Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, National park in Aragon, Spain
The park spreads across four valleys with deep canyons carved through limestone and waterfalls dropping from rock walls. The landscape shifts from forested lower sections to bare high peaks, where ice and snow sit most of the year.
Spain established this protected area in 1918, shortly after the country's first national park. The international community later recognized the importance of the geology and added the area to the World Heritage list.
Local shepherds once spent summers in the upper valleys, leaving behind stone huts and paths that still cross the terrain today. These routes show how people used the high mountains and how they moved their herds between seasons.
Visitors must take a shuttle bus from Torla to reach Ordesa Valley during the high season, while the other valleys remain accessible by private vehicle all year. Hiking trails range from short walks to full-day climbs, so check route length beforehand.
The north face of the massif drops over 1700 meters (5577 feet) straight into France, forming one of the steepest rock walls in Europe. This limestone formation is the tallest of its kind on the continent.
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