Gran Paradiso National Park, Aosta Valley
Introduction
An easy half hour drive from Aosta takes you deep into the Gran Paradiso National Park, a protected area of 700 square kilometers where everything possible is done to preserve a pristine Alpine environment.
It was Italy’s first national park, established in 1922 when Victor Emmanuel III donated to the State former hunting grounds inherited from his grandfather. The prime purpose of the park was to protect the population of Alpine Ibex, or Stambecco in Italian, which was on the verge of extinction in Europe due to excessive hunting.
They survived at the time only here and in the adjoining area in France that is, since its designation 1922, the Vanoise national park. The Vanoise park was also France’s first national park. It sits between the Tarantaise Valley, think Val d’Isere, Tignes, The Three Valleys, and the Maurienne Valley.
Shared between the Aosta Valley and Piemonte Regions
Gran Paradiso is shared between the Aosta Valley, from where you enter the northern part, and Piemonte, from where you enter the southern part.
On the Aosta Valley side there are three main valleys, all accessible by road, that take you into the heart of the park, namely Valle di Cogne, Valsavaranche and Valle di Rhemes. Entry into Valle di Cogne is via the village of Aymavilles whilst Valsavaranche and Valle di Rhemes are entered via the village of Introd.
A Mountain Paradise
Of course Gran Paradiso is a stunning mountain paradise of breathtaking scenery and a world class destination for hiking, trekking, climbing and mountain biking, but no more so than the rest of the Aosta Valley or all of the other Alpine areas of Italy. What sets the national park apart is its relative remoteness and tranquility (only 300 people live within it) as well as the abundance of wildlife, not just Stambecco (ibex) but also marmotte, chamois, wolf, lynx and golden eagle.
Activities
Expert mountain climbers and lovers of extreme hiking, trekking and mountain biking are well catered for and will find a wide choice of world class routes to challenge them, including multi-day tours involving overnight stays in high altitude refuges.
For the rest of us, venturing onto the park’s 724 kilometers of marked trails and mule tracks does require a reasonable level of strength and stamina. However, there are flat, easy paths down in the valley bottoms, following along the rivers and close to the road, which do not involve significant effort and which are accessible for all level of nature lovers. With the valley floor already around 800 meters above sea level, the average altitude of the park around 2000 meters and its highest peak, Monte Gran Paradiso 4,061m.
Most of the trails in the park would take at least one and a half hours in one direction, meaning a minimum three- hour return trip. Throw in a few short stops to catch the breath and admire the view plus a well-earned sandwich break at the top and you really need to set aside half a day. But the commitment is well worth it, for the spectacular views, the freshness of the air, the colours and smells of the larch, pine and spruce trees and of the wild flowers and grassy meadows. No picnic has ever tasted so good as one eaten just above the tree line overlooking the valley below, after some strenuous walking.
All of the main trails are numbered and are clearly signposted and can be found on various local maps and websites which promote the area, most of which are multi-lingual. Some of our favourites are: www.pngp.it, www.lovevda.it,
When to Visit
The best time to visit is unsurprisingly late spring through to early autumn, when the snow has receded to well above the tree line, the weather is warm, the animals have come down to feed and the meadows and pastures are green and covered with wild flowers. Unless you are a serious backcountry skier or snow shoe explorer, in which case you head into the park between late autumn and early spring for your winter wilderness adventures.
We have our Summer Solstice Yoga & Hiking Retreat 18-22 June 2025 (June in the mountains considered “late spring” as we have still snow sometimes until end of May) perfect period to enjoy nature and animals through hiking, forest bathing, outdoor yoga and Nia sessions or just simply breathing in the tranquillity of the mountains. The time of reconnect, renew, rebirth...
As the Gran Paradiso is stunning during the winter months, and has a totally different vibe from spring/summer, we created a “winter hiking” i.e. Snowshoeing & Yoga Retreat, where you can also try cross - country skiing. There is a stunning route passing by our cosy alpine hotel, through forest, rivers surrounded by the amazing mountains of the Alps. Furthermore, if you fancy doing some alpine skiing, the Val di Rhemes ski resort is situated 50 m from our hotel. It is a small resort, but perfect for spending a day or morning wizzing down some red slopes. Snowshoeing & Yoga Retreat is 21 - 25 January 2026.
