If you're a thrill seeker looking for top-notch outdoor adventures in one of Italy's most unique mountainous corners, Aosta Valley awaits. Valle d'Aosta is a province, city, and region northwest of Italy, bordering Switzerland and France. It's the smallest (1,260 square miles) and least populated (123,000 inhabitants) of Italy's 20 regions.

Valle d'Aosta is bilingual — Italian and French-speaking — and this is the result of a complicated history. The region dates back to 23 BC when the Romans founded it after conquering the native Salassi and naming it the "Valley of Augustus." With such historical roots, it's no wonder this place has been dubbed the "Little Rome of the Alps."