Ibex and the Lillaz waterfalls
Established in 1922, the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso is the oldest national park in Italy, born from a royal hunting reserve created in 1856 by King Victor Emmanuel II, who, to preserve the game for his hunts, protected the Alpine ibex, then on the verge of extinction: in fact, the last few dozen specimens of the Alps survived only here, and from this small population descend all the ibex that today live in the Alps. The park, between the Aosta Valley and Piedmont, protects the massif of the Gran Paradiso, 4,061 metres, the only peak over 4,000 metres entirely in Italy, with glaciers, valleys, larch forests and alpine pastures where ibex, chamois, marmots, foxes and golden eagles live, and where the bearded vulture has returned.
The most beautiful gateway to the park is Cogne, an elegant mountain village at about 1,500 metres, surrounded by the immense meadow of Sant'Orso, from which you can see the glaciers of the Gran Paradiso. Cogne preserves old stone and wood houses, a tradition of iron mining, and the art of bobbin lace, the "dentelles" of Cogne, made by the women for centuries. A short distance away, in the hamlet of Lillaz, a short and easy path leads to the Cascate di Lillaz, a series of spectacular waterfalls that fall in three jumps for about 150 metres, among rocks and woods. From Cogne and the valleys of Valnontey, Valsavarenche and Rhêmes, many trails lead into the heart of the park, where you can easily observe ibex and chamois.
Tip: in the late afternoon, look for ibex on the slopes above Valnontey; walk to the Lillaz waterfalls in spring, when they are at their fullest.
Where it is
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