Fauna and flora

The altitudes of Bessans - from 1750m (village) to 3752m (Pointe du Charbonnel) - allow a wide variety of flora and fauna to flourish in different terrains.
From the larch forest, which extends up into the Avérole and Ribon valleys, to the alpine meadows and glaciers, where marmots whistle in great numbers.
Richness and diversity of wildlife
The richness of the Vanoise National Park's fauna is indisputable. From large ungulates to birds, insects and amphibians.

Exceptional diversity

Herbivores (deer, roe deer, chamois and ibex...they are all well represented in the Vanoise), rodents (the mountain hare, which changes its livery with the seasons, the marmot, which lives mainly on the vast alpine grasslands, various voles including the snow vole, the collared field mouse), carnivores (fox, badger, marten, weasel, ermine), bats (the common pipistrelle, the northern earwig) and insectivores such as the water shrew.

Among the 125 bird species nesting in Vanoise are: golden eagle, crossbill, nutcracker, Tengmalm's owl, black flycatcher, long-eared owl, rock blackbird, black grouse, black grouse, rock partridge, rock ptarmigan, black woodpecker, three-toed woodpecker and tichodromus.

Diversity
The latest summary of France's flora, "Flora Gallica", published in 2014, lists around 5,000 species of vascular plants (ferns and allied plants, conifers and flowering plants) in mainland France. The Vanoise massif alone accounts for 1,700 species, i.e. a third of France's flora on less than 0.5% of the national territory!

This exceptional diversity can be explained by the variety of environments present, linked to the wide altitudinal gradient, the range of exposures and the marked differences in the chemical composition of rocks and soils.

Bessans, hamlet l'avérole
BE_decouvrir-environnement-faune-flore
Adopt the "Parc attitude

Indispensable for protecting an exceptional and fragile natural environment! Walk, run, photograph, smell, listen, breathe, contemplate, observe, learn, pass on, respect...

Come onfoot, without your dog (even on a leash), and leave your mountain bike and paraglider at home.
Admirethe beauty of the flowers without picking them - they won't grow back on your property.
Feed yourselfwith tasty local produce, but don't feed the marmots.
Optimizeyour water and electricity consumption in the refuges
Initiate yourselfto the calm of the mountains, to tranquillity... disconnect
Followthe trails and don't cut the laces on the way down
Takethe shuttle bus instead of your car

Open this extraordinary picture book with your children, awaken their curiosity and teach them about the environment and respect for it... That's what real mountain vacations are all about!

A privileged encounter with nature...
The park rangers, who work in the National Parks on a wide variety of missions, will be holding meetings throughout the summer to introduce you to their job and help you discover the secrets of the environment that surrounds us.

And don't hesitate to get in touch with our mountain guides with the "Esprit Parc" label. As well as guiding you safely along snow-covered itineraries, they'll attract your attention, arouse your curiosity and inspire you to find out more about the mountain environment.

This is a good time, for example, to observe marmots coming out of hibernation to enjoy the warmth of the sun.