Relaxation and gentle nature experiences around the famous Geisler peaks
You will look in vain for large wellness temples here. Moving village centres and hustle and bustle too. What you will find: flowering crocus carpets and lush green alpine pastures. If you come to the home of mountaineering legends Günther and Reinhold Messner for your holiday in South Tyrol, you can look forward to unspoilt nature. And let yourself be infected by the enthusiasm and appreciation of the locals for their home and their products.
Discover the Teis spheres. Visit a tiny church with a big reputation. Follow in the footsteps of mountaineering legends. Learn many interesting facts about the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites.
Enjoy a naturally sustainable holiday with Slow Food and Alpine Pearls
The striking rocky peaks where extreme mountaineer Reinhold Messner learnt to climb and which gave the nature park its name.
Between the head of the Villnöss valley and Val Gardena lies this special series of slender towers made of jagged dolomite rock. The Villnösser Geislern are often referred to as the Aferer Geislern, which lie on the opposite, northern side of the valley.
The highest peak of the Villnösser Geisler, known as "Odles" (needles) in Ladin, is the 3,025 m high Sass Rigais. The striking rock formations can be conquered via numerous climbing routes and climbs . At the foot of the idyllic postcard motif, you can go on hikes to alpine pastures and huts or enjoy the Dolomite panorama between the treetops in the Villnöss high rope adventure park.
Comprising four stages, the Dolorama long-distance hiking trail leads on Alpine pastures and rocky terrain along the way from the Rodenecker Lüsner Alm Alpine pasture to Lajen/Laion. This 60-kilometre route features around 2,365 vertical metres. It is also famed for its view of the Dolomites, including the Peitlerkofel, the Geislerspitzen, the Schlern, the Langkofel and Plattkofel massifs.
In the foreground a picturesque hamlet with the church of St John Nepomuk, behind it the striking peaks of the Geisler: this view of Villnöss is probably one of the most famous photo motifs of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage. The quiet valley is also famous because extreme mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner was born here. The region is committed to sustainable tourism and is part of the "Alpine Pearls" network - the most beautiful and environmentally conscious holiday resorts in the Alps. The valley with its fascinating Dolomite backdrop is barely built on. Here and there is a mountain farm or a church such as the parish church of St Peter and Paul. The unspoilt natural landscape in the Puez-Geisler Nature Park can be explored particularly well on foot, on a climbing rope or by bike. In the architecturally unique Puez-Geisler Nature Park you can learn all about the formation, flora and fauna of the Dolomites.
Hardly any traffic, no large hotels, but a group of people who are united and energetically behind their cause: To look after the Villnöss valley with its natural characteristics. With the Slow Food label, they make their vision visible. Founded in 1986 by Italian Carlo Petrini to preserve local produce, cuisine and recipes, Slow Food is now recognised worldwide as a sustainable movement.
The Villnösstal is the first Slow Food Travel destination in South Tyrol. Here, people live in close contact with nature. Huts, restaurants and hotels prioritise local products and promote local producers. The Villnöss valley is home to two Slow Food Presidia, i.e. projects to protect local and artisanal food. These include the Villnösser Brillenschaf and the Grauvieh.
Would you like a piece of spicy mountain cheese? Tender meat from grey Geisler beef? Honey with the South Tyrolean quality label? Or a cosy blanket made from Villnöss natural wool? In the Dolomites Region Villnösstal, as in the rest of South Tyrol, you will find a large selection of local, high-quality foods and handmade everyday objects and artefacts.
Many producers sell directly from the farm, where you can sample the delicacies and get to know the people behind them. This not only gives you unique flavours, but also exciting insider knowledge about cultivation and processing. With a bit of luck, you can take a stroll through the village and watch the craftsmen and women at work making jewellery, wooden sculptures or baskets.
For a relaxed and environmentally friendly journey to the Dolomites Region Villnösstal, it is best to switch from road to rail. On site, bus, train or cable car will take you to your accommodation or excursion destination.
You can reach the villages in the Dolomites Region Villnösstal from the railway stations in Brixen/Bressanone and Klausen/Chiusa by bus, taxi or the "Südtirol Transfer" shuttle.
Once you arrive at your accommodation in the Dolomites Region Villnöss, the Südtirol Guest Pass "DolomitiMobil Card" gives you unlimited use of all public transport throughout South Tyrol. For a varied and environmentally friendly holiday.
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