Exploring nature in the Aosta Valley

The adage small is beautiful is an apt description for Italy’s most compact region, the Aosta Valley.

Despite being small in size, the region is home to numerous protected areas, sites belonging to the Natura 2000 ecological network and mountainside botanical gardens.

Spanning 10 nature reserves including wetlands, areas populated by butterflies, migratory birds and many other natural wonders, Aosta Valley is the ideal destination for nature lovers.

The possibilities for lovers of nature are abundant – here are some of the top picks:

Mont Avic Regional Park: Created in 1989 to preserve the resources of the upper valley of the Chalamy torrent (Champdepraz), the park has been declared a Site of Community Importance and Special Protection Area. The Parc du Mont Avic is almost completely natural. The forests of Val Chalamy offer serene beauty; whilst the upper valley of Champorcher boasts vast meadows home to ibex, chamois and marmots. In this area, visitors can explore interesting natural features such as geological formations and endemic flora, the largest regional forest of hooked pines as well as dozens of ponds, bodies of water and bogs.

Gran Paradiso National Park: The first and oldest Italian national park is home to 59 glaciers, covering 70,000 hectares between 800 metres and 4,061 metres to the summit of Gran Paradiso. In the woods at the bottom of the valley, you’ll find pines, firs, larches and white firs. As you climb, the trees give way to alpine meadows, flowered in spring, then to mountains and glaciers. The rich fauna of the park includes many alpine species and it is rare to hike without encountering animals. The ibex, symbol of the park, is often found in the pastures. The chamois is common while the groundhog is everywhere. The park’s history is linked to the protection of the ibex; in 1856, King Victor Emmanuel II declared these mountains a Royal Hunting Reserve, to save the ibex threatened with extinction. He had also created a specialised guardhouse and had wildlife corridors and hiking trails built. In 1920, the king donated the reserve to the Italian state for the creation of a national park.

The Saussurea Alpine Botanical Garden: One of the world’s highest natural gardens, Saussurea is one of Aosta Valley’s four botanical gardens. It covers an area of 6,500 square metres and is home to a myriad of alpine plants. The more than 900 species are displayed in rockeries, and divided up on the basis of geographical origin and high-altitude natural environments. Flowering usually begins in July and lasts until the end of September. The garden is open from the end of June to the end of September and it is accessible by cable car or on foot; about two hours walk from La Palud (difference in altitude 803m). Saussurea gets its name from the Saussurea alpina flower, named in honour of the Geneva-born scientist Horace Benedict de Saussure who promoted the first ascent of Mont Blanc in 1786.

Aosta Valley is located in northwest Italy with spectacular scenery, and world-class skiing and snowboarding in winter. At the heart of the alps and bordered by France and Switzerland, Aosta Valley is surrounded by some of the highest peaks in Europe: Cervino, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc. Turin, Milan and Geneva airports all within easy reach. 

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