It was established in 1979, making it one of France’s protected national parks
The park covers roughly 685-700 km² in its core zone, plus a peripheral “adhesion” area.
The terrain is dramatic: Alpine peaks (some over 3,000 m), rugged valleys, high mountain pastures, forests, and mountain lakes.
Because of its position between the Alps and the Mediterranean, the park has diverse climates and environments. Lower zones have Mediterranean flora while higher zones display alpine conditions.
Mercantour is a biodiversity hotspot: over 2,000 species of flowering plants, many rare or endemic.
Animals here include: chamois, marmots, ibex, mouflon, red and roe deer, wild boars, golden eagles, vultures.
Wolves have made a natural return since the early 1990s, migrating from across the border in Italy.
ts remarkable mix of wild, high mountain landscapes so close to the Mediterranean. In many national parks, either you have alpine terrain or Mediterranean — Mercantour has both.
Cultural heritage + natural heritage combined: prehistoric human art + rugged nature.
Relatively accessible yet preserving wilderness.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.