Description of the attraction
The natural reserve "Mon Mar" in the Italian region of Val d'Aosta was founded in 1993. It spreads over an area of 390 hectares at the source of the Paculla River in the Valle del Lis. You can get here by taking the road from Pillaz to Vargnho - you need to follow the yellow signs that mark the main path of the reserve, crossing it from west to east and leading to the Col de la Balma mountain.
Geologically speaking, the Mont Mar landscapes are of glacial origin, especially in a number of stepped glacial basins now filled with small lakes and swamps. The modest remains of an ancient glacier that covered the entire territory of the valley more than 10 thousand years ago can be found today at the foot of the northern slope of Mont Mar.
Most of the reserve is covered with vast deciduous forests interspersed with shrubs (rhododendron, blueberry, juniper). Above the slopes of the mountains, there are purple gentian, arnica and kokushnik, and among the rocks you can see the Austrian goat - a rare species for Val d'Aosta. Mountain lilies and alpine beetles prefer sunny cliffs.
The wild world of the reserve is very diverse - alpine, subalpine and species of animals characteristic of river valleys live here. The wetlands and lake shores are home to frogs and dippers. Alpine meadows and steppes are home to common snakes, crows, black redstart, cuckoos, woodchucks, chamois, hares and foxes. And on the northern slope of Mon Mara you can see ptarmigan and alpine finches. In addition, golden eagles often hunt in the reserve.
But the Mon Mar reserve attracts tourists not only with its amazing landscapes and wildlife. At 760 meters above sea level, in the heart of the Valle del Lis, Fontainemore is the perfect place to spend a relaxing weekend amidst mesmerizing landscapes. It also houses the Gabriel Böshaud climbing training center, equipped with the latest technology. 7 km from the administrative center, in the town of Kumarial on the left bank of the Lis River, there is another recreation area with ponds, a ski school and an office of mountain guides, where you can book a tour of the surroundings. And in the town of Pra du Sace, you can visit the Ecomuseum, which introduces visitors to the nature of the reserve. A trip to the mountain village of Farettaz with its old mills, bakery and small church can be no less interesting.
Finally, one of the main attractions in the vicinity of the Mon Mar reserve is the Le Pietre del Lis stone trail, a geological formation near Niana. It is a collection of huge boulders showing the geological processes that took place in the Valle del Lis many thousands of years ago.
