Natural Park of Paneveggio - Pale of San Martino

The "Pale di San Martino", elegant and majestic Dolomite mountains. The Pale are ancient coral reefs that once emerged, they were modeled from the elements to define the existing forms and pointed troubled.
The name of the rock, dolomite, is a tribute to the discoverer, the Marquis de Dolomieu Déodat that in 1788 during a trip in the Eastern Alps it discovered the chemical composition. Since the last century their austere beauty neglect foreign travelers and mountaineers. But what fascinates everyone - from Dino Buzzati up to the tourists of today - the plateau is mainly of the Pale, unique and valuable to the extent that since 1967 has served as a store full of the Natural Park Paneveggio - Pale di San Martino. It is an environment of uncommon characteristics: it is a plateau of 50 sq km of barren rock suspended over 2500 meters high, surrounded by high peaks that hide from view. We must get on well of plateau himself - on foot or by mountain - to admire in all its extension, which is not really flat but dotted with hollows, crack off, karst dolines.

The northern sector of the park is characterized by the Paneveggio Forest, also called "Forest of the violins", the 2700 hectares of which are unparalleled environmental resource preserved through the centuries-looking forestry practices. Of this particular product is the forest of spruce resonance wood of spruce from the particular features used for the manufacture of loudspeakers of musical instruments arc.

Characterized by beautiful places and still wild, the chain of Lagorai porphyry is characterized by rocks of dark color and a number of high altitude lakes. The part of Lagorai included in the park is very wide: from the area immediately above the Colbricon, Passo Rolle, and through Cavallazza Tognola near San Martino di Castrozza, we pass the vast spaces of the mountains that enclose the valley of Vanoi.

Opening hours autumn / winter 2009-2010:
Ferial days (Mon.-Fri.): 10.00 - 12.30 and 14.00 -17.00

Christmas:
Every day (excluded 1 January) from December 26 to January 6: 10.00 - 12.30 and 14.00 - 17.00

It has exhibition space for new and old design of the room where the aquarium, the xiloteca (collection of wood and trees) the litoteca (collection of books of stone). In the large garden, a small pond, the angle with old varieties of fragrant roses, the garden of medicinal plants, the garden-friendly maze. In addition, the laboratory for teaching activities, the old barn used as venue for temporary exhibitions and a lounge for meetings and conferences in the old barn.

Open in winter only to Tuesday and Friday.
Completely renovated, bears the name of curious and fascinating "Earth Forest" tells the forest and its multiple functions. Not far away is home to a great many deer fence and a path leads through the woods and a bold jumper suspended on the gorge of Travignolo. We are in the "Forest of the violins", where grows the finest spruce resonance used for the construction of enclosures for musical instruments.

Open only in summer
Discusses the geological aspect of the Park: a model shows the plateau of the Pale and some giant interactive telling of the special high-altitude environments and archaeological sites Colbricon.
Outside a small rock garden with the local flora and a pond with a bunker that allow underwater observation.

Open only in summer
The three centers Caoria (in country), Pra 'de Madègo and Pradi de Tognola (in high) show the Path of Ethnography Vanoi, a set of paths that connect the valley with Malga Vesnòta (1879m),Valsorda and Valzanca, in a one-time live, but now largely abandoned.

The park is mainly characterized by 3 distinct geographical units and landscape:

• The northern sector with Paneveggio forest, of which 2700 hectares are unparalleled pecceta environmental resource preserved through centuries in the far-forestry practices. Of this particular product is the forest of spruce resonance wood of spruce from the particular features used for the manufacture of loudspeakers of musical instruments Arc.

• The south-eastern sector marked by the Dolomite Group of the Pale di San Martino with the broad plateau (50 km ²) bordered by tall peaks and pinnacles;

• The south-western part of the chain of porphyry Lagorai and vast forests of the Valle del Vanoi.