# Gran Paradiso Italy's first national park (1922), born from a royal hunting reserve that saved the Alpine ibex. It surrounds the Gran Paradiso (4,061 m), the only 4,000-metre peak lying entirely within Italian territory. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/aosta-valley/gran-paradiso · Revisado: 2026-11-11 ## How do you get there from Spain? Fly to Turin or Milan and continue by car. The park has two faces: the Aosta Valley side (Cogne, Valsavarenche, Rhêmes), entered from the Aosta motorway, and the Piedmont side (Orco valley, with Ceresole Reale), reached from Turin. The two meet up high, at the Nivolet, but only by trail or, in summer, by the Ceresole road. ## How do you get around inside the park? By car to the end of each valley and from there on foot. Cogne is the base with the most services and from it you reach Valnontey and Lillaz. Valsavarenche is narrower and wilder, and Ceresole Reale gives onto the Nivolet road, which in summer operates with a quota, the Nivolet Card and free shuttles. ## What do you need to book in advance? The Nivolet Card if you go up by car on the regulated days from July to September, and the free shuttles from Locana, which are also booked. Mountain huts are booked through their websites. Paradisia needs no reservation, except for groups. In August, accommodation in Cogne fills up. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Alps - Cerca: Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (a 51.5 km · France), Zermatt (a 54.8 km · Switzerland), Annecy (a 100.8 km · France), Aletsch Glacier (a 108.2 km · Switzerland) ## Qué hacer - **Lillaz waterfalls, a circular walk from the village** (1 h · All ages; in winter, with snow footwear · Independent · free): Lillaz is the last hamlet in the Cogne Valley and the waterfalls are almost at the edge of the village. The park suggests doing them as a loop: you go up the Valeille track and come down the wide path along the Urtier torrent. Why go and who it suits It is one of the simplest excursions on the Aosta Valley side of Gran Paradiso and, for many families, the first. In an hour you see what makes this park special: a mountain hamlet of stone and wood, a forest of larches and firs, a torrent that leaps down in several steps and, with a bit of luck, squirrels or roe deer. From the car park to the falls you only gain about 60 metres of altitude, from 1,617 to 1,679 m. It suits anyone: small children, grandparents, those arriving tired from another hike. With a child in a baby carrier it is no problem. With a pushchair, the farm track is passable, but the forest path and the return beside the torrent have stones and roots. If you are looking for a proper walk, use it as an aperitif and continue towards the Valeille or Lake Loie. Getting there Lillaz is a few kilometres from Cogne, at the head of the valley. By car, leave the A5 motorway at Aosta-ovest and follow the signs for the Cogne Valley; from Cogne, a short road climbs to Lillaz, where the starting car park is. Without a car, take the train to Aosta and go up to Cogne on the Svap buses, which serve the valley; check in Cogne how to continue to Lillaz or do the stretch on foot. When to go All year, with two very different faces. From late spring to early summer, with the thaw, the waterfalls carry more water and make more noise. In July and August it is a cool walk in the shade, but very busy: go early or in the late afternoon. In autumn the larches turn golden. In winter the park includes it among its snow paths: the landscape changes, the water partly freezes and animal tracks are easy to see. What it costs Nothing. The path is free and there is no entry fee. If you park in Lillaz, check whether the car park is paid in season. Dogs Gran Paradiso has strict rules for dogs: they may only be in the valley-floor areas, always on a lead, and from 15 July to 15 September also on some authorised paths. The park publishes maps of the permitted areas; check them before taking your dog to the waterfalls. If the weather is bad In light rain the walk can be done, because it is short and goes largely through the forest, but the stones beside the water are slippery. In a storm, stay in Cogne: the village and its Sant'Orso meadows make for a flat walk without risk. - **Nivolet Plain, by road from Ceresole or on foot from Pont** (4 h · Everyone