Mercantour National Park
Mercantour is a national park founded in 1979 and is the youngest of the ten currently existing national parks in France. Its area is 685 km2 and stretches across the territory of two departments – Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-Haute-Provence. The nearest major city is Nice, and the Alpes–Maritimes, a natural park in Italy founded in 1955, adjoins the park on the south side. Between the borders delineated on one side by the Tanda gorge and on the other by the valley of the Yubey River, six more rivers flow: Roya, Bever, Vesuby, Tine, Var (its upper course with the Xiang tributary) and Verdon.
Mercantour Park is a unique natural and historical heritage of mankind. A relatively small area of the territory contains unique natural resources, the protection and preservation of which is the first most important task. The second is to inform tourists and guests of the park who are interested in nature and history. Visitors are offered a free choice of walking routes, varying in complexity, length and purpose. One thing is certain: each of the routes is even more interesting and exciting, so much so that you will want to come back here again and again. And the opportunity to take a guide-interpreter with you provides access to the "treasures of Mercanture" for people of different ages and physical fitness. The total length of all walking routes is more than 600 km.
There are 465 peaks of mountains in Mercantur with a height of more than 2000 m, six mountains above 3000 m are a paradise not only for the diversity of nature, but also for lovers of mountain tourism and its accompanying extreme recreation. The highest is Mount Zhela, its height is 3143 meters above sea level. A combination of various factors has affected the ecological component of the reserve. A kind of unified complex of fauna and flora has been formed, allowing both animals and plants to actively migrate and develop, forming the most amazing combinations of them.
The wildlife of Mercantour Park is most widely represented by marmots, badgers, chamois, deer, roe deer, ermines, wild boars, mountain goats and hares. Vultures, golden eagles, falcons, eagles, and partridges can be observed on the treetops and in the sky. For all animals, the nature reserve is ideal for development and existence.
The highlight is the Alennine Wolves Reserve, which is located next to the village of Saint Martin-Vesuby. The plant world is represented by more than two thousand plant species. Half of the richest flora of France is collected here, and 220 rare plus 40 extremely rare species are under state protection. Among them are orchids, violets, edelweiss, geraniums, tulips, gentian and others. Saxifrage is very popular, which has become a kind of visiting card of the Mercantour Nature Reserve. The most beautiful trees, oaks, firs, larches, cedars, Swiss pines and olive trees - their combination is simply amazing to look at. Nature is especially beautiful in front of the park's guests in spring and early summer, but Mercantour Park looks just as majestic and charming in winter.
It is not easy to single out something special from the more than fifty hiking trails in the Mercantour Nature Reserve. Any of the chosen destinations will be both a discovery and a pleasure for visitors, a reason to be surprised and delighted at every step. Of particular note is the Valley of Wonders of Fontanalba, which became a historical monument at the end of the 20th century. The landscape of the valley was formed under the influence of glaciers, and it seems to be covered with an infinite number of lakes of the most beautiful and diverse shapes. Researchers have discovered many traces of human habitation here in the form of signs on the rocks.
Mount Bego is also completely covered with signs and petroglyphs - various drawings on the stone of ancient times. The Valley of Wonders and the Fontanable Valley have a certain aura of mysticism. It is believed that ancient people held communion with the gods and spirits of that time here. Scientists have counted more than 40,000 similar drawings in these two historical sites alone.
Mercantour National Park is developing year by year. The latest figure of 80,000 visitors per year shows how interesting it is for people to spend time here. For a wide variety of categories of citizens, you can choose your own way of communicating with nature. These include hiking, cycling, and horse riding. For fans of extreme recreation, there are several interesting sports mountaineering routes, specially complicated in some places to achieve the desired effect. A newfangled hobby – canyoning - involves overcoming gorges of varying complexity, as well as passing through water-rocky terrain. The park is unique and magnificent. Everyone in it will be able to find a place for a good rest, active, full of impressions and knowledge!
