Vanoise National Park

In 1963, the Vanoise National Park, the first of the national parks, was created to protect the ibex. Bordered by the Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys, the Park encompasses more than a hundred peaks over 3,000 m in altitude and numerous glaciers. Its highly diversified natural environments are home to a great deal of biodiversity: bearded vultures, golden eagles, ptarmigans… or, among the 1,200 species of flora listed, the boreal linnet, a rare arctic-alpine species, and the emblematic blue thistle. A dynamic traditional agriculture provides the famous Beaufort cheese and maintains a remarkable heritage of mountain pasture buildings. With nearly 400 km of trails and welcoming, modernised refuges, the Park is ideal for hiking. The Grand Paradis and Vanoise national parks are 14 km apart and have been twinned since 1972. Together they have been awarded the European Diploma for Protected Areas, which recognises the quality of their heritage management.