Gran Paradiso National Park

Gran Paradiso National Park is a beautiful national park in Italy, located close to the stunning Mont Blanc and Matterhorn. This beautiful park has a rather interesting history. Victor Emanuel announced the territory around Grand Paradiso as a Royal Hunting Reserve to protect the alarmingly decreasing population of ibexes (ironically, he exempted himself from the ban of hunting in said territories). While Victor Emanuel didn’t want to give up on hunting, his grandson Victor Emanuel III did – he completely forbade hunting in Gran Paradiso territories and helped establish the first national park in Italy – Gran Paradiso National Park.

Gran Paradiso National Park combines territories surrounding Mount Grand Paradiso – the 7th highest peak in Italy and 24th highest peak in the Alps. Not only does this beautiful park serve the purpose of protecting fragile wildlife and maintain the biodiversity that can be found in high alps, but it attracts plenty of hikers willing to explore this beautiful part of the Italian Alps.

You can never go wrong if you chose Gran Paradiso National Park for your holiday, whether you are planning on exploring hiking trails among stunning peaks or you want to dive into alpine snow with your skis. The park has a great trail system with some of the routes being more than 100 years old, from the times they were serving the king as a hunting trails. Plenty of trails are also mountain bike friendly!

If you are here to hike or bike, the best time to visit the park is from June through October with July and August being the most crowded months. It’s possible to start hiking as early as May, but some of the trails might still be covered by snow and refuges might still be closed during this time of the year. Winter sports lovers can expect the best snow from the end of December through March.