Piemonte Italia

The Val Grande National Park

The largest wilderness area in Italy is found in the heart of this national park, well-known on a European level as a major laboratory for the study of the natural evolution of plant and animal life in areas barely touched by humans. Among the botanical species that have adapted to the climate, the rarest and most interesting are the Alpine columbine, leopard’s bane, the yellow gentian, the wild tulip, and the bellflower. Among the canyons, steep slopes and thick woods, chamois, roes, marmots, foxes, pekans, weasels, and numerous rodents live. The bird life includes the golden eagle and the peregrine falcon, but, generally speaking, the species here are those typical to mountain environments.
The park is also the custodian for a long-standing relationship between humans and stone because, until the end of the 14th century, this area furnished the pink Condoglio marble which was used in building the Duomo in Milan. During this same period, the deforestation of the Val Grande took place because the wood gathered was needed for the mine shafts, for the pontoons, and for the scaffolding used in the construction of the Duomo.
There are numerous paths that hiking lovers can take, choosing among different levels of difficulty. There are, however, also nature paths easily accessible to the public, which pose no difficulty at all

Area: 14.598 hectares
Altitude: 226 - 2.301 meters
Founded: 1992
Environment: mountain


Head Office
Via San Remigio, 19 - 28922 Verbania Pallanza (Vb)
Tel. +39.0323.557960 - Fax: +39.0323.556397