Park Centre and Botanical Garden at Alpe Fum Bitz

At Alpe Fum Bitz, at an altitude of around 1,600 metres, the Park House of the Valsesia Protected Areas Management Authority houses an interesting exhibition on ecosystem services and ecological networks along a gradient from montane to alpine environments, with a focus on the fauna characteristic of these habitats.

The location of this facility is undoubtedly strategic, as it is just a few minutes’ walk away, set in a scenic and naturalistically interesting environment with views of the glaciers on the south face of Monte Rosa.
This centre, which is open during the summer months or by booking at other times of the year, is an important point of reference for visitors to the Park, who can find all the information and useful advice they need for a visit to Europe’s highest national park.

Adjacent to the Park Centre is a Botanical Garden in which the main plant species characteristic of the protected area have found their rightful place. A significant section of the botanical garden is dedicated to ferns. These primitive forms of plant life are little known to the general public, partly due to the difficulties involved in correctly identifying the species and the complexity of their life cycles; it is therefore one of the Park’s aims to raise awareness of these aspects, which, whilst perhaps ‘minor’, are nonetheless important to the ecology of a protected area.

Link: Alpe Fum Bitz Park Centre and Botanical Garden (Alagna) – Valsesia Protected Areas Management Authority