Photo: Hagai Agmon-Snir حچاي اچمون-سنير חגי אגמון-שניר · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Gran Paradiso
Ibex, glaciers and waterfalls in Italy's oldest national park.
Italy's oldest national park: green alpine valleys, waterfalls, glaciers and ibex and chamois that come close to the paths, with the village of Cogne as the base. Quiet, cheap for the Alps and made for walking. Reached by bus from Aosta.
Places to see
Cogne and the Meadow of Saint OrsoWalk · A stone village beside a huge open meadow with the Gran Paradiso massif at the end of the…Free- Lillaz waterfallsWalk · A set of waterfalls dropping about 150 m in three steps above the hamlet of Lillaz,…Free
Vittorio Sella hut and the ibexWalk · A steep path of about 2.5 hours from Valnontey up to a hut at 2,580 m, in a high basin…Free
When to go
- Jan1° / -10°Mostly dryBusy
- Feb3° / -9°Mostly dryBusy
- Mar7° / -5°Some rainQuiet
- Apr10° / -2°Some rainQuiet
- May15° / 3°Often wetQuiet
- Jun19° / 6°Often wetBusy
- Jul22° / 8°Often wetVery busy
- Aug21° / 8°Often wetVery busy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
Cogne. The village and meadow; beds, shops and the bus.
Lillaz. A hamlet up the valley at the foot of the waterfalls.
Valnontey. A hamlet at the mouth of the glacier valley, with the garden.
Flying in
Turin Caselle (TRN): Bus or train to Aosta, then the bus to Cogne, about 3 h 30 min, ≈ A$39.
Geneva (GVA): Bus through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Aosta, then the bus, about 4 h, ≈ A$70.
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Cogne; check times and fares before you fly.
By bus
The train doesn't reach Gran Paradiso: take it to Aosta station, then the bus. Bus from Aosta to Cogne, about 50 min, several a day (check)
Getting around
Mostly on foot. A single ticket is ≈ A$5. Cogne is small and walkable; Lillaz and Valnontey are an easy walk or a short local bus ride in summer. Buses to Aosta several times a day (check).
