Val Grande: the largest wild area in Italy, but also a "museum in the open air" of the ancient Alpine civilisation. The abandonment of the alpine summer pastures and of the practice of deforestation led to the return to wilderness: nature becomes the master. The richness and the variety of the vegetation are one of the greatest attractions of the area, with impenetrable woods and a "very coloured " flora. A Park with many secrets: timid animals, steep deep valleys, very clear waters in gorges protected by steep slopes, and suggestive views, from Mt. Rosa to the Lago Maggiore.

The Parco Nazionale della Val Grande is situated near the Lago Maggiore and it is the largest wilderness area in Italy. It is situated 100 km far from Milano and 150 km from Torino. In this unique valley, out of this world and dominated by silence, nature is the master. It is an environmental "sanctuary" that should be visited with absolute respect. However, Val Grande means also history: the long tale of a mountain civilization told by the places and by people of the villages surrounding this area among the Ossola, the Verbano, the Val Vigezzo, the Valle Intrasca, and the Cannobina must be listened to. Those who are not satisfied with stopping at the border of such a wild area in one of the surrounding villages, will have the opportunity to feel "a sensation of wilderness". In other words, Val Grande is not only a Park, but also a valley conveying great emotions.

Val Grande, National Park
The harsh and rocky mountains surrounding Val Grande have always protected the environmental integrity of the valley. In 1967, the area of the Pedum rocky massif was transformed into a Riserva naturale integrale, the first one in the Italian Alps. The final step leading to the creation of the National Park was taken in the second half of the 80s, thanks to the Enti locali and to the intervention of the Region of Piemonte and of the Ministero dell'Ambiente.
Officially established in 1992, the Park extends itself in the territories of the following Towns: Aurano, Beura Cardezza, Caprezzo, Cossogno, Cursolo Orasso, Intragna, Malesco, Miazzina, Premosello Chiovenda, San Bernardino Verbano, Santa Maria Maggiore, Trontano, and Vogogna.

The charm of history
The Val Grande not only conceals mysterious and wild aspects, but it also has features of the alpine civilization bearing witness of the past, when summer alpine grazing and wood cutting were the two main activities.They were a tiring and poor way of life that stir up interest and admiration in the capacity to adapt to a very difficult and dangerous territory. Another interesting aspect is the "Cadorna Line" consisting in a series of military forts built during WWI against an Austrian-German attack through Switzerland. The round-up of prisoners in June 1944 was one of the causes for the definite abandoning of many summer alpine pastures. For the Val Grande, it meant the return to the wilderness.

A sparkling nature
The richness of the vegetation and the variety of the blossoming are one of the main attractions of the Park. In the lower Val Grande, mixed deciduous woods with a prevalence of chestnut trees dominate the territory. The beech is the most widespread arboreal species in the higher Val Grande, above all on the wet and shady slopes, but also on the southern slopes, since it usually rains a lot. Besides the beech woods, there are conifer woods, with spruce and silver firs. The larch is not very widespread because of the climate and of the cuttings carried out in the past. Going up in altitude, the woods are soon replaced by alpine grasslands and shrubs.The most interesting and rare botanical species are without a doubt the Alpine columbine and the Alpine tulip.

The fauna
Among the mammals, the ungulates are well represented by chamoises, roe-deers, and deers. At lower altitudes we can find the fox, and we can certainly find the badger, the marten, the beech-marten, the hedgehog, the dormouse, and the squirrel. We must not forget the micromammals like the wild mice, the vole, and the shrew, which represent an important ring in the food chain of the woods.
The avifauna is very rich in mountain and alpine species meeting each other in the different environments. It is important to notice the presence of the black grouse, of the dipper, and of the golden eagle.
The trout lives in its ideal habitat thanks to the clearness of the water. There are also amphibians, among which the common frog and the salamander, and, among the reptiles, the frightening vipers.

Geology and Geomorphology
There are three categories in which the rocks can be divided: magmatic rocks, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks: the latter can be found in the Val Grande. The variety of these rocks has contributed to a complex and different geomorphologic evolution. The pre-glacial morphology is evident above all in the gorges characterizing the streams. Various Quaternary glaciations have shaped the chains at a modest altitude, while morainic and alluvial deposits have shaped terraces which have been subsequently occupied by towns and summer alpine pastures. Of particular interest is a huge outcrop of rocks belonging to a portion of the deeper continental crust.