Plätzwiese high plateau and Hohe Gaisl mountain, Pragser Wildsee lake and Seekofel mountain, Armentarawiesen meadows and Zehner mountain: the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites. It impresses with landscapes of bizarre beauty, as if an exuberant giant had folded stones and generously distributed them in all sizes and shapes.
With an area of 26,000 hectares, it is the third largest nature park in South Tyrol. Craggy peaks and rock faces that seem almost insurmountable protect a vast area of Alpine pastures and high plateaus that differ greatly in their morphology and landscape. The nature park is also home to some of South Tyrol's most famous natural lakes, including the world-famous Pragser Wildsee lake with its unique reflection of the Seekofel mountain and the Toblacher See lake, which is an important habitat for many water birds.
Among the many imposing peaks in the nature park, the Lavarela, Conturinesspitze, Neuner, Zehner, Seekofel and Hohe Gaisl mountains stand out. The three plateaus of Fanes, Sennes and Fosses are characterised by karst like no other area in the Dolomites. Here, in addition to funnel-shaped swallow holes through which streams disappear underground, there is also the famous parliament of the marmots, an arena-like rock formation.
The Armentarawiesen meadows with their lush blossoms, the Pragser Wildsee lake with the Seekofel mountain as a backdrop – wherever you go, the sensations of hiking and cycling in the nature park are an experience in themselves.
A nature experience for the whole family: parents and children from 7 to 12 years go on the trail of wild animals in the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park under expert guidance. Three days a week, exciting topics close to the hearts of young rangers are explored in and around the nature park visitor centre, promising a little adventure as well as fun. The most eager sleuths who participate in both modules will be awarded the “Dolomiti Ranger” medal.
The Conturines bear and Megachirella Wachtleri are two special finds that showcase the nature park as a habitat for a wide variety of animals and plants. In 1987, the fossil bones and skull of a previously unknown bear were discovered at 2,800 metres above sea level at the foot of the Conturinesspitze mountain. He was then called Ursus ladinicus, or Conturine's bear. Its location is the highest bear cave in the world that has ever been found. The mountains of the nature park also revealed remnants of the past around 20 years ago. The fossil of the primordial lizard Megachirella Wachtleri, which, according to subsequent research, is the mother of all pangolins and lived in the Pragser Dolomites an incredible 250 million years ago. Unusually sharp, strong claws set this nimble land dinosaur apart.
What makes the Dolomites a UNESCO World Heritage site? What other nature parks are there in South Tyrol? These protected areas are Alpine habitats for wonderful animals and plants – and a paradise for nature explorers like you.
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