Summer Mountain

Nature conservation through parks and reserves

Savoie Mont Blanc is home to 4,236 km² of unspoilt nature, including one national park, two regional nature reserves, 18 nature reserves and 42 Natura 2000 conservation zones. All these areas are managed sustainably in order to protect and maintain the enchanting environment.

The first National Park in France

VANOISE NATIONAL PARK

Vanoise national park

Vanoise National Park stretches between the valleys of Maurienne and Tarentaise.   Established in 1963 to protect the endangered ibex, it covers 53,000 hectares and culminates at 3,855 metres at the Pointe de la Grande Casse. It is twinned with Italy’s Parc du Grand Paradis, between them creating the largest conservation area in western Europe.

Between Savoie and Haute-Savoie

LES BAUGES REGIONAL NATURE RESERVE

Bauges Unesco Geopark

Les Bauges Regional Nature Reserve is located between Annecy, Albertville and Chambery, and covers 90,000 hectares. It stretches from 250 m to 2,217 metres above sea level at its highest point, Arcalod Point. This reserve in the Pre-Alps, surrounded by Lake Annecy and Lake Bourget, is home to some 4,000 chamois and boasts 480 km of marked trails.

White crags dominating a natural setting

CHARTREUSE REGIONAL NATURE RESERVE

Set up in 1995, Chartreuse Regional Nature Reserve is located between Chambéry and Grenoble, straddling the départements of Isère and Savoie. These limestone mountains are easily recognisable by their white crags and hold a 280-kilometre network of underground tunnels. Covering 69,000 hectares, it is also home to the Grande Chartreuse monastery.

18 NATURE RESERVES

Conservation areas from lakeside to mountainside

Savoie Mont Blanc’s 18 nature reserves are spread throughout Savoie and Haute-Savoie.

They offer additional protection for local flora and fauna. Generally speaking, the conservation area is more limited, focusing on a specific aspect of its flora or fauna, such as forests, natural corries, martagon lilies, ibex, black grouse and migratory birds.

The latest to be established is Lake Aiguebelette Regional Nature Reserve, in 2015.

Discover the nature reserves

PROTECTING FLORA AND FAUNA

The mountains in Savoie and Haute-Savoie are home to a unique selection of wild flora and fauna.
In order to protect this, Savoie set up the first French National Park in 1963, known as Vanoise.
Since then, two other regional nature reserves and 18 nature reserves have also been established to protect the natural treasures found here.

These areas help give mother nature a break by limiting the impact of people on their environment. This will no longer be a choice for future generations.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONSERVATION AREA

National Parks are general set up in areas which are not inhabited.
Their main purpose is to protect and preserve an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Parks are subject to specific regulations under the jurisdiction of the state, which is responsible for managing them.
Regional nature reserves are sites which have been selected for their architectural, historical, cultural, or botanical interest.  They can be established by local authorities seeking to protect their heritage, through certification by the state and compliance with a charter.
A nature reserve can be set up in a particular part of a local area, where it is particularly important to protect the natural environment.  This land is then protected from any artificial development which may cause harm.