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(South)Tyrol's Beauties of Nature

Hardly any other region in Europe is blessed with natural beauty like South Tyrol and Tyrol. The Alps form one of the most beautiful and impressive landscapes imaginable. Within short distances, you will find green valleys, dark forests, gentle alpine meadows, and rugged high mountain ranges. The number of natural jewels is almost endless, ranging from idyllic chestnut groves to high alpine glacier regions and the three-thousand-meter peaks on the main Alpine ridge.

Many of the natural beauties in Tyrol and South Tyrol bear resonant and well-known names: Rosengarten, Drei Zinnen, Wilder Kaiser, Seiseralm, Nordkette, Karwendel, Achensee, Ortler... Others are still insider tips and are waiting to be discovered by you. Some must be "earned" through a long hike, while others can be reached with a short walk or even directly by car.

Several areas are under special protection due to their uniqueness: In South Tyrol, there are a total of seven large nature parks, and since 2009, the Dolomites have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site; in Tyrol, we find five nature parks and the Hohe Tauern National Park. These protected areas also serve to preserve the delicate ecosystems of these unique landscapes.

A landscape full of jewels

Water is a formative force in the mountain landscapes: roaring glacier streams, waterfalls, gorges, canyons, wild rivers, and streams are among the most precious natural jewels, as are tranquil ponds and clear mountain lakes. Every season has its own special charm here: From spring, when nature awakens with all its might and vast expanses are covered in a sea of flowers, to winter, when a glittering blanket of snow envelops the land and many a stream or waterfall freezes into ice.

Discover the many natural beauties of this unique holiday region. Explore the wonders of nature on themed paths or on guided hikes, gain insight into highly specialized and sometimes very fragile ecosystems, marvel at the immense diversity of fauna and flora. The possibilities are manifold: you can simply enjoy the magic of nature in silence, but you can also let your creative side run free - for example, in a photo workshop - or even actively contribute to the preservation of these habitats through various volunteering projects.

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Our tip:

The Alps are a complex and sensitive habitat. Therefore, take advantage of the opportunities for sustainable mobility and thus protect the environment. Offers such as the MobilCard South Tyrol are great and affordable alternatives to the car.

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Burg Reifenstein-Elzenbaum
Mystical Places in South Tyrol: “Inselberge im Sterzinger Moos“

Moorlands are often associated with spooky stories, such as the English Dartmoor, where Arthur Conan Doyle also wrote ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles‘. But such mystical places can also be found in South Tyrol, including the inselberge in the Sterzinger Moor.

Gustav-Mahler-Tierpark2.jpg
Gustav Mahler Wildlife Park

A lot of space to move around in nature while observing all kinds of animals - that sounds more than enticing for families with children.

The Saldur Lakes
Saldurseen / I Laghi di Saldur

In a mountain basin high above the head of the Val Venosta‘s Matscher Valley lie seven lakes. Surrounded by the peaks of the Saldur mountains, these lakes are a natural jewel of unique beauty. What makes the Saldur lakes so special is the varying water quality.

Am Sonnenberg
© Flyout-Wikipedia
Sonnenberg / At the Sun Mountain

The Vinschgau Sonnenberg is the section of the northern valley side of the Vinschgau between Malles and Parcines. It is part of the Ötztal Alps and almost entirely faces directly south.

The Lech Trail
© Verein Lechwege/Gerhard Eisenschink
The Lechweg

The Lech is one of the last wild rivers in the Alpine region. Its name comes from the Celtic, the old form “Licca“ means “the stony one“.

Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park
On the Trail of the Cave Bear

The discovery of the Conturines cave in the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park in 1987 was a huge sensation. Not only are there fairy-tale-like stalactite formations to admire in the 200 m long cave, but it also held a unique treasure: the bones of a cave bear from the Ice Age.

Zedlacher Paradise
© r.gasser
Zedlacher Paradise

The name ‘Paradise‘ for particularly beautiful, idyllic or romantic places is something we encounter time and again, but seldom is it as fitting as in the nature reserve around the 600-year-old larch forest in the East Tyrolean Virgental.

The Black Lake near Nauders
Schwarzer See (Black Lake) near Nauders, Tyrol

On a beautiful and easy hike, you can reach the Black Lake from Nauders in just under an hour.

Tuxeck in the Kaiser Mountains
Photo: Luidger - GFDL
Kaisergebirge

The Kaiser Mountains are among the most beautiful and distinctive mountain ranges in Tyrol. The unique mountain landscape has been a nature reserve for many years and has therefore been able to preserve its incredibly rich fauna and flora.

