Pale of San Martino

Dozens of sharp rocky needles, with edges like knives, superb stone cathedrals, soaring towers with peaks that disappear into the sky: that's the Pale di San Martino, majestic and elegant coral mountains.
The Pale are ancient coral reefs that, once emerged, were modelled by the elements into their present sharp and rugged forms. The rock's name, dolomia, is a tribute to its discoverer, marquis Déodat de Dolomieu, who in 1788 during a trip here discovered its chemical composition. Ever since last century their austere beauty has enthralled foreign travellers and climbers. But what really fascinates everyone - from Dino Buzzati to present day tourists - is most of all the Altopiano delle Pale: that lunar, mysterious stone table high up at over 2,000 metres altitude, fifty square kilometres of bare rock tormented like a stormy ocean, with the wounds of deep crevices throughout it.