Abstract The volatile fraction of Alchemilla alpina L. em. Buser was isolated by steam distillation from fresh aerial tissues and analyzed by GC-FID and GC/MS. Fresh samples were collected in two experimental sites located in Western alpine region (Alpe Gianna and Alpe Caugis, Val Pellice, Piedmont, Italy). The yield in essential oil was 0.16 ± 0.04% of fresh material. A wide range in volatile quantitative composition was detected. Terpenes and alcohols were identified as the major compounds representing the 36.9% and 30.6% of the total oil, and quantified as 47.3 μg/g fresh weight and 39.2 μg/g fresh weight, respectively. Aldehydes were quoted as 15.4% of the total oil (19.7 μg/g fresh weight), followed by acids 2.3% (3.0 μg/g fresh weight), esters 1.0% (1.3 μg/g fresh weight) and unidentified 0.5% (0.7 μg/g fresh weight). Dill apiole, coumarin, myristicin, vanillin, eugenol, apiole and p-vinyl guaiacol, altogether quoted as 4.5% of the total oil (5.8 μg/g fresh weight), were also detected.