{"id":10060,"date":"2017-03-22T12:25:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-22T12:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.activeazur.com\/?page_id=10060"},"modified":"2017-12-19T15:43:48","modified_gmt":"2017-12-19T15:43:48","slug":"ecrins-national-park","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefrance.com\/holidays\/ecrins-national-park","title":{"rendered":"Ecrins National Park – An Active Holiday Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Ecrins<\/p>\n

Activity Holidays in the Ecrins National Park<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

The spectacular Parc National des \u00c9crins is one of the ten French national parks and the second largest after Vanoise. The 1000 sq km protected area straddles the Hautes-Alpes and Is\u00e8re departments, stretching between Bourg d’Oisans, Brian\u00e7on and Embrun. The park remains largely unspoilt thanks to its remote location.<\/strong><\/p>\n

HOLIDAYS<\/a> | ACCOMMODATION<\/a> | SUMMER ACTIVITIES<\/a> | WINTER ACTIVITIES<\/a><\/p>\n

The park’s jagged mountainous terrain is dissected by tumbling glaciers and fast flowing rivers, including the Romanche, Durance and Drac, which have created steep, narrow valleys. In summer, hikers, rock climbers, mountain bikers and river runners flock to the park to enjoy the wonderful climate and jaw-dropping scenery. In winter, snowshoeing, hut-to-hut ski touring and mountaineering are popular. The ski resort of Alpe d’Huez sits just beyond the boundaries of the park, 10 km up the switchbacks from Bourg d’Oisans.<\/p>\n

Bourg d’Oisans, 50 km south-east of Grenoble in the Romanche Valley, and Brian\u00e7on in the Durance Valley make great bases for exploring the park.<\/p>\n

The mighty Barre des \u00c9crins peak (4102 m) is the highest of the Massif des Ecrins mountains and is a popular ascent amongst mountaineers. It is surrounded by other equally majestic peaks including La Meije (3983 m) and Pelvoux (3946 m).<\/p>\n

The park is rich in both flora and fauna. One third of France’s species of plants are found in the park and animals include hares, marmots, foxes, chamois and golden eagles. Some people have even reported seeing wolves.<\/p>\n

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Ecrins National Park Map<\/h2>\n

The Ecrins National Park is located south-east of Grenoble, west of Brian\u00e7on and north of Gap and Embrun. The park straddles the Rhone-Alps and Provence-Alps-Cote d’Azur regions.<\/p>\n

\"Ecrins<\/p>\n

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Getting to the Ecrins National Park<\/h3>\n

Gap, 1 h 45 min drive north of Marseille, is the closest transport hub to the southern side of the Ecrins NP. Grenoble is the nearest transport hub to the northern side. You can fly into both Grenoble and Marseille.<\/p>\n

Gap and Brian\u00e7on train stations have good connections from major cities in France, including an overnight sleeper from Paris.<\/p>\n

Regular buses and coaches serve local villages from the train stations, so it is possible to reach your final destination only using public transport.<\/p>\n

However, public transport in and around the mountains is limited and taxis are expensive. So, unless you’re on an organised tour, to get the most out of your visit it’s best to have a car.<\/p>\n

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Active Holidays in the Ecrins National Park<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve teamed up with the best active holiday companies to help you organise an unforgettable trip to the Ecrins:<\/p>\n