30.09.2026

Hike through the alpine pastures below the Odle peaks in summer and sooner or later you'll meet it: a sheep that looks as if it has just put on its reading glasses. The dark pigmentation around the eyes is the hallmark of the Villnöss spectacled sheep (Villnösser Brillenschaf) – and the reason for its name.

The breed emerged in the 18th century from a cross between the Bergamasca sheep and the Paduan silk sheep, making it the oldest sheep breed in South Tyrol. It very nearly disappeared. That it still exists today is thanks to dedicated breeders who secure its future through strict breeding lines – build, wool and pigmentation.

Since 2011, the Villnöss spectacled sheep has been one of six Slow Food Presidia in South Tyrol. A Presidium protects foods, breeds and crafts at risk of extinction – and the people who keep them alive.

What makes the spectacled sheep so special:

• The wool: very soft, gentle on the skin and elastic, with natural heat and moisture regulation
• The meat: fine-grained, tender and particularly mild – shaped by the herbs of the high pastures
• The character: undemanding, robust and perfectly adapted to life in the Dolomites

A sheep in chamois clothing: Technically it's a sheep – but in summer it behaves like a chamois. As a true high-mountain sheep, it climbs sure-footedly at over 2,000 metres, right through the steep Dolomite rock.

The "self-cleaning" football team: The wool from a single shearing is enough to knit around 16 hats – enough for a whole football team, substitutes' bench included. The curious part: the natural wool repels dirt and odours so well that the hats are considered "self-cleaning".

Rebels on four hooves: During the Nazi era, the breed was to be replaced by a standardised "uniform mountain sheep" because the authorities thought it too small and too lean. The farmers of Val di Funes flatly refused: they secretly hid their spectacled sheep in remote mountain huts and saved them from extinction.

Noble genes: The sheep owes its stylish spectacles to its ancestors: thanks to the Paduan silk sheep, fashionable Italian blood runs through its veins.

When the sheep return from the alpine pastures in autumn, it's time for the Lamb Weeks in Val di Funes and Luson. For ten days, selected restaurants serve creative and traditional dishes made with Villnöss spectacled sheep – regional, seasonal and in the spirit of Slow Food. The days of good food are accompanied by themed hikes, wine tastings and other events offering insights into farming culture and local cycles.

Participating restaurants in Val di Funes: Jausenstation Moar · Gasthof Teiser Stern · Hotel/Restaurant Fines · Hotel Tyrol · Restaurant/Pizzeria Viel Nois · Restaurant Pitzock · Hotel Kabis · Geisleralm · Restaurant/Pizzeria Waldschenke · Restaurant/Pizzeria Dreimädelhaus · Villa Messner

Participating restaurants in Luson: Restaurant Tal · Naturhotel Lüsnerhof

Further restaurants across South Tyrol are also taking part. → All information on the Lamb Weeks

On 17 October, children at the Puez-Odle Nature Park Visitor Centre in St. Magdalena turn real Villnöss sheep's wool into small works of art under expert guidance – an afternoon of touching, shaping and discovering.

• For: children aged 6 to 12
• Cost: free of charge
• Registration: by 5:00 pm on the previous day at the Puez-Odle Nature Park Visitor Centre, T +39 0472 842523, info.pg@provinz.bz.it

→ To the felting afternoon

A piece of Val di Funes to take home

If you'd like to take the spectacled sheep's wool home with you, Naturwoll turns local sheep's wool into high-quality natural products. Lamb specialities such as ham, salami and sausage, as well as knitted hats, are also available from Furchetta in Val di Funes.