Its characteristic landscape is shaped by hundreds of sinkholes where Swiss pines and larch trees grow. 12 ha of extremely rare geological and natural formations in the ski area. The result of an equation that is almost unique worldwide, this ecosystem combines gypsum soil and an equilibrium that rests on the delicate wings of a specific bird.
The Swiss stone pine, La Plagne’s sacred pine tree
In one of France’s highest forests, Swiss stone pines grow on the gypsum-rich rock itself, a limestone rock that is highly soluble in water.
Gypsum is a little like sugar! The Swiss stone pine’s main characteristic compared to other pine trees is that its needles are in groups of five. It is a tree that can survive to temperatures of -43°C. It also adapts its growing season by flowering (when the sap rises in the tree) later, to prevent the sap from freezing which would cause the tree to burst open.
Jean-Luc Lecoq, a former forest ranger at the ONF
The spotted nutcracker as the keystone
The regeneration of the forest is brought about by its provisions of Swiss pine seeds. The spotted nutcracker hides the seeds then searches them out during the winter. Since it is not always successful in its treasure hunt, some are left behind that can then germinate.
The spotted nutcracker is quite easy to spot because it is a dark-coloured bird with small white spots over its body. It feeds on seeds that it finds in Swiss pine cones. It belongs to the crow family, so it has a long beak that it uses to collect a whole pine cone which it sets down on a tree stump and pecks to extract the seeds. It is quite noisy and can be heard in autumn. The seeds are hidden over an area of several kilometres as a reserve for the winter. The birds forget where they have hidden about 20% of them, which is enough to repopulate the forest with new shoots!
Jules Jouaux, animal photographer in La Plagne
A fragile balance and a stealthy visit, in summer and winter
Its situation in the middle of the ski runs requires our full attention to guarantee its sustainability and the harmony of the ecosystem. The area is ZNIEFF listed (Natural Area of special Ecological, Faunistic or Floristic Interest) but this does not mean that it is an impenetrable santuary.
A hike in summer, or a snowshoe hike in winter, is really the only way to discover all its secrets. Going with a guide prevents erosion of the site and noise that can endanger the survival of its inhabitants (foxes, squirrels, ermines, mountain hares and black grouses). The guides can reveal the secrets of the animal tracks in the snow and are keen to make visitors aware of this exceptional ecosystem.
Skis can cut the heads off the young shoots. It is important to respect this unique natural site
Philippe Vanniu, La Plagne mountain guide
Due to its exceptional nature on a national and even a European scale, La Plagne’s Swiss pine grove on gypsum is currently, in 2025, the subject of an initiative that is part of the national strategy for Protected Areas in 2030. It will be a collaborative approach (the DDT, the commune of La Plagne Tarentaise, the Syndicat Intercommunal de la Grande Plagne, the Société d'Aménagement de La Plagne, the Office de Tourisme de la Grande Plagne, the Office National des Forêts, the Vivre en Tarentaise association, the Parc National de la Vanoise), organised in successive stages to draw up a detailed inventory and allow a tool adapted to the preservation of this unique natural environment to be put in place.
💡 Key facts
- 2: the number of Swiss pine groves in Europe, including the one in La Plagne
- 2,300 m: the altitude of the Swiss pine grove, in the heart of the ski area, in one of France’s highest forests
- 12 ha: surface area of La Plagne’s Swiss pine grove
- 400 years old: age of some of the trees
- classified as a remarkable natural site