by car or shuttle; the path, with some fitness · Desde 10 € per vehicle): The Nivolet is the point where Piedmont and the Aosta Valley meet inside the park. You can reach it from two sides: by car or shuttle along the SP50 from Ceresole Reale, in Piedmont, or on foot from Pont, at the end of Valsavarenche. What it is The Piani del Nivolet are an alpine plain at about 2,400 m, in the heart of Gran Paradiso National Park. After climbing between rock walls, the valley suddenly opens and a clear torrent appears, drawing slow meanders among summer pastures. It is easy to see marmots and chamois. It is one of the most visited landscapes in the park, and for that reason since 2025 car access has been regulated in summer. Going up by car: the Nivolet Card The final stretch of the SP50, from Lake Serrù to the plain, is regulated on the busiest days. In 2026, the second year of the measure: Quota: 350 vehicles a day, motorbikes included. Nivolet Card: €10 per vehicle, with online booking and purchase on the nivoletcard.pngp.it portal. Regulated days: from Saturday 4 July, every weekend in July; from 27 July to 30 August, every day; and the first two weekends in September. Free Wi-Fi in the Chiapili Inferiore car park, to buy the card before going up towards Serrù. According to the park, in the first season traffic fell by more than 40% compared with 2024. Outside the regulated days you go up without a card, as long as the road is open: it is a high-mountain road and opens when the snow goes. The 2027 conditions will be published on the park's website. Going up by shuttle From Locana: two departures in the morning and two returns in the afternoon, free on every day of regulation, with compulsory booking on the same portal. From Chiapili and Serrù: free direct shuttles to the Nivolet during the day, without booking, until full. If you don't want to drive the winding road or depend on the quota, it is the simplest option. Going up on foot from Pont From the Aosta Valley side, path 3 leaves Pont Valsavarenche (1,952 m) towards the Croce Arolley and the Piani del Nivolet: 448 m of ascent and about 2 h 30, difficulty E, hiking. On the way you see the waterfall of the Nivolet torrent, summer pastures and the vegetation of the rocks. The 3-3a variant leads to Pian Borgno. With a dog, the stretch from Pont to the Croix de la Rolley as far as the Chivasso hut is allowed from 15 July to 15 September. Pont is at the end of Valsavarenche, the same road as the Orvieille hunting lodge. On the plain Stroll along the bank of the torrent and among the meanders; respect the pastures and the wildlife, which is the reason for the regulation. Bring food and water. Allow about four hours for the whole: climb, walk and descent. If you go up from Ceresole, on the same road the path to the Jervis hut starts, from Chiapili Inferiore. - **Lake Loie from Lillaz** (2 h 45 · 3.2 km · Reasonably fit · Independent · free): What it is Lake Loie is a high-mountain lake at 2,346 m, in the Cogne Valley, above the hamlet of Lillaz. The climb is short but steep and brings together in a small space the best of the area: the waterfalls of the Urtier torrent at the start, a conifer forest, alpine pastures with marmots and, at the top, the lake with an unexpected view, open towards the Mont Blanc massif. The route in numbers Start: Lillaz, 1,617 m. Finish: Lake Loie, 2,346 m. Ascent: 729 m of climbing. Length: 3.2 km, according to the park's information sheet. Time: 2 h 45 min in total, according to the park. Difficulty: E, hiking: a mountain path without technical sections. Waymarking: first path 13 and then 12. Season: summer. It is a few kilometres for a lot of ascent: the average gradient is steep and you feel it. Go at your own pace and with stops. Step by step Lillaz and the waterfalls. You leave the village, cross a stretch of alpine forest and pass beside the waterfalls of the Urtier torrent. If you are short of time or with small children, the Lillaz waterfalls walk is an alternative in itself. The hanging valley. You enter the valley, cross a small bridge and climb through a conifer forest. The Bardoney alp. You come out onto high pastures near the Bardoney alp. In early summer there is a great variety of alpine flora and it is easy to see marmots. The turn-off. You leave the path that continues towards the Colle di Bardoney and