a breathtaking wilderness of dramatic mountains and lush meadows, the gran paradiso is italy's foremost national park, created in 1922 from part of the former royal hunting reserve of the house of savoy.
it is mainly a summer resort for walkers due to its unspoiled scenery, rare wildlife and unusual alpine flowers, though there is also cross-country skiing during the winter months.
the king of the park is the ibex, a relative of the deer family all but extinct in the rest of europe.
the park is also prized by naturalistic for its chamois, ptarmigan, golden eagles, rare butterflies and marmots.

sights at a glance:
golett waterfalls;
male ibex;
castello di aymavilles;
cascata di balma;
paradisia alpine garden;
valnontey.