National Park Val Grande
Hotels National Park Val Grande
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The National Park Val Grande is situated near Lake Maggiore and it is the widest wild area in Italy. It's 100 kms. from Milan and 150 kms. from Turin. It's a one of a kind and out of this world valley, dominated by silence, where nature is the queen. It is a "sanctuary" that should be visited with absolute respect. The Valley is also history. The long tale of a mountain civilization narrated by the places and people that surround this area among Ossola Valley, Verbano, Val Vigezzo, Valle Intrasca and Cannobina. Those who don't reach the middle of the wild zone and stop in one of the surrounding towns can still have "that sensation of wilderness". In other words, the Val Grande is a valley of great emotions as well as being a Park.
Val Grande, National Park - To protect the environmental integrity of the Val Grande are as always the rocky and harsh mountains that surround it. In 1967 the area of the Pedum rocky mass was assigned as being a Natural Integral Reserve,the first in the Italian Alps. The decision of the creation of the National Park came in the second half of the 80's thanks to the Local Enti and to the intervention of the Piemonte Region and of the Minister of the Environment. Officially instituted in 1992, the Park extends on the territories of the following communes: Beura Cardezza, Caprezzo, Cossogno, Cursolo Orasso, Intragna, Malesco, Miazzina, Premosello Chiovenda, San Bernardino Verbano, Santa Maria Maggiore, Trontano.
A sparkling nature - The richness of the vegetation and the variety of the blossoming are one of the major attractions of the Park. In the lower Val Grande predominates the mixed deciduous woods prevailing the chestnut trees. The beech is the most widespread arboreal species in the high Val Grande, mainly found in the moist and shady slopes, but also in the southern slopes as a consequence of the high quantity of rain in this zone.To the beech woods we can add a limited quantity of coniferous woods, in which main kinds are the spruce fir and silver fir. The larch is scarce because of the climate and of the cuttings made in the last centuries. Going up in altitude, rapid is the substitution of the woods by the alpine prairies and shrubs.The most interesting and rare kinds are certainly the aquilegia and the "Alpine" tulip.
The fauna - Among the mammals, the ungulates are well represented with the presence of chamois, roe-deer and at least sporadically, the deer. In the lower altitudes we can find the fox, and we can certainly find the badger, marten, beech-marten,hedgehog, dormouse and squirrel. We must not forget the micromammals like the wild mice, voles and shrews that represent important ring in the food chain of the woods. The avifauna is very rich with mountain and Alpine species that meet each other in the different environments. It is important to note the presence of the black grouse, dipper and the golden eagle. The trout enjoys its ideal habitat thanks to the pureness of the water. There are also amphibians like the common frog and the salamander, and among the reptiles the frightening vipers.
At National Park Val Grande, there is tourist accommodation available in hotels, farm holiday, farmhouse, residence self-catering accommodation, mountain chalets, b&b, rooms for rent, holiday homes, camp sites and tourist villages.
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Piedmont
