{"id":46120,"date":"2025-07-22T09:16:50","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T07:16:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.paysdesecrins.com\/must-see-sites\/blue-thistle-reserve\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T11:54:36","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T09:54:36","slug":"blue-thistle-reserve","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.paysdesecrins.com\/en\/i-choose\/must-see-sites\/blue-thistle-reserve\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Thistle Reserve"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Home<\/a><\/span> I choose<\/a><\/span> Must-see sites<\/a><\/span> Blue Thistle Reserve<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

Blue thistle reserve<\/em> where the queen of the Alps blooms…<\/h2><\/div>\n\n

Discover the blue thistle reserve, a real floral setting nestled in the heart of the Fournel valley. A jewel of the \u00c9crins National Park, this site offers an unforgettable immersion in the world of the “Queen of the Alps” and 900 other varieties of flowers. Fly off on a unique botanical adventure, where nature and protection meet to inspire your curiosity. <\/p>\n\n

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A sanctuary for alpine flora<\/h3><\/div>

The name “Blue Thistle Reserve” refers to the majestic Queen of the Alps (Eryngium alpinum), the first emblem of the \u00c9crins National Park. This rare species, protected at the national level and classified as Natura 2000, extends over 40 hectares in the upper Fournel valley, including 17 ha precisely in the Deslioures Biological Reserve.
Location: At an altitude of 1,560 m, accessible from the town of L’Argenti\u00e8re-la-Bess\u00e9e <\/p>

Access: By the GR 54 Several accesses are possible to the Albrands (2h30 hike) from La Mur\u00e8gne (picnic tables 2h round trip). La Salce car park (be careful, unpaved mountain road) direct access. <\/p>

Flowering period: Usually flowering begins around July 10th, the blue thistles bloom, offering a spectacle of azure hues. Then the fruits form and the plant turns a metallic purple. <\/p>

Savor every step on this protected trail, aware that you are participating in the preservation of one of the most beautiful alpine flowers.<\/p>

A botanical paradise and interpretive trails <\/strong><\/h3><\/div>

In addition to the star of the site, nearly 900 floral species coexist within the Deslioures reserve. You will come across gentians, edelweiss, saxifrages and many other treasures of the alpine flora. The National Forestry Office (ONF) has designed an educational trail dotted with explanatory panels, allowing a better understanding: <\/p>