Côte de Gargantua Nature Reserve
A steppe hill said to cover the giant’s toe, in Gressan
In Gressan, near Aosta, a small dry hill forms the Côte de Gargantua nature reserve. It covers 19 hectares, between 607 and 776 metres. It is also a special area of conservation in the Natura 2000 network.
The giant’s toe
According to legend, the hill covers the little toe of the giant Gargantua. In fact it is a moraine, a mound left by an ancient glacier on the valley floor.
Steppe vegetation
The hill carries steppe vegetation adapted to drought. Rare plants grow here, such as Artemisia vallesiaca and Telephium imperati. Wall lizards, green lizards, snakes, butterflies and beetles live here, as do foxes and badgers.
An easy path
An easy path of about an hour, with 166 metres of climb, crosses the reserve. It has four access points and can be visited all year.
Address : Gressan (AO); car parks at the Pila turn-off roundabout and below the town hall
Opening : open all year. Bus line 5 Aosta–Aymavilles.
Admission : no fee indicated.
Please check before your visit: hours and prices can change from one season to the next.
Maps: personal work by Marc Badjou.
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