The Gran Paradiso is a high mountain park. Its woods are meagre because they grow between the natural upper limit (2000-2200 m) and the park’s boundary, which runs on average at 1500 metres. In common with almost all of the western Italian Alps, therefore, the park does not have typical forest wildlife such as deer, roe deer, wood grouse and mountain partridge. It does, however, have a considerable number of ibex goats, chamois and marmots. Bird species include eagles and eagle owls, as well as binconi, wood larks and ortolans.


Provinces: TURIN and AOSTA
Number of communes: 12
Area: 72,320 hectares

Information
Via della Rocca 47, Torino, tel. 011 817187

Geography
The Gran Paradiso was set up in 1922 and is the oldest national park in Italy. It stretches from Piedmont to Val d’Aosta in the Turin and Aosta provinces. The natural boundaries of the massif are the Dora Baltea and Orco Rivers, which run about 1000 metres below the administrative borders of the park.

Excursions
Alpine guides offer private excursions and excursions for schools and children and young people on holiday in the park. Riding lessons. School for Alpine skiing and glacier climbing.

Visits
The park has a visitor centre and tourist office. It has a permanent exhibition on the countryside and geomorphology and a teaching laboratory and projection room for schools which want to carry out educational projects in the park.