turn right towards the lake. Lake Loie. At the top the chances of seeing chamois and ibex increase, and the panorama opens towards Mont Blanc. The descent goes through a mature conifer forest, with nutcrackers, crossbills and jays. When to go In summer, when the path is free of snow. At the start of the season there are more flowers at the Bardoney alp. Set off early: the sun beats down on the climb and in the afternoon, in July and August, storms are frequent in the Alps. Outside summer there may be snow on the upper part; without winter experience, don't go up. Water, shade and equipment The first half goes through forest, with shade; the upper part, among pastures, is in the sun. Don't count on springs along the way: carry water and something to eat. Mountain boots, a waterproof jacket and a warm layer, because at 2,300 m it gets cool even if it is hot below. Sun cream and sunglasses. Getting there and parking Lillaz is a hamlet of Cogne, a few kilometres from the village along a short road. Leave the car in the Lillaz car park, which in season may be paid; the path starts from the hamlet. In season, arrive early: the waterfalls attract many people. In Cogne, on the other side, you have the Paradisia alpine garden and the path to the Vittorio Sella hut, another climb for a second day. With children, with a dog and if the weather changes With teenagers who walk, yes; with small children it is a lot of slope, and it is better to stay at the waterfalls. With a dog, check the park regulations first, which limit dogs to certain paths and dates. If you see the weather worsening, turn back: the lake is in open terrain and there is no shelter. - **Paradisia Alpine Botanical Garden in Valnontey** (1 h · All ages · General admission €5): What it is Paradisia is the alpine botanical garden of Gran Paradiso National Park, in Valnontey, a hamlet of Cogne, at 1,700 m. It covers about 10,000 m², a hectare of natural hollows and gullies that give mountain plants the conditions they need, with the Gran Paradiso massif behind. It was founded in 1955 by decision of the park itself. The name does not come from Gran Paradiso, as it seems, but from the St Bruno's lily (Paradisea liliastrum), a white flower that grows alone in the surrounding meadows. It is the best place in the park to learn to recognise the flowers you will later see on the paths. What you see More than 1,000 species, all collected in the wild or raised from seed in the garden's nursery. Coloured labels on each plant: yellow for species from Italy (Alps and Apennines), white for those from other mountains of the world and red for medicinal ones; those with a skull are poisonous. Reconstructed habitats: pseudo-steppe, peat bog, scree slopes and alder groves, with the plants that characterise them. The rock exhibition from the Cogne Valley and the rest of the park. The lichen exhibition on large blocks of stone, which survive only thanks to the cleanliness of the air. The butterfly garden, a trail in the upper part dedicated to these pollinators. When to go The garden opens only in season. In 2026 it opened from 30 May to 13 September, every day: From 30 May to 30 June: 10:00 to 13:00 and 13:30 to 17:30. From 1 July to 30 August: 9:30 to 13:00 and 13:30 to 18:00. From 31 August to 13 September: 10:00 to 17:30. The most intense flowering runs from mid-June to mid-July, depending on how the year goes. The 2027 dates are published on the park's website in spring. Entry and guided tours General admission: €5. Free: under-18s, people with disabilities and their companions, university students and naturalist, tourist and mountain guides, among others. The guided tour costs the same as admission. There are three a day, at 10:30, 14:30 and 16:30, and it is advisable to let info.paradisia@pngp.it know, although it is not compulsory. If you go independently, at the entrance they give you a leaflet with the main features of the garden. In September 2026 there were no guided tours, but the garden could be visited free of charge. Allow an hour; with the guided tour or with curious children, a little more. Getting there Valnontey is about 3 km from Cogne along the valley road, at the foot of Gran Paradiso. Park in Valnontey and walk to the garden entrance, next to the hamlet. From Cogne you can also walk along the valley floor. The garden is right where the