Places of interest in Funes/Villnöss Valley, South Tyrol
IN OUR VALLEY YOU'LL FIND A RESPECTABLE CHURCH, MUSEUMS AND THE RICH CULTURE OF THE DOLOMITES, RECOGNIZED AS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.
Adolf Munkel Trail
At the foot of the Geisler
The Adolf Munkel Trail is probably one of the most impressive Dolomite hiking trails of all. The starting point for this hike, easily accessible by public transport, is the Zanser Alm car park. Expect some breathtaking mountain scenery and a diverse flora and fauna on this tour.
The world-famous photo motif
Little church of St. John in Ranui
At the foot of the Geisler mountains lies the world-famous Ranui church, the subject of countless postcards. Built right in the meadows, a short, 15-minute walk leads you straight to it. Inside, marvel at the masterfully designed altarpiece by the painter Franz Unterberger and the nine baroque paintings (presumably by Brixen court painter Nikolaus Weis) adorning the interior walls of the church and narrating the life of St. John of Nepomuk, patron saint of Bohemia. The small church is privately owned.
VISITOR CENTER FOR NATURE ENTHUSIASTS
Puez-Odle Nature Park House
The Puez-Geisler/Odle nature reserve with its Geisler/Odle and Peitlerkofel massifs is one of the most impressive and most frequently photographed mountain formations in South Tyrol and the Dolomites. The Nature Park House in St. Magdalena, opened in 2009, acts as a central information point to illustrate the geological, biological and cultural diversity of the reserve. It aims at honing its visitors’ awareness of the beauty of the reserve and the challenges facing it going forward.
THE DOLOMITES JEWELS
Mineral Museum in Teis
For 30 years, mountain guide Paul Fischnaller has been recovering rock crystals from the Funes/Villnöss Valley mountains to be exhibited at the Mineral Museum in the center of the idyllic mountain village of Teis/Tiso. Among the most famous pieces are the Teiser spheres. These geodes and agate nodules are embedded in their parent rock, a quartz porphyry tuff, and can reach twenty centimeters in diameter. Up to seven different minerals can be found in the cavity of these “druses”. Not only the famous Teiser spheres, but many other minerals from different alpine regions can be seen in special exhibitions at this small museum.
The festival around the South Tyrolean bacon
South Tyrolean bacon
Every year in October, Funes/Villnöss Valley dedicates an entire weekend to the Speck, the traditional bacon. In addition to the various culinary specialties made from it, a colourful entertainment program is organized, such as show ovens where bread is eagerly baked and various farmers who offer their farm products for sale. One highlight of the event is the crowning of the bacon queen and a show performance by the “Gletscherhans”, the fastest bacon slicer.
