Gran Paradiso National Park

Gran Paradiso National Park lies in the Graian Alps between the Aosta Valley and Piedmont, named for the mountain within it, and runs contiguous with the French Vanoise National Park across the border. The land was first protected to save the Alpine ibex, which had been hunted almost to extinction and survives here because of it. Ibex and chamois are now common on the higher ground. The valleys are walkable through summer; the passes are a shorter season than the latitude suggests.