Inside Gran Paradiso: only 300 people live inside Italy’s oldest national park

Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy’s first national park, spans the Alps across Piedmont and the Aosta Valley and draws hikers, nature lovers and tourists from across Europe every year. Yet according to the park itself, only about 300 people live inside its boundaries, compared with roughly 8,300 across the 13 municipalities that surround it.

The gap reflects a broader trend affecting mountain communities near the park, where young people have steadily migrated to cities in search of education, employment and services. In response, three nearby villages — Ingria, Ronco Canavese and Valprato Soana — have launched VIHTA, a residency program offering free accommodation and coworking space to attract new permanent residents.

The project invites professionals, families, academics and university students to spend two to four weeks in the Soana Valley between September 20 and October 18, 2026, taking part in community activities and meeting local residents while considering whether to stay longer term. The name VIHTA comes from the Franco-Provençal dialect spoken in the area, meaning “stay.”

Research on Alpine population trends shows the pattern is not unique to this valley — while about half of Alpine Europe has seen economic and demographic growth since the end of the agricultural era, the most remote districts have continued to lose residents, with some areas at risk of being completely abandoned.