Lo Pan Ner - The Bakery of Tilly in Challand-Saint-Anselme
The bakery and the mill come alive for the cross-border black bread festival
About Lo Pan Ner Challand-Saint-Anselme
Lo Pan Ner, the festival of Alpine breads
Lo Pan Ner - Breads of the Alps is a cross-border festival born in the Aosta Valley in 2015 and now celebrated simultaneously in over fifty Aosta Valley municipalities, as well as in Piedmont, Lombardy, France, and the Swiss canton of Valais. Over a single autumn weekend, the communal ovens of Alpine villages are reignited to bake the traditional rye black bread.
The bakery of Tilly and the mill of Ruvère
In Challand-Saint-Anselme (Aosta Province), in the Ayas Valley, the heart of the festival is the hamlet of Tilly, where the historic communal bakery is fired up again for collective bread making. Not far away, the Ruvère mill opens its doors to visitors, explaining the entire mountain bread production chain, from rye milling to baking.
A collective and identity-building ritual
For centuries, the hamlet bakeries (fôr) were the focal point of life in the Aosta Valley villages: families would bake large quantities of rye bread together, intended for long storage. Reigniting the Tilly bakery means renewing this communal gesture, now protected as part of Franco-Provençal cultural heritage.
Entertainment, roasted chestnuts, and flavours
The festival in Challand-Saint-Anselme combines bread making, children's entertainment, roasted chestnut gatherings (castagnate), and convivial moments like the Bocona', a snack featuring typical Aosta Valley products and freshly baked black bread. An authentic opportunity to discover the traditions of the Ayas Valley and the deep connection between Alpine communities.
Lo Pan Ner Challand-Saint-Anselme — edition 2026
For 2026 too, Challand-Saint-Anselme will participate in Lo Pan Ner - Breads of the Alps, the cross-border festival dedicated to black bread. The event is scheduled for the last weekend of October (around October 24-25, 2026), in line with the regional Aosta Valley calendar.
The heart of the festival will remain the historic bakery in the hamlet of Tilly, reignited for rye bread baking, alongside the opening of the Ruvère mill. The detailed 2026 programme will be announced by the Municipality of Challand-Saint-Anselme and on lopanner.com.
Programme Lo Pan Ner Challand-Saint-Anselme 2026
The detailed programme for the 2026 edition in Challand-Saint-Anselme will be published in the weeks leading up to the event. Based on recent editions, the usual structure includes:
Tilly Bakery (Tilly Hamlet)
- Start of black bread baking in the morning
- In the afternoon — Children's entertainment
- Following — Bocona', snack with typical Aosta Valley products and freshly baked black bread
Ruvère Mill (Ruvère Hamlet)
- Opening and guided tours of the mill in the afternoon
Municipal Pavilion
- Roasted chestnut gathering (castagnata) with distribution of chestnuts and hot drinks
Information and full calendar at lopanner.com and at the Municipality of Challand-Saint-Anselme.
Highlights Lo Pan Ner Challand-Saint-Anselme 2026
Prices Lo Pan Ner Challand-Saint-Anselme 2026
Practical information — Lo Pan Ner Challand-Saint-Anselme
How to get there
Challand-Saint-Anselme is reached from the Verrès exit of the A5 motorway, heading up the Ayas Valley. The hamlets of Tilly and Ruvère are located near the main village.
Admission
Free access to activities. Opportunity to purchase freshly baked black bread and participate in mill tours.
Information
Programme organised by the Municipality of Challand-Saint-Anselme, as part of the regional Lo Pan Ner calendar (lopanner.com).
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Where does it take place — Lo Pan Ner Challand-Saint-Anselme
Forno di Tilly e Mulino di Ruvère
Frazione Tilly, 11020 Challand-Saint-Anselme