Parco naturale dell'Alta Val Sesia e dell'Alta Val Strona, Regional park in Province of Vercelli, Italy.
The Parco naturale dell'Alta Val Sesia e dell'Alta Val Strona covers 6,500 hectares between the Valsesia and the Valle Strona, from about 900 m in the valley floors to the 4,559 m Punta Gnifetti on Monte Rosa. It takes in the upper Val Grande above Alagna Valsesia with the Piode, Sesia and Vigne glaciers, the high pastures of the Sermenza and Mastallone valleys, the Roj valley at Fobello and the upper Valle Strona at Campello Monti. Glacial landforms shape the whole territory.
The park was established in 1979 and enlarged in 1985 with the territories of the Mastallone valley, in the municipalities of Fobello and Rimella. A 2009 regional law reorganising protected areas added the upper Strona valley near Campello Monti, giving the park its present name.
The park lies in an area settled by the Walser, an Alemannic people who migrated into these valleys in the 13th century. Their legacy is visible in the wooden architecture of the houses, in Upper German dialects still spoken locally, and in old customs and traditional costumes. Some localities host the Ecomuseum of Valsesia.
Access is from Alagna Valsesia, where a summer shuttle runs from the car park near the Wold hamlet to Acqua Bianca, then on foot to the Alpe Fum Bitz visitor centre at 1,603 m. Other gateways are Carcoforo, the Roj hamlet of Fobello and Campello Monti in the upper Val Strona. The park spans roughly 900 m to 4,559 m at Punta Gnifetti, so high routes are seasonal.
The park's highest point is the Punta Gnifetti at 4,559 m, making it the highest protected area in Europe. Its terrain was shaped by glaciers, and the Sesia, Piode and Vigne glaciers still form the backdrop above Alagna Valsesia. The visitor centre at Alpe Fum Bitz (1,603 m) has a wildlife trail and a botanical garden.
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