The Vallée des Merveilles in the Mercantour National Park

The Mercantour National Park is the last link in the chain of the Southern Alps plunging into the Mediterranean.
is one of France’s richest natural areas in terms of biodiversity. The Mercantour contains almost 40,000 prehistoric rock engravings spread over 15km² around Mont Bego. These Bronze Age engravings are listed as a Historic Monument. Welcome to the Valley of Wonders at an altitude of 2,300 metres!

Please note that following storm Alex, which hit the Alpes-Maritimes very hard at the beginning of October 2020, a number of paths are inaccessible and dangerous, particularly in the Roya and Vésubie valleys. The state of practicability of the trails in the heart of the Park is still evolving and is available on the Mercantour National Park website.

THE MERCANTOUR NATIONAL PARK

A national park at the heart of an exceptional natural environment… Follow the guide!

Backing onto the Italian Piedmont border, the Mercantour National Park is the last promontory in the Southern Alps before it plunges abruptly into the Mediterranean. At an altitude of 3,143 metres, the Gélas is the highest peak in the Mercantour National Park, just 50 kilometres from the sea as the crow flies! In the Mercantour, you’ll discover a wide variety of landscapes, plants and animals that you won’t find anywhere else! As well as its exceptional natural heritage, the Mercantour National Park also boasts a very precious cultural heritage: the Vallée de Merveilles and its 40,000 rock engravings.

To find out more

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MERVEILLES AND FONTANALBE: TWO ENCHANTING VALLEYS IN THE MERCANTOUR

Biological wealth, exceptional landscapes, unspoilt wilderness, cultural richness: the Mercantour is a unique place in the world!

Situated to the west of Mont Bego and perched at an altitude of over 2,000 m, the Vallée des Merveilles in the Mercantour National Park offers the austere beauty of a mineral and chaotic landscape, at the foot of imposing peaks reflected in numerous lakes with evocative names.

Around 5,000 years ago, people carved tens of thousands of engravings on glacier-polished rock in the enchanting Merveilles and Fontanalbe valleys. The engravings are particularly emblematic, depicting themes that combine everyday life and belief.

THE VALLEY OF WONDERS, MERCANTOUR NATIONAL PARK

An archaeological treasure trove: over 40,000 rock engravings to discover…

The highly stylised rock engravings in the Vallée des Merveilles mainly depict bulls’ heads, carriages, weapons and grids that could symbolise fields. Archaeological research shows that this was probably a sanctuary where the region’s agro-pastoralists worshipped the fertility of the land.

Discover Vallée des Merveilles

THE FONTANALBE VALLEY, MERCANTOUR NATIONAL PARK

An exceptional open-air archaeological site in the heart of the Mercantour National Park…

On the eastern slopes of Mont Bego, the Fontanalbe Valley unfurls its engraved rocks in an open, welcoming setting where the flora reveals all its richness. The rock engravings illustrate the pastoral life of the first shepherds of the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, as evidenced by the famous “sacred way”. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1989, this archaeological area straddling the two valleys offers a wealth of historical, landscape, natural and cultural discoveries: welcome to the Mercantour, one of the largest rock engraving sites in Europe.

Discover the Fontanalbe Valley!

HOW TO SEE THE ROCK ENGRAVINGS IN THE VALLEY OF WONDERS?

Specific regulations for an exceptional heritage… We tell you everything!

The 2 rock engraving sites are supervised by the Mercantour National Park and are subject to protection regulations. Free movement is only permitted on the GR 52 and the paths that join it from the Pas de l’Arpette and the Refuge de Fontanalbe. It is forbidden to deviate from these routes. On these routes, there are 2 discovery trails, one at Fontanalbe and the other at Les Merveilles, where you can see numerous engraved rocks, some of which are accompanied by educational panels. Pictograms remind visitors of the other rules to be observed to protect the engravings.

Consult the regulations

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OPT FOR A GUIDED TOUR OF EUROPE’S LARGEST OPEN-AIR MUSEUM

Take off with a State-certified guide approved by the Mercantour National Park.

From mid-June to the end of September, our enthusiastic guides will tell you all about the beliefs and lifestyles of the Neolithic peoples and help you discover the mountain riches of the Mont-Bégo natural site. You can book a guided tour of the archaeological site either from the Refuge des Merveilles or from the Lacs Jumeaux.

Book your guided tour online!

Hiking in the Mercantour National Park

In the Alpine setting of the Parc National du Mercantour you’ll find chamois, mouflons, marmots and ibex. Between Provence and Italy, nestling not far from the waves, the...

Condition of trails in the core zone of the Mercantour National Park

Mercantour Chronicles :Discover the Valley of Wonders

Chroniques du Mercantour - Saison 1 - Episode 7 : la vallée des merveilles

bloc-bon-plan-musee-des-merveilles-tende-1920x780-1.jpg — ©MUSEE-DES-MERVEILLES-TENDE

DEPARTMENTAL MUSEUM OF WONDERS

Would you like to find out more about the lives of the first inhabitants of the Merveilles and Fontanalbe valleys in the Mercantour? Visit the Musée départementales des Merveilles in Tende.

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