Riserva naturale Tsatelet, Regional nature reserve in Saint-Christophe, Italy

Riserva naturale Tsatelet is a regional nature reserve created in 1993 across the municipalities of Aosta and Saint-Christophe. It protects the rounded hill of the same name at 790 m, shaped by glaciers that occupied the valley until about 10,000 years ago, at the confluence of the Dora Baltea valley and Valpelline.

On the summit of the Tsatelet hill, remains of a late Neolithic settlement and its necropolis were found, dated to around 3000 BC. The site lies in the municipalities of Aosta and Saint-Christophe, and the reserve was created in 1993.

The hilltop draws birdwatchers who come to observe migratory species passing through the valley. The elevated vantage point also offers sightlines to nearby Jocteau Castle and the surrounding landscape.

The marked trails from the SR 17 parking area lead upward with manageable grades and minimal elevation change, making the route accessible to most visitors. The open hilltop provides good views without requiring extreme physical exertion.

The rounded shape of the Tsatelet hill is the work of glaciers that filled the valley until about 10,000 years ago; their erosion smoothed the knoll to its present profile. On the dry, wind-exposed adret slope, the tuberous valerian grows, recorded in the Alps only in the Aosta Valley, alongside Kochia prostrata, known in Italy from this single station.