path to the Vittorio Sella hut begins, and the park itself recommends seeing it before going up. From Lillaz, on the other side of Cogne, you can reach the Lillaz waterfalls and Lake Loie: with all three you have two days in Cogne. With children and accessibility It is a visit designed for all ages: children enter free up to 18, the route is short and the butterfly garden hooks them. The park also organises nature games and themed visits according to its seasonal calendar. For accessibility, the park publishes on the Paradisia website an easy-read guide describing the layout; download it beforehand, because the terrain has natural slopes. - **Vittorio Sella Hut, in the Lauson basin** (4 h 30 · 5 km · Fit hikers · Independent · free): What it is The Vittorio Sella hut is at 2,588 m in the Lauson basin, above Valnontey, in the Cogne Valley. It belongs to the Italian Alpine Club, Biella section, and one of its two buildings is the restored former hunting lodge of King Victor Emmanuel II. Around it is one of the areas of the park where the ibex, the symbol animal of Gran Paradiso, is most often seen, along with chamois and marmots. The climb is demanding but not technically difficult, and it is the classic excursion for seeing wildlife up close. The route in numbers Start: Valnontey, 1,667 m, next to the Paradisia alpine garden. Finish: Vittorio Sella hut; the path reaches a maximum altitude of 2,584 m according to the park's information sheet, and the hut gives 2,588 m. Ascent: about 1,000 m of climbing, according to the park. Length: about 5 km each way. Time: 2 h 30 to climb, according to the park. With the descent and stops, count 4 h 30 to 5 h. Difficulty: E, hiking. Waymarking: path 2. Recommended season: July to September. Step by step Valnontey. You leave the hamlet, next to the Paradisia alpine garden. The park recommends visiting it first: there you learn to recognise the flowers and habitats you will see on the way. The forest. The first part climbs through forest, in zigzags and with a steady gradient. The high pastures. You leave the forest for alpine meadows. From here it is easy to see ibex, chamois and marmots. The Lauson summer pastures. Before the hut, stop at the Lauson huts: there are marmots all around. The hut. You reach the open Lauson basin, with the hut and the mountains of the Gran Paradiso group around. Sleeping or eating at the hut The hut has about 150 places and a restaurant service. It opens in two seasons: in spring, from late March to early May, and in summer, from late May to September. It is currently closed. You book through the form on its website and it is confirmed by email. 2026 prices per person, for non-members of the CAI: Half board (dinner, bed and breakfast) in a dormitory: €64. Half board in a room of up to four beds: €68.50. Bed only in a dormitory: €34.50; in a room, €39. CAI members pay less and there is a discount for under-25s. A sheet sleeping bag is compulsory (bought there for €6), and drinks, the shower and the tourist tax of €1 per person per day are extra. When to go From July to September, with the path free of snow. The Lauson basin is under snow from November to May. Set off early: the climb is long and in summer storms arrive in the afternoon. At dawn and dusk the animals are most active; sleeping at the hut gives you both chances. Getting there and parking Valnontey is a few kilometres from Cogne, at the foot of Gran Paradiso. Park in the hamlet, in the designated area, and continue on foot to the start of the path next to Paradisia. In the same valley you have Lake Loie, from Lillaz, for another day. With children, with a dog and if the weather changes With fit teenagers it goes well: 1,000 m of climbing is a lot for small children, unless you sleep at the top and split the excursion. Dogs may only use this path from 15 July to 15 September. Keep your distance from the ibex, even if they let you approach. If a storm threatens, in season you can wait at the hut; outside it, come down in good time. - **Orvieille Royal Hunting Lodge from Eaux Rousses** (4 h 30 · Reasonably fit · Independent · free): What it is The Orvieille royal hunting lodge, at 2,165 m in Valsavarenche, was one of Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy's favourite places for hunting. The Gran Paradiso National Park was born precisely from that royal