UNESCO World Heritage

Many guests have confirmed the Dolomites are the most beautiful mountains in the world. In 2009, UNESCO also recognised the region’s uniqueness, its geological significance and, last but not least, its beauty. After all, it would have not acknowledged the mountain region ‘Dolomites’ as a World Heritage Site if that were not the case. Only regions with a special value for humanity are listed, and they deserve to be protected to preserve this inestimable value. Dolomites Val Gardena shoulders the responsibility which stems from this recognition seriously. Extensive protective measure towards the environment, research and teaching about the peculiarities of the Dolomites go hand-in-hand with an openness to tourism.

With views and impressions like these, hardly anyone could disagree with South Tyrolean adventurer Reinhold Messner, who once wrote:

“Half a lifetime I have climbed, walked or crawled to the edges of the earth. On my knees to the summit of Mount Everest. I have marvelled at the greatest mountain ranges on earth and at exotic rock formations in New Guinea, Patagonia and the heart of the Sahara. Yet nowhere else have I found a world of rock as impressive as the Dolomites.”

Experience Dolomites Val Gardena’s variety of flora and fauna up close in the Dolomites’ nature parks. Come in, take a step closer and explore the beauty of lush, wild nature, admire plants, and animals too.

The Puez–Odle nature park

The Puez–Odle nature park set in an idyllic location at the heart of the sixth out of nine Dolomite mountain ranges recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The Puez–Odle group will capture your attention due to its powerful monolith, which can be seen even from far away, and it will sweep you off your feet with its unique and diverse landscape. Dolomites Val Gardena represents the southern border of the nature park. The picturesque scene stands out for crystal clear, shimmering, blue mountain lakes, colourful blooming mountain meadows and summits that reach for the skies as though they were pyramids. It represents the planet’s entire history, preserved for evermore in the different stone strata, in the underground mudflats and fossils.

The Sciliar, Catinaccio and Latemar nature parks

The Sciliar nature park is located on the border between South Tyrol and Trentino. This area is known throughout the world because of its spectacular landscape and terrain, making it a coveted destination of countless mountain lovers. The nature park encompasses two areas: both feature sharp towers and imposing, steep rocky walls. Experience a diverse, impressive chromatic display which, depending on the sun’s position, ranges from light pink to dark purple. The Catinaccio has always had a fairy-tale quality to it and so it shouldn’t surprise visitors of the park to discover its name among legends as old as time itself. The changes to the mountains, which go back millions of years, are the perfect excuse to for geological research and were also the perfect ingredients to fuel the locals’ imagination!

The UNESCO Dolomites panoramic balconies are particularly fascinating vantage points in the mountains. They are an example of what makes the Dolomites so extraordinary, with their geological and landscape characteristics. There are two such balconies in South Tyrol; one of them is located in the Puez-Odle Nature Park in S. Cristina: near the top station of the Col Raiser gondola lift, where a terrace at 2,200 metres above sea level has been built, offering a breathtaking view of the Alpine world of the Dolomites.

The panoramic balcony on the Mastlé/Col Raiser, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Dolomites, was built on the model of the Strudelkopf/Dobbiaco, with particular attention to an eco-sustainable approach in building. In view of the extremely sensitive context, a structure has been created that is closely linked to the surrounding environment. The steel structure, at the centre of which is the list of visible peaks, was filled in on site with existing soil and rock material.