Valnontey and the Paradisia Garden
The alpine botanical garden
A few kilometres from Cogne, in the heart of the Gran Paradiso National Park, the Valnontey is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Alps, a green valley of meadows, larch woods and streams that climbs towards the glaciers of the Gran Paradiso massif, with a small hamlet of stone and wood houses at its entrance. It is one of the best places in the park to observe the Alpine ibex, which often come down to graze on the slopes near the paths, especially in spring and in the late afternoon, and the marmots, which whistle among the rocks. Many trails start from here, from easy walks along the stream to demanding hikes to the mountain huts, such as the Rifugio Vittorio Sella, at 2,588 metres, in a basin frequented by herds of ibex.
At the entrance to the valley, at about 1,700 metres, lies the Giardino Botanico Alpino Paradisia, founded in 1955, one of the most important alpine botanical gardens in Italy. Covering about one hectare, it hosts about 1,000 species of plants from the Alps and other mountains of the world, arranged in rock gardens, peat bogs and small ponds that recreate the natural environments, with a special section dedicated to medicinal plants and an area for butterflies, which are attracted by the flowers. The best time to visit is from June to August, when the alpine flowers, such as edelweiss, gentians, rhododendrons, orchids and lilies, are in full bloom, creating an explosion of colours. The garden is open only in the summer season.
Tip: visit the garden in July, at the height of flowering; then walk along the valley and look for ibex on the slopes.
Where it is
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