Gran Paradiso: Valnontey

Valnontey is a hamlet of Cogne in the Aosta Valley, in the heart of Gran Paradiso National Park. The park was founded in 1922 on land donated by King Victor Emmanuel III, and it was Italy’s first national park. As early as 1856, Victor Emmanuel II had declared the area a royal hunting reserve in order to protect the hunted ibex. The park covers 703 km². Gran Paradiso (4,061 m) is the only mountain over 4,000 m that lies entirely in Italy.

At about 1,700 m in Valnontey is the Paradisia alpine garden (founded in 1955, around 1,000 plant species), which is open daily in the warmer months. The park has some 724 km of marked trails and mule tracks, including walks from Valnontey up the valley. Ibex and chamois graze on the high pastures in summer and move down to lower valleys in winter and spring.

The park is divided into three main valleys: Cogne, Valsavarenche and Val di Rhêmes. From Cogne you can reach the Alta Via 2, a long high-level route, while the ascent of the Gran Paradiso starts at Pont in the Valsavarenche. In summer the park is mainly a walking destination and can get crowded; in winter it is good for cross-country skiing. In November and December, the ibex rutting season, the males fight for the females.