The Puez-Odle Nature Park is more than just a protected area. It is a living, primeval landscape that tells stories spanning millions of years. Across more than 10,000 hectares, a space unfolds where nature itself sets the tone.
Here, two worlds collide: the gentle, emerald-green alpine meadows of Funes and the pale, rugged towers of the Odle and Mount Putia. It is a place of contrasts that invites you to feel small in the face of such geological grandeur.
When you hike here, you are moving through a petrified archive. The geological succession of the Dolomites is preserved here almost without interruption, telling a story that spans 200 million years of Earth's history.
You can discover traces of ancient tropical reefs and atolls; for what now soars steeply into the sky was once the floor of a vast ocean. Framed by peaks such as Sassongher, Mount Putia, and Sass Rigais, the dolomite reveals itself here in its purest form. It is this contrast between rugged rock and gentle high plateaus that defines the very soul of the park.
This park serves life in all its diversity. It is a sanctuary for plants and animals whose habitats we are committed to preserving.
At the same time, it is a place of sustainable encounter: traditional alpine farming and forestry remain, for they are the hands that shaped this cultural landscape. What finds no home here is noise or industrial exploitation. No new constructions, no lifts, no depletion of resources—only the pure experience of nature.
The Nature Park is not a museum behind glass, but a space to breathe. A well-maintained network of trails invites you to become part of this landscape.
Classics like the Adolf Munkel Trail lead you directly beneath the vertical faces of the Odle, where you can feel the cool power of the rock. For families and those seeking gentle enjoyment, the barrier-free Nature Experience Trail Zansoffers the opportunity to discover ecological connections at a relaxed pace. For those who wish to dive deeper, a guided hike reveals the hidden treasures of the park.
In St. Magdalena stands the gateway to understanding. The Nature Park Visitors Center is more than just an information center—it makes the connections of this complex ecosystem tangible.
Here, you can fly across a walkable aerial photograph, taking on the perspective of a golden eagle. Interactive exhibitions tell the stories of geology, flora, and fauna. A special section is dedicated to alpinism and to Reinhold Messner, who discovered his passion for the rock right here, within the towering faces of the Odle.
This territory is precious and fragile. We invite you to enter it with mindfulness.
Be a guest in nature’s living room: stay on the designated paths, take your litter back with you, and refrain from making noise. Let the flowers bloom and the mushrooms stand, so that others may enjoy them too. Dogs should be kept on a lead, and drones must remain on the ground. In this way, together, we protect the very silence that we come here to seek.
Here, where the essence of alpine beauty comes alive. Where idyllic paths and authentic mindfulness make the true value of slowness tangible. Create your Dolomites moments.
