The Vanoise National Park
This preserved area, mostly on the territory of Haute Maurienne Vanoise, was founded in 1963 thanks to Gilbert André, then mayor of Bonneval sur Arc. The central zone, called "heart", is a protected area with regulations favoring the biodiversity of landscapes, environments, species and preserving the cultural and mountain heritage.
In a few steps, you are in the heart of the first national park of France. Together with the Italian Gran Paradiso National Park, they form one of the largest protected areas in the Western Alps. But what does it matter what you say? The important thing is to open up a territory of rare experiences. A breathtaking landscape between peaks, lakes and deep valleys. An incredible diversity of flora and animals in their natural environment that you can approach, marmots, ibex, chamois, bearded vultures...
Mountaineering, hiking, fishing in altitude, real moments of wonder in the mountains to share.
Vanoise National Park celebrates its 60th anniversary
1963-2023In 2023, the Vanoise National Park celebrates its 60th anniversary. All summer long, numerous events, outings and workshops are organized in Val Cenis. This anniversary is an opportunity to look back on the progress made since the creation of the Park, to discover or rediscover its riches, to meet the professionals who work for and in the Park...
... Val Cenis is made up of many protected areas.
More than 57% of its territory is located in preserved area and only 4% is developed (3% for the inhabited part and 1% for the ski area).
Turn your smartphone into a hiking GPS with the rando.vanoise.com application available for free on the App Store and Google Play.
The park is home to twenty glaciers, more than 100 peaks above 3000 meters, 600 km of trails, forty refuges ... and forms, with the Italian National Park of Grand Paradiso (14 km of common border), the largest protected area in Europe.
In winter, all nature seems to be asleep. But the wild fauna is well and truly present, adopting various strategies to survive our harsh winters: the marmot hibernates, the black grouse uses the igloo method to spend the night, the birds that stay here put on a real down jacket by inflating their feathers.
For the others, destination South of France or Africa... waiting for more favorable weather to come and meet us.
All the energy used to overcome the cold and find something to put under the beak or the tooth is colossal, so it is important, during your sliding activities or walks, to disturb as little as possible our courageous friends: any additional movement in the snow can be fatal.
The park rangers, whose missions within the national parks are very varied, also offer meetings throughout the winter to present their work and help you discover the secrets of the environment that surrounds us.
Don't hesitate to contact mountain guides with the "Esprit Parc" label. While guiding you safely on snowy itineraries, they will be able to attract your attention, arouse your curiosity and make you want to know more about the mountain environment.
This period is favourable, for example, to observe male ibexes coming down from the summits to take advantage of more accessible food.
Adopt the "Parc attitude
- Come onfoot, without your dog (even on a leash), leave your mountain bike and paraglider at home
- Admirethe beauty of the flowers without picking them, they won't grow back at home
- Feed yourselfwith tasty local products but do not feed the marmots
- Optimizeyour water and electricity consumption in the huts
- Initiate yourselfto the calm of the mountain, to the tranquility... disconnect
- Followthe trails and don't cut the laces on the way down
- Takethe shuttles instead of your car
Open this extraordinary picture book with your children, awaken their curiosity, make them aware of the environment, respect... That's what real mountain vacations are all about!
Activities and entertainment
proposed by the Vanoise National Park-
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