It was born in 1963 and was the very first National Park to be created in France. Since then, its protected area has enabled many births and the reintroduction of invaluable species.

The ibexes for example, which number 2000 in the whole Vanoise, represent a third of the French population of these large cloven hoofed beasts. The chamois which one can easily admire from a distance in the pierriers (moraine), the cute marmot which can survey its environment at 300° with its eyes directed upwards, and which is not at all afraid of man, so much so that it even installs its burrows in the mountain golf-courses, too bad for the players, who just have to wait until it goes in, to putt. There is also the golden eagle (20 couples), the bearded vulture with its impressive 2.70 meters wing span and the plants, rare, protected, sometimes survivors of the great glaciations. Enough to make you dizzy!

To discover and benefit from such a majestic world, one should not hesitate to employ great means. To launch into, for instance, the circuit baptized the Tour de la Grande Casse (culminating point of the park at 3855 m high) to be completed in 5 days, departure from the hamlet of Laisonnay, from the bottom close to Champagny en Vanoise, passing through many passes with stays in the mountain refuges . It is accessible to the average hikers used to practising mountain hikes.

The less physically ambitious hikers will discover the villages among the most beautiful of France, such as Bonneval-sur-Arc or Bessans, famous for its sculptors as well as the most beautiful churches while following the Baroque paths for instance. The Vanoise Park has inexhaustible resources.