern side of Mont Blanc, at 4,810 m (15,781 ft) the highest point in the Alps and western Europe, and is crossed by the Dora Baltea river. Courmayeur shares administration of Mont Blanc with its neighboring commune of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains in France. It also shares access to the glacial ski run of the Vallée Blanche with another French town, Chamonix, which sits at the opposite, northern, side of the Mont Blanc massif. Courmayeur's picturesque mountain scenery make it an attractive year-round destination. It is cited as "Italy's best all-round ski resort", and contains the Giardino Botanico Alpino Saussurea, which describes itself as Europe's highest botanical garden.