Route to Courmayeur for Design Week end that this year speaks of love

While on other Alpine peaks the Olympics are being held at the foot of majestic Mont Blanc in glamorous Courmayeur, Design Week-end returns for the long weekend of Valentine's Day (12/13/14/15 February), the mountain stage of Italia design that helps to tell the story of the beauty and identity of a territory through design. Four days in which it becomes a meeting place for designers, companies, installations, exhibitions and conversations, in a continuous dialogue between architecture, creativity and landscape. But also an unmissable appointment to share ideas and visions on design and contemporaneity. As always, the protagonists are the installations, an expressive media through which the world of making and thinking (companies and designers) dialogue with each other, creating something that can please and involve even the most distracted tourist.

The main theme 'Love & Passions' will be explored for the first time by the independent communication design studio Leftloft, which has interpreted with colours and images 45 words of love that convey the emotions that the project evokes and guide the way of designing, transforming the Courmayeur Mont Blanc cable car into an open-air gallery. The 45 words are joined by two more dedicated to Design Week-end. The fil rouge of Courmayeur Design Week remains the territory and therefore the mountain, which - this year more than ever - invites discovery, sharing, but above all reflection. The Mont Blanc landscape plays a fundamental role and it is precisely its characteristics that define the graphic choices: its contrast guides the chromatic choice, with bright colours that dialogue with the white of the snow and recall the aesthetics of skiwear, and its organic components, such as trees and snow-capped peaks, which are translated into the soft and irregular shapes that recall the mountains, but also the naturalness of relationships and love.

In the rich calendar of events there is great expectation for the talks by Marcel Wanders and Mario Trimarchi that will raise the pulse of thought. The former, Dutch designer co-founder of lifestyle brand Moooi in the "Talk on Top" at Skyway Monte Bianco will bring a vision of design as an emotional and spiritual act, capable of transforming objects and spaces into experiences. Then there is the Cappellini and Iacchetti exhibition in the Ange painting room, which aims to explore design as a feeling. On 13 February at the Courmayeur Library, curated by Martina David and Amina Magi, comes a reading-concert exploring the love passions of the great masters of architecture and design - from Gropius to Le Corbusier - and their muses, companions, friends, lovers and colleagues, amidst couples and betrayals. As always, the public is invited to explore independently the small streets, squares and paths that make Courmayer even more alive during the days of the event.

In Coumayeur, among the cult addresses for those who want to experience the more sporty side of the mountains is Le Massif, a refined 5-star ski resort signed by the Italian Hospitality Collection. Among the hotel's plus points for experiencing outdoor activities at their best, guests can count on the Experience Concierge to guide them in their choice of customised adventures: skiing and snowboarding, cross-country skiing in the woods, snowshoeing or ice climbing. On the slopes (which are very easy to reach given the hotel's proximity to the lifts), the Ski Butler service guarantees maximum comfort, with a heated personal locker for equipment and a ski-in ski-out room at the La Loge du Massif chalet. Not to be missed are the super proposals also in the summer period developed by a team that personally designs and follows the experiences. The team, coordinated by the adventure trainer, is made up of the elegant discovery assistant, the contact person for the tourist, cultural and food and wine proposals, and a highly qualified personal trainer and sports operator, specialised in personalised training programmes and logistical assistance for sports activities. With them, a select staff of mountain, sports and tourism professionals. In short, all you have to do is ask Precisely with this type of customer in mind, this year a "Mountaineer's Winter - Between History and Adventure" package has been put together, offering a two-night stay in one of the exclusive Rooftop Suites dedicated to the great pioneers of the peaks. On the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the Courmayeur Mountain Guides Society, the experience becomes a tribute to the mountaineering tradition that has made the valley famous: a hike on the panoramic trails overlooking the most spectacular peaks, accompanied by an expert guide, will celebrate the iconic ascents that started in Courmayeur. To complete the journey into the world of mountaineering, a visit to the Alpine Guides Museum, with its unique collection of historical memorabilia. Complimentary, in your room, a guidebook dedicated to the legendary challenges of Mont Blanc.