Two lakes beside the Dora Baltea, where the Saint-Marcel torrent comes in: the Les Îles reserve protects one of the last natural riverside habitats left along the river, and over the past ten years forty nesting bird species have been recorded here.
What to see
The protected area was established in 1995 across the territories of Brissogne, Nus, Quart and Saint-Marcel, though the site had served since 1982 as a wildlife conservation oasis. This is the valley floor as it must have looked before the embankments: still water, reed beds, riverside woods, in the middle of a plain that is farmland and industry everywhere else.
Visiting
You come for the birds, not for alpine scenery: the reserve is flat, minutes from the main road, and it is the right call for an hour of birdwatching when the weather closes in higher up.
Our editors' tip
Early morning is the only time that really counts, in spring and autumn, when the migrants pass through. Binoculars are essential: without them you will see a lot of water and little else.