Chamois, Aosta Valley, Car-free village in Aosta Valley, Italy.
Chamois is a car-free mountain village at 1815 meters elevation with pedestrian pathways winding between Alpine meadows and forests. The buildings cluster tightly together, following the natural slope of the mountainside.
Local residents chose in 1955 to build a cable car system instead of constructing roads, keeping the landscape intact. This decision has shaped everything about the settlement ever since.
The name comes from the chamois animals that live in these mountains, and the village reflects its mountain farming heritage. Walking through, you notice old stone houses and see how locals still follow seasonal rhythms tied to agriculture and herding.
You reach the village by cable car from Buisson, which runs year-round and takes you straight up to the settlement. Wear good hiking shoes, since everything here is on foot and pathways can be steep.
Only tractors are allowed to pass through during summer months for farm work, making this the rarest exception to the car ban. This shows how the no-car rule bends slightly for practical survival needs.
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