Bounded by the Pustertal Valley, the Sarntal Alps and Bolzano and environs, the Valle Isarco is home to the three cities of Bressanone/Brixen, Chiusa/Klausen and Vipiteno/Sterzing with their chestnut groves, vineyards and fruit orchards. Mountain pastures and rocky pinnacles overlook the valley, while the lower slopes form picturesque sunny terraces along its length. Numerous mountain lakes glitter in the mountain world and through the valley flows the River Eisack (Isarco), which joins the River Etsch (Adige) at Bozen/Bolzano. Various facets of nature make the fauna and flora of the Valle Isarco particularly special.
Several wetland areas form refuges for rare plant and animal species, while the
Puez Geisler and Schlern-Rosengarten nature parks let the natural world unfurl its splendours. Idyllic side valleys branch off the Valle Isarco, such as the Villnöss Valley in its southern or the Ridnaun Valley in its northern part. The marble ravine of the
Gilfenklamm near Racines is unique in all Europe. The Raiermoos is a 10 hectare wet
biotope in Rasa, while the “Pflerscher Hölle” waterfall at Fleres di Dentro tumbles wildly down from the mountains. In the Valle Isarco between Vipiteno/Sterzing and Chiusa/Klausen the valley is in part a cultivated landscape, in part narrow and watched over by mountains. Nature, culture and adventure come together in this South Tyrolean holiday region, combining to form a delightful landscape.
Nature highlights in the Valle Isarco:
- several wetland areas that are home to rare flora and fauna
- picturesque side valleys
- Europe’s only marble ravine
- the Puez-Geisler and Schlern-Rosengarten nature parks
- alternating wide and narrow valley floor