Nature

The shape of the Rhemes valley is the typical one of an Alpine glacial valley, stretching from South-West to North-East. The Dora di Rhemes river runs along its bottom, fed from the glaciers and the snowfields that encircle the valley, and it flows into the Dora Baltea in the main valley of Aosta. The peaks that surround the Val di Rhemes are often above 3.000 mt. and the highest ones in the valley are the Grande Rousse (mt. 3.607) and the Tsanteleina (mt. 3.605).

Geologically speaking the rock formations of the valley are mainly crystalline rocks, gneiss, mica schist, quartzite, and sedimentary rocks of biochemical origins.

The East mountainside belongs to the Val d'Aosta sector of the Gran Paradiso National Park. Its flora is typical of the Alpine valleys with spruce and larch forests covering its sides up to the timberline. Above this altitude there are pastures and high mountain grasslands.

The wildlife in the valley is rather varied. At high altitude among the mammals we find the Alpine ibex and the chamois. Squirrels dwell in its forests while marmots live in the high mountain grasslands. In the valley we also find martens, weasels, badgers, beech-martens and at higher altitude there are blue hares and fieldmice. Among the birds which nest in Val di Rhemes there are: hazel grouses, black grouses, eagle-owls, great spotted woodpeckers, black woodpeckers, rock partridges, rock ptarmigans, sparrowhawks, northern wheatears, redstarts, Alpine choughs, common ravens, the rare bearded vultures and the golden eagles.

For further information about the Gran Paradiso National Park please follow the link to its official website.