reserve, which saved the ibex from extinction. Today the building is a hut for the park rangers and a support base for research, and it cannot be visited inside: what you come for is the climb, the open basin in which it sits and the animals you see along the way. The park presents this path as a winter itinerary. With the larches bare, the view opens over the valley and it is easier to see wildlife. In summer you climb just the same, by the same path. The route in numbers Start: Eaux Rousses, 1,666 m, in Valsavarenche. Finish: Orvieille royal hunting lodge, 2,165 m. Ascent: 499 m of climbing (585 m if you start from Creton). Time: 2 h to 2 h 30 to climb, according to the park. With the descent and a stop at the top, count between 4 and 4 h 30. Season: the park suggests it for winter, with snowshoes if there is snow; without snow it is a normal mountain walk. Step by step The start. About 50 m before the Hostellerie du Paradis hotel, in Eaux Rousses, a signpost marks the beginning. The path crosses the meadows in front of the hotel. The forest. You enter a large forest, broken by clearings and old terraces. The climb is gradual, in zigzags, and at every bend the valley appears from a different angle. The summer pastures. You pass the ruins of the Rondzegou alp, and higher up you see below, in a hollow, the alpeggi of Carré and Rujaz: the old economy of the valley, livestock going up and down to pasture according to the season, just as wildlife does. The high meadows. The path cuts across the meadows above the summer pastures. Here, with poorly settled snow, you have to be careful. The Orvieille basin. A last forest of larches and Swiss stone pines leaves you at the entrance to the basin, with the hunting lodge. To descend, go back the same way or go down towards the La Ruya alp and from there to the hamlet of Creton. Wildlife In winter the forest animals are still active: chamois, squirrels, woodpeckers, tits, robins and crossbills. With the trees bare they are easier to see. Bring binoculars and walk quietly in the clearings. Snow and bad weather If there is a risk of avalanches or poorly settled snow, the park advises climbing from Creton rather than from Eaux Rousses, and avoiding crossing the meadows above the summer pastures. Before setting out in winter, check the Aosta Valley avalanche bulletin and, if you have no experience with snowshoes, go with a park guide. In fog or storm, the basin is exposed: don't stay up there. Getting there and parking Eaux Rousses is a hamlet in Valsavarenche, on the road that climbs along the valley floor from Villeneuve towards Pont. Park in the hamlet without blocking access or the hotel entrance. To complete the day, in Degioz, the valley's main village, are the park's visitor centre and the ethnographic museum, and in Creton there are houses of traditional Aostan architecture. From Pont, at the end of the same road, the summer path to the Nivolet plain begins. With children and dogs With children who already walk for a few hours it goes well: it has no difficult sections, only a steady climb. In winter, better with snowshoes of their size and a short outing. With a dog, check the park regulations first, which restrict dogs on many paths and at certain dates. - **Jervis Hut from Ceresole Reale** (2 h · Families who walk · Independent · free): What it is The Jervis hut is at 2,250 m above Ceresole Reale, in the Orco Valley, the Piedmont side of Gran Paradiso National Park. The climb from Chiapili Inferiore is one of the most accessible high-mountain excursions in the valley: two hours without difficult sections, through forest and rocks polished by ancient glaciers, to a balcony facing the Levanne and Punta Basei. The route in numbers Start: Ceresole Reale, Chiapili Inferiore hamlet, 1,715 m. Finish: Jervis hut, 2,250 m. Ascent: 583 m of climbing. Time: 2 h to climb, according to the park. With the descent and a stop, count about 3 h 30 to 4 h. Difficulty: E, hiking. Waymarking: path 531. Recommended season: June to October. Step by step The bridge over the Orco. At Chiapili di Sotto, next to the only ski lift of the winter, a wide bridge crosses the Orco torrent. The ski run. The path first climbs the whole ski run, which in summer is meadow. The forest. You continue the climb inside the forest, dominated by larch, with Norway spruce and Swiss stone