Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy

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Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy

Established on 3 December 1922, the Gran Paradiso is the oldest national park in Italy and also one of the most fascinating. Covering an area of 71,043 hectares, the park stretches between Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont, and borders France with the Vanoise National Park. The terrain is mainly mountainous and lush, and is populated by numerous animals, some of which are protected species such as the ibex, previous victim of indiscriminate hunting and now a symbol of the area.

The Gran Paradiso is also rich in rivers, waterfalls and of course lakes, like those portrayed in the picture. Agnel and Serrù, the lakes featured in today’s homepage image, are actually two artificial basins that feed various hydroelectric power plants, famous above all for being the setting for the final scene of the 1969 film The Italian Job.