Antholz Valley in summer

The Dolomites, Italian pride declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, frame with their high peaks on spectacular landscapes: green valleys, alpine lakes with crystal clear waters, dense coniferous forests and villages that seem to come out of fantastic tales. Among the most touristic areas of the Dolomites is the Crown Plan but right on the edge of this famous area stands the Antholz Valley, nestled between the Ahrntal and the Val Pusteria.

The scenic beauty of this valley is certainly no less than other more renowned places and perhaps for this reason it has preserved even more authenticity if possible.

The Anterselva Valley extends from a minimum altitude of 1109 meters to a maximum of 1530 meters and is surrounded by peaks that reach 3400 meters in height: it borders the Vedrette di Ries-Aurina Nature Park located in the shadow of the Collalto and Collaspro mountains and on its territory lies the Lake of Anterselva, beyond which you reach the Austrian Defereggen Valley by crossing the Stalle Pass.

What to do in the summer in the Antholz Valley

What the Anterselva Valley has to offer to tourists is the quiet of the uncontaminated woods, the wholesomeness of the air, the roar of thunderous waterfalls but also historical ruins of times gone by. Summer is the perfect season to discover it because i sentieri hikers are always open and not closed due to snow, as are the huts, ready to welcome hikers.

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Il Vedrette di Ries-Aurina Nature Park It is one of the most recommended destinations for those who love walking among granite boulders, meadows covered with dew, fragrant mountain herbs and spring waters: this park is also the habitat of species such as deer, chamois, foxes, roe deer and above all the friendly marmots.

There are paths to cross on foot, both rocky and wooded, but also to go in mountain bike: you can cycle gently between Anterselva di Sotto and Rasun di Sotto or take the Val Pusteria cycle path that reaches Valdara. For the more trained there is the Mountain Bike Area, where, totally immersed in nature, there are routes of varying difficulty and three variants of descent, including the Pumptruck for the little ones.

In the Valle di Anterselva you can also do much more: you can fish in the lake of Anterselva di Sotto, near which there is also a small kiosk where you can rent the necessary equipment; you can practice nordic walking in midsummer at the Nature Fitness Park Kronplatz-Dolomites, the largest ski area in Europe with 275 km of Nordic ski slopes.

The alternative to Nordic walking is the simple one jogging, to be practiced perhaps along the Rio Anterselva or on the paths inside the Rasner Möser biotope: it is a vast marshy area located in Rasun di Sopra at 1075 meters above sea level, where very rare fauna and flora survive.

Finally, in the Anterselva Valley it is possible to experience one of the most interesting innovations in the world of sport, that is roller skis: at theArena South Tyrol, the winter kingdom of Biathlon, there is in fact a 2,7 km long track where you can learn this practice that simulates the movements of cross-country skiing.

What to see in the summer in the Antholz Valley

In the heart of the Vedrette di Ries-Aurina Natural Park lies the beautiful Antholz lake, the third largest in all of South Tyrol: it is located at 1642 meters high and a path, despite being very large, allows you to circumnavigate it, complete with information panels relating to the local fauna. It is said that in the past there were three farms in the place of the lake and that one night a beggar knocked on their door to ask for alms.

He was brutally chased away and then the man predicted to the men who lived there that a spring would soon be born between those houses and that the water would sweep away that place full of evil: thus, according to legend, Lake Anterselva was born. .

From this turquoise lake you can also cross the beautiful Stalle Pass, located right on the border between Italy and Austria: the road to get there, thanks to its scenic hairpin bends, is a paradise for motorcyclists and in any case a traffic light regulates the direction of travel.

Reaching the top in June offers the vision of the splendid edelweiss blooms that frame the Obersee lake at the top (just over 2020 meters high) and at the nearby refuge. The lake is considered one of the highest archaeological sites in all of Europe, given that an old boat was found in its depths, which demonstrates a fishing activity that began at this latitude since ancient times.

Among the naturalistic beauties of the Anterselva Valley there are the Riva waterfalls and the highest Klammbach waterfall, whose waters are fed by the summer melting of the Ries glacier: to reach the latter, take a path that starts from Anterselva di Mezzo and offers spectacular views of the Vedrette di Ries.

The Anterselva Valley also houses ruins and historic buildings of great scenographic impact: in Rasun di Sotto the Renaissance stands out Heufler Castle, dating back to 1580 and embellished with balconies and turrets that give it an almost fairytale-like appearance: inside what has now been converted into a hotel restaurant, it is possible to admire one of the most beautiful Renaissance stube in South Tyrol.

Staying in Rasun di Sotto, taking the path towards the Oberstalle farms, it is possible to visit the remains of an ancient thirteenth-century castle: you can still see some walls with slits and windows and then a mighty square tower.

Among the things to see in the Anterselva Valley there is also the little church of Santo Spirito located in the homonymous village: this is a place full of mysticism but also of legends. It is said that the church was born on the place where an image of the Holy Spirit was found and that, passing through the space between the building and the huge stone outside, one frees oneself from all sins.

The church was built for the miners who worked in the underground tunnels of Predoi, where cement copper was extracted since 1400, so much in demand that it was also exported abroad: today those tunnels are part of the Museum of the Mines of Predoi and visitors, by means of a small train, are accompanied into the bowels of the earth to discover what was the life of the miners, as tiring as it was dangerous.

There is another museum of the Antholz Valley worth a visit, considered one of the oldest in South Tyrol: it is the Provincial Museum of Uses and Customs and it represents an open window on the life of the Tyrolean community in the last centuries. The museum also includes several farms on the outside, an expression of the different construction techniques that have followed one another over time.

Holidays in the Antholz Valley

Summer in the Anterselva Valley is pleasant from every point of view. The climate, although purely alpine, offers sunny days and cool enough to allow long walks.

The Anterselva Valley is a treasure to be discovered, rich in history, naturalistic jewels to discover and ancient festivals such as the return of cows from the mountain pastures of Cattle drive, the Norici horse fair of Gesamttiroler Norikerschau or theAlta Pusteria International Choir Festival: a single weekend is certainly not enough to explore it all, but it deserves a much longer holiday and the remarkable accommodation offer of the Anterselva Valley also meets these needs.

The territory is in fact full of hotels for every need, come on Family Hotel to hotels complete with a wellness area up to those structures located on the edge of the most famous hiking trails in the valley.

There is no shortage of holiday apartments, B & Bs and above all there is the possibility of staying in the many shelters present, where hospitality, excellent cuisine and views make your stay a unique and unforgettable experience.