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Obernberger See
Photo: NH53 - CC BY 2.0
Obernberger Lake

The Obernberg Valley, a side valley of the Wipptal near the Austrian-Italian border at the Brenner Pass, is one of the most pristine valleys in Tyrol. A trip to the fantastically beautiful Obernberger See is an experience at any time of the year.

Earth Pyramids
The Earth Pyramids on the Renon/Ritten

Always in a new light. Like a bizarre forest of columns, the Ritten earth pyramids stand in the landscape. They are a natural wonder of very peculiar beauty and a monument to constant change and transience.

Umbalfälle in East Tyrol
Photo: SehLax - GFDL
The Power of Water - The Umbal Falls

The Umbalfälle near Prägraten in the East Tyrolean Virgental are among the most spectacular and impressive waterfalls in Tyrol. The water theme trail ‘Nature-Power-Path‘ opens up the full beauty of this natural monument.

Spronser Lakes: Grünsee - Texel Group Nature Park
Photo: Wikipedia-User: Noclador - CC BY-SA 3.0
Texel Group Nature Park

With an area of over 33,000 hectares, the Texel Group Nature Park is the largest of the South Tyrolean nature parks. In the immediate vicinity of the spa town of Meran, visitors can discover a mountain landscape of very special appeal between the Adige Valley, Schnals Valley and Passer Valley, and the main Alpine ridge.

Fernsteinsee
Photo: Wikipedia-User: Pequod76 - GFDL
Around Lake Fernstein

One of the most beautiful destinations in the Gurgltal is the Fernsteinsee with the ruins of the former hunting lodge Sigmundsburg.

Ultner Urlärchen
Photo: Wikipedia-User: CSI:Nürnberg - Copyleft
The Ultner ancient larches

They are up to 2000 years old, the three mighty larches in the Ultental Valley, or so popular belief claims.

Naturparkhaus Kaunergrat
Photo: Wikipedia-User: Haneburger - Public Domain
Kaunergrat Nature Park

The award of “Nature Park Kaunergrat of the Year 2011“ is a confirmation of the successful work of the nature park team. Here opens up an intact and originally experienceable natural and cultural landscape of immense appeal.

Rosengarten Gorge
(c) Rudi Wyhlidal - TVB Imst
Rosengartenschlucht in Imst (Gorge)

Just a few minutes away from the center of Imst is the fascinating Rosengarten Gorge – incidentally, one of Tyrol‘s most valuable biotopes.

Nymph's head at the Zammer waterfall (Lochputz)
Foto: Josef Saurwein - GNU-FDL
Zammer Lochputz

A trip to Tyrol‘s mystical gorge becomes an experience for the whole family.

Theme path Moor & more
© by TVB Kitzbueheler Alpen St. Johann in Tirol
Moor & more

In the ‘Moor & more‘ adventure world at the Wilder Kaiser, you can discover an almost forgotten natural oasis.

 Bletterbach-Schlucht bei Aldein
Bletterbach Geopark near Aldino

Geology can be an incredibly exciting and interesting thing! The geopark – only about 15 km south of Bolzano – is an impressive and fascinating symbiosis of canyon, adventure park, natural monument, and geological trail.

Innergschlöss and the Großvenediger
Photo: SehLax - GFDL
Innergschlöß near Matrei: the most beautiful valley head in the Eastern Alps!

Of course, this sounds a bit like tourism advertising, because any ‘ranking‘ of the Alpine valleys is highly subjective. Nevertheless, a hike into the Gschlöß Valley is undoubtedly one of the experiences that remain unforgettable, and you have to be quite jaded not to get into raving about it.

Stilfserjoch
National Park House Aquaprad Prad at Stelvio Pass

The Stelvio National Park in the Vinschgau is one of the most beautiful holiday regions in the Alps. Around the highest peak of the Eastern Alps, the mighty Ortler at 3,905 m, the national park extends over the regions of Trentino-South Tyrol and Lombardy.

Reinbach Waterfall
Reinbach-Wasserfälle / Cascate di Reinbach

In the Tauferer Ahrntal, not far from Sand in Taufers at the entrance to the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park, lie the Reinbach waterfalls.

Barbian Waterfall
Barbian Waterfalls / Cascate di Barbiano

Barbian waterfalls. The Ganderbach springs below the Rittner Horn, is about 6 km long and flows into the Eisack at Kollmann. In its course, it overcomes around 1,500 meters in altitude and also cascades over some rock steps.

Gilfenklamm
Gilfenklamm Ratschings / Gola di Stanghe

One of the most impressive natural jewels in South Tyrol is the Gilfenklamm in the Ratschingstal.

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