Vanoise National Park: a touchstone for hikers

Mountain walking, cross-country skiing or snowshoe hiking enthusiasts know that the Vanoise is an absolute must. It is famous for its wealth of wildlife and vegetation: ibexes, Chamois, eagles, vultures, edelweiss... Alone or with your family, adventure awaits you!

Over 400 kilometres of signposted trails offer a very wide range of hikes from the villages and resorts in the valleys or from the access roads. The long-distance GR®5 and Via Alpina hiking trails go across the massif from north to south.

As a family, inspire your children with the idea of getting to a small lake or a mountain pasture. Short hikes will immerse them in an exciting world of animals, pastures and mountains rising to almost 4,000 metres high. You may prefer longer trips for reflection, meditation and sporting commitment. You can spend several days on one of the many massif paths alone or with a professional guide. Finally, hiking in the Vanoise can also be on skis, especially in spring, if and when the snow is right!

Refuge or bivouac hiking

The Vanoise National Park is home to a large network of comfortable refuges. Offering board and lodging is a great speciality of the range! Local and organic products are very often favoured to offer top-quality menus. This is the opportunity to experience the beauty of the Vanoise other than with your eyes after having worked up an appetite in the fresh air! For the more adventurous, bivouacs are also allowed close to numerous refuges in the heart of the National Park.

Roam the mountains with your family, starting from the Fond des Fours refuge

Mountains are a land of sensory and sporting discoveries for children and adults alike: walk barefoot on mosses, recognise bird songs, dip your feet in torrent waters, come across charming Tarine cattle, get lost in the silence of a starry sky... At night, stop at a refuge for a total immersion in the middle of the mountains. Many of them are accessible to families, ask for more information from their keepers!

The Entre Deux Eaux trail: roaming hiking for an uttermost change of scenery

Freedom, liberty, a change of scenery... roaming hiking offers a profound connection with nature. The Vanoise is pretty handy for this with a good network of refuges allowing for an average stay of 5 to 6 hours. Large emblematic paths such as the Vanoise glaciers path or the Grande Casse path reveal the thousand different elements of the massif. Further away, the Vallaisonnay trail presents a wild and secret scenery. Professional guides can accompany you to ensure an untroubled walk.

Escape with spring skiing in the Glière valley

In spring, the Vanoise may still be snowy but remains accessible for cross-country skiing and snowshoe walking. Many refuges are open and welcome you in an even more friendly atmosphere during this time. If you are tempted by a first experience, get yourself accompanied by professionals who can introduce you to the pleasures of these immaculate landscapes and show you the wild animals without disturbing their tranquillity. Some preparation is required before leaving.