Réserve naturelle nationale de la Grande Sassière, National nature reserve in Tignes, France
The Réserve naturelle nationale de la Grande Sassière is a protected area in the French Alps featuring alpine meadows, mountain lakes, and rocky slopes with steep elevation changes. The landscape shows typical high mountain structures with open grasslands at lower elevations and wilder rock formations higher up.
The reserve received its protected status in 1973 as a trade-off linked to the development of a major ski area in the nearby Haute Tarentaise region. This decision aimed to preserve the untouched alpine landscape in this particular area.
The reserve is home to marmots that visitors often spot on sunny alpine meadows, where these animals are a regular presence. Their calls and behavior are part of what makes the high mountain landscape feel alive and inhabited.
Access to the reserve is at the Saut dam area where a parking lot sits at high elevation and trails depart from there into the terrain. Wear sturdy hiking boots and prepare for changeable mountain weather, especially during transition months between seasons.
The terrain supports rare plants adapted to moraine landscapes that are seldom found elsewhere. These specialized species show how life thrives in these harsh high-altitude zones where few plants can survive.
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