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enEyne Valley Nature Reserve
Vall d’Eina
National nature reserve (1993)Nicknamed the “valley of flowers”, the Eyne valley has drawn botanists since the 18th century: a high-mountain nature reserve, from 1,700 to 2,800 metres, where more than 800 species of plants flower.
Visit Opening hours, prices, access and events on site ↓Overview
In Cerdagne, above the village of Eyne, a glacial valley climbs towards the Spanish border as far as the Núria pass, at 2,683 metres. Its exceptional flora has earned it the nickname “valley of flowers”. Since 1993 it has been protected by a national nature reserve of almost 1,180 hectares, which covers more than half of the commune.
Botanists have been coming here for centuries. The pharmacy of Llívia was already having plants gathered here in the Middle Ages, and the great naturalists of the Age of Enlightenment explored it: Gouan, Bourgat and Razoul in 1767, Adanson in 1779, Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1807.
The reserve is home to 842 species of flowering plants and ferns, more than 500 mosses and lichens, and some 200 remarkable species, including many plants endemic to the Pyrenees. Depending on the season and the altitude, daffodils, gentians, rhododendrons, martagon lilies and Alpine poppies follow one another. 2,600 species of insects have also been recorded, including more than sixty butterflies, such as the Apollo and the small Apollo.
The opposite slopes contrast strongly: pine forests in the shade, moorland and scree in the sun, on gneiss, mica schists and marbles. The Pyrenean chamois, the red deer, the mouflon and the marmot live here, and the golden eagle, the short-toed snake eagle and the wallcreeper frequent the rock faces. The reserve is managed by the commune of Eyne and the Fédération des réserves naturelles catalanes.
Key figures
- Creation
- 1993
- Area
- approximately 1,180 ha
- Altitudes
- approximately 1,700 to 2,800 m
- Flowering plants and ferns
- 842 species
- Insects
- approximately 2,600 species
- Núria pass
- 2,683 m
Wildlife, plants and landscapes
The botanists’ valley
Gouan, Bourgat, Razoul, Adanson and then de Candolle collected plants here between 1767 and 1807.
A medieval pharmacy
From the Middle Ages, the pharmacy of Llívia had medicinal plants gathered in the valley.
A remarkable mountain flora
Alpine poppy, Pyrenean pheasant’s-eye, Pyrenean hog’s fennel and shrubby cinquefoil are among the rare plants of the reserve.
The kingdom of butterflies
More than sixty species of butterflies fly here, including the protected Apollo and small Apollo.
Birds of the rock faces
The wallcreeper, with its red wings, the golden eagle and the eagle owl nest in the valley.
The orris
The dry-stone shepherds’ huts recall the pastoral life of the valley.
When to go
The valley can be explored from June to October; the flowering is most spectacular in June and July. Above 2,000 metres, snow may linger until May. In the reserve, picking plants is forbidden, dogs are not allowed, even on a lead, and fires, camping and vehicles are prohibited. The Maison de la vallée d’Eyne, in the village, presents exhibitions and an ethnobotanical garden, and organises guided outings.
Getting there
The path starts from the reserve car park, above the village of Eyne (approximately 1,600 m). The climb to the Núria pass takes 2 hours 30 to 3 hours for more than 1,000 metres of ascent; the full round trip, which is fairly difficult, takes a day. On the other side of the pass, the sanctuary of Núria, in Catalonia, is about an hour and a half away.
Not to be missed
- The Maison de la vallée d’Eyne and its ethnobotanical garden
- The flowering meadows of the Pla de la Beguda, in early July
- The climb to the Núria pass and the view over Catalonia
- The orris, dry-stone shepherds’ huts
- The Pyrenean chamois and the high-mountain butterflies
Walks nearby
Plan your visit
Sources
- Tourisme Pyrénées-Orientales : réserve naturelle d’Eyne
- Tourisme Pyrénées-Orientales : randonnée dans la réserve de la vallée d’Eyne
- Tourisme Occitanie : Maison de la vallée d’Eyne
- Pyrénées Cerdagne : la vallée des fleurs
- L’Indépendant : la réserve naturelle de la vallée d’Eyne fête ses 30 ans (2023)
- Wikidata Q15667636
Text written by Éden Catalán from these sources. Spotted a mistake? Write to us.