UNESCO World Natural Heritage

UNESCO World
Natural Heritage

A Legacy for the World

It is an honor that carries a profound duty: since 2009, the Dolomites have been recognized as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. This places them on the same level as the Grand Canyon or the Great Barrier Reef. With this title, UNESCO honors their “monumental scenic beauty” and their geological uniqueness.

For us at Odles Slow Dolomites, this title means one thing above all: responsibility. We are the guardians of a landscape full of grace that belongs to all of humanity. The Odle Peaks and Mount Putia are part of this precious mosaic—monuments of Earth's history that we preserve for generations to come.

Nine Islands of Stone

The Dolomites are not a continuous mountain range, but an archipelago of nine massive rocky islands, separated by valleys and rivers. Together, these nine core systems form the protected heritage:

Pelmo and Croda da Lago
Marmolada
Pale di San Martino, San Lucano, Dolomiti Bellunesi, and Vette Feltrine
Friulian Dolomites and Oltre Piave
Northern Dolomites
Puez-Odle
Schlern-Rosengarten and Latemar
Bletterbach
Dolomiti di Brenta

Our Puez-Odle Nature Park is one of these nine heartlands. It links Funes and Luson with Val Gardena and Val Badia. Although each of these islands possesses its own unique character—from the monumental Schlern to the world-famous Three Peaks—they all tell the same story: of life in a tropical primordial sea that turned to stone and today rises toward the heavens like a pale cathedral.

When the Rock Glows: Enrosadira

By day, we call them the "Pale Mountains" because their light-colored dolomite reflects the brightness of the sun. But as twilight begins, a miracle unfolds.

The Enrosadira (Ladin for "becoming red") transforms the cool faces of the Odle and Mount Putia into glowing torches. From delicate orange to deep violet, the light dances across the rugged surfaces. It is a spectacle that no technology can replicate—one that must simply be experienced in the stillness of the evening.

Understanding and Wonder: Info Point Zans

To know the history is to see the landscape through different eyes. The UNESCO Info Point at the Zanser Alm in Villnöss is the key to this world.

Here, you travel through a time-lapse of 270 million years of Earth’s history, discovering why these mountains look the way they do today. Right at the doorstep, the Adolf Munkel Trail begins: once you have grasped the theory, you can experience the practice—the massive north faces—up close and personal. First understand, then experience.

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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.

WINTER HIKING:
SILENT PATHS: THROUGH SNOW-COVERED FORESTS TO THE ODLE PEAKS..

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Your accommodation in the Odle Dolomites

Discover holiday retreats with character. Whether you choose to make your memories at family hotels, farm holidays in harmony with nature or cosy holiday apartments - you will find your place of tranquillity in Val di Funes or Luson. Simply beautiful & naturally slow.

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