The Vanoise National Park lies directly east of Courchevel and is the wild counterweight to all the resort glitter. Created in 1963, it was France's first national park, and shares a border with Italy's Gran Paradiso to form the largest protected area in Western Europe. Inside its 530 square kilometres of high peaks, glaciers, and lakes you can see ibex, chamois, marmots, golden eagles, and bearded vultures.
There is no road access into the park — only marked walking trails and a network of mountain refuges. The closest entry from Courchevel is via Pralognan-la-Vanoise, about an hour's drive away, from where day hikes head up into the heart of the massif. Even an easy afternoon walk on the park edge gives a sense of how different the high Alps feel when there are no lifts and no buildings.