Boasting one national park and seven nature parks, South Tyrol represents a unique realm of nature experiences. Did you know that the Dolomites Region Kronplatz is home to three of these unparalleled nature reserves? Step into their unrivalled scenery, let yourself be captivated by their striking landscapes and explore their fragile yet impressive ecosystem up close. Discover a world of colours and scents. In which a peaceful quiet intertwines with magical sensations. A world of experiences for all senses.
This is the most magical among the nature parks. The one that makes your eyes sparkle and your heart beam. The Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park is set in the southern Pustertal valley and without any doubt belongs to the most beautiful nature reserves in the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage. Surrounded by breath-taking sceneries such as the Lavarella-Conturines mountain range or the mountain called Seekofel/Sassolungo, it takes you on a journey across an area of 26,000 hectares, leading to the pristine gems of the Braies Dolomites and the Fanes Group. You will traverse vast spruce forests, lush green Alpine meadows and karstic plateaus before reaching the natural jewels of the third largest nature park in South Tyrol: the Fanes Alm, the Plätzwiese/Prato Piazza, the famous lake called Toblacher See/Lago di Dobbiaco and, of course, the legendary Pragser Wildsee/Lago di Braies lake. If you are interested in learning more about the origins of the Dolomites as well as the nature park, you can visit the visitor centre of St. Vigil in Enneberg/San Vigilio di Marebbe.
An impressive world of water is waiting to be explored between the valleys called Antholzertal/Valle Anterselva and Tauferer Ahrntal/Valle Aurina: the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park, which, along with the Hohe Tauern and Zillertaler Alps National Parks in Austria, forms the largest nature conservancy network in Central Europe. Covering 31,320 hectares, this nature reserve is home to famous peaks such as the Dreiherrenspitze/Picco dei Tre Signori and Hochgall/Monte Collalto, but is particularly known for its
spectacular glacier landscape with no less than 38 “three-thousanders” – mountains that exceed 3,000 metres in height. Far beneath these impressive frozen giants – which transform this area into the most glacier-rich nature reserve in South Tyrol – rushing rivers, roaring waterfalls and the third largest natural lake in South Tyrol called Antholzer See/Lago di Anterselva invite you to head out on numerous hiking or cycling tours to discover this unique landscape. You are an enthusiast of mountain landscapes and want to find out as much as possible about them? Well, don't miss out on a visit to the Rieserferner-Ahrn visitor centre!
A nature park reminiscent of bygone times. The “history book of the earth” – this is how this unique reserve, the Puez-Geisler Nature Park, is also called. With an area of 10,722 hectares, it may be smaller than the Fanes-Sennes-Prags and Rieserferner-Ahrn nature parks, yet it is by no means less fascinating! Be sure to take enough time for a hiking or mountain-bike tour across a landscape characterised not only by placid Alpine meadows, but also by dense coniferous forests, karstic plateaus and towering rock faces. Delve deeper and deeper into the captivating world of this unique Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage site and relish breathtaking views of the Geisler mountain range as well as the peaks of the Peitlerkofel/Sass de Putia, Puezkofel/Col de Puez, Sassongher and Cir. Craving for more? The St. Magdalena/S.Maddalena visitor centre, located in the proximity of the locality called Villnöss/Funes, reveals all sorts of interesting details about the nature park and its 600-million-year-old history.