pines. Among the trees you sometimes see chamois. The roches moutonnées. On the last stretch you cross a wide area of rocks shaped by ice, with stone pines and high-altitude shrubs. Here you see alpine choughs, ravens and black grouse. The hut. You reach the Jervis, with a view of the Levanne and Punta Basei, and with landforms that show where the glaciers passed. Variants From Villa and Borgata Mua. Another possible start, with paths 530 and then 531: about 2 h 30 of climbing to the hut. Loop via Lago del Dres. From the hut you can continue towards the Col del Nel and descend in a loop to the Villa hamlet via Lago del Dres, on paths 525 and 526. It is longer: count several more hours and take a map. The hut The Jervis is a support point with service in season. Opening dates and reservations for meals or sleeping are handled directly with the hut: confirm them before going up if you are counting on a hot meal. When to go From June to October, when the path is free of snow. In June the ski run and the meadows are green; in October the larches turn yellow. In July and August set off early: in the afternoon storms are frequent in the high mountains and the sun beats down on the upper part, without trees. Getting there and parking Ceresole Reale is at the head of the Orco Valley, in Piedmont, on the SP460 from Cuorgnè and Locana. Chiapili Inferiore is past Lake Ceresole, on the road towards the Nivolet. The Chiapili car park is also the one for the shuttles to the Nivolet plain on days of regulated access, so on those days arrive early. With children, with a dog and if the weather changes It is a good excursion for families who walk: two hours of climbing, without exposure. Bring water from below and warm clothing, because at 2,250 m it gets cool. With a dog, check the park regulations on paths and dates where they are allowed. If fog closes in on the roches moutonnées, follow the marks of the 531 carefully; in a storm, go down. ## As a family: Waterfalls, flowers and huts two hours away With children Gran Paradiso works with short walks along the valley floors and the occasional climb to a hut for those who already walk. Wildlife is the hook: marmots, chamois and, with luck, ibex. ### What works best The Lillaz waterfalls, a one-hour loop, also in winter Paradisia, the alpine garden in Valnontey, free for under-18s The Jervis hut from Ceresole: a two-hour climb without difficult sections The Nivolet plain by free shuttle, with marmots beside the torrent ### Where to sleep Cogne, with more hotels and services Ceresole Reale, for the Nivolet side ### Where to eat Valley cheeses in Lillaz and Valnontey A sandwich at the hut or on the Nivolet plain ### Keep in mind Above 2,000 m it is cold even in August: warm clothes and a hat for the children The hut paths are not for pushchairs: baby carrier On regulated Nivolet days, book the shuttle so you don't miss out on a place ### Qué hacer as a family - Lillaz waterfalls, a circular walk from the village - Nivolet Plain, by road from Ceresole or on foot from Pont - Paradisia Alpine Botanical Garden in Valnontey - Orvieille Royal Hunting Lodge from Eaux Rousses - Jervis Hut from Ceresole Reale ## Consejos ### Get up early to see wildlife Ibex, chamois and marmots show themselves at dawn and dusk, when there are fewer people on the trails. ### Use the winter trails The park publishes routes designed for snow, such as the Lillaz waterfalls or the royal hunting lodge at Orvieille. ### Always carry a jacket Between the valley floor and the 2,400 m of the Nivolet the weather changes within an hour. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Do you have to pay to enter the park? No. The trails are free. You pay for Paradisia (€5, free up to age 18) and, on regulated days, the €10 Nivolet Card. ### Can you see ibex? Yes. The park was born from a royal hunting reserve that saved the ibex from extinction, and in summer they're seen in the high areas, especially first thing and with binoculars. ### Is it a good destination with children? Yes. The Lillaz waterfalls, Paradisia and the Jervis hut are short, easy outings. ### Can you go with a dog? The park has its own rules for dogs, with specific trails and dates. Check them before you go. ### What is there to do in winter? Snowshoeing on the park's winter trails, such as Lillaz, Valnontey or Orvieille.