Texel Group Nature Park

The Texel Group Nature Park was founded in 1976 and is spread across the municipalities of Schnals, Naturns, Partschins, Algund, Tirol, Riffian, St. Martin, and Moos in Passeier. The motto of the nature park is "From water and from light." Water and light are indeed the defining elements of this unique landscape, which offers a magnificent variety of fauna and flora in an altitude range of around 800 to 3,600 meters. Almost all of South Tyrol's vegetation zones are represented here, from the sub-Mediterranean region to the snow line. The highest peak is the Hintere Schwärze at 3,628 meters, and the largest glacier is the Niederjochferner on the Similaun (3,599 meters), where the mummy of the legendary "Ötzi" was also found on a side glacier.

During the last ice ages, the entire nature park area was glaciated. The glacier ice and the flowing water have shaped, rounded, and smoothed valleys and slopes. Even today, water remains a defining force. Despite relatively low precipitation levels, the area is very rich in water, and the around twenty lakes in the nature park form the largest high alpine lake plateau. The Spronser Lakes are particularly famous, the perhaps most beautiful group of lakes in South Tyrol at an altitude of 2,300 to 2,500 meters. Together with the surrounding majestic three-thousanders and lower-lying lush green alpine meadows, they form a picture of fascinating beauty and are therefore a popular and rewarding excursion destination.

Everywhere in the nature park, water flows in cheerful bubbling streams and wild waterfalls from the slopes to the valley. One of the region's biggest attractions is the Partschinser Waterfall, one of the most impressive waterfalls in the Alps. Especially during the spring snowmelt, the roaring masses of water shooting far over the rock edge and then plunging almost 100 meters into the depths are incredibly impressive.

The water from the mountains is immensely important for the people in the valley and for agriculture in the low-precipitation Vinschgau. Centuries ago, a system of irrigation channels, called Waalen, was developed to supply the fields with the necessary water. Today, irrigation is mostly done through modern irrigation systems, but the channels are still present, and the Waal paths that lead along them are now beautiful and popular hiking routes.

The fauna and flora in the Texel Group Nature Park are particularly diverse. From spruce and larch forests, in lower areas also mixed deciduous forests, to alpine grasslands, almost the entire spectrum of alpine vegetation zones is represented. A very special and attractive habitat has developed on the south slopes of the Vinschgau Sonnenberg. Through the interplay of dryness, sun, deforestation, and pasture use, a steppe vegetation has emerged here, in which animal and plant species that are otherwise only found in the Mediterranean region have found their home. Even rare reptile species such as the asp viper and the emerald lizard can be found here.

A variety of hiking trails and paths, mountain bike routes, and - in winter - ski tours lead through the nature park, opening up this dreamlike area in all its beauty. One of the most well-known and popular hiking trails is the Meran High Altitude Trail, which circumnavigates the entire Texel Group. A visit to the Nature Park House in Naturns is definitely worth it. Here, you can get a comprehensive overview of the history and special features of the nature park, as well as all the necessary information.