The Val di Funes with its mountain pastures, framed by the Odle peaks, is South Tyrol’s first “Slow Food Travel” destination
The image is world-famous: The Church of St. John in Ranui stands on meadows against the impressive backdrop of the Odle Group. We are at the head of the Val di Funes, from where the path leads up to the Zannes mountain pasture with the Dolomites UNESCO Info Point and the hikers' car park. This spot is the starting point for mountain tours, short and long hikes, memorable nature excursions, and tobogganing outings.
Popular destinations include the Funes mountain pastures with their wooden huts, among them the Odle Mountain Hut, which is a great spot for tobogganing by moonlight, the Zannes Hut, just a few minutes' walk from the car park, and the Glatsch Hut and Gampen Hut. The latter is famous for the homemade "Buchteln" - sweet yeast rolls served warm with vanilla sauce.
The Val di Funes lies within the Puez-Odle Nature Park, home to the Tiso Spheres, violet in the inside, which are displayed in the Tiso Mineral Museum. In summer, you can join a mineral collector to look for these special geodes yourself. Reinhold Messner also hails from the Dolomite valley: He gained his first mountaineering experience on the Odle peaks and is now an honorary citizen of the municipality. The valley extends from the Zannes Hut through six villages to where it meets the Valle Isarco, north of the small town of Chiusa.
As a member of the "Alpine Pearls" network, Funes is committed to sustainable mobility. Here, you can combine recreation and nature with e-bike tours, guided sunrise hikes, natural toboggan runs, and the Zannes Nature Experience Trail, which is prepared for walkers in winter.
All starting points are easily accessible by public transport. There is no shortage of culinary delights either, as Funes is South Tyrol's first "Slow Food Travel" destination. This is evident in events like the Slow Food Travel Farm Festival, which celebrates regional diversity, and in the offerings of the mountain huts. Local products are transformed into authentic dishes that blend farming culture with culinary enjoyment. The "Slow Food Presidia" projects also include supporting breeders of Alpine Grey cattle and the Funes Spectacled Sheep, literally the "glasses-wearing sheep".
