GEOPARC Rio delle Foglie

The Bletterbachschlucht, also known as Rio delle Foglie Gorge, is South Tyrol's largest gorge located at the foot of Mt. Corno Bianco (2,317 m a.s.l.) in the south of the region. Over millions of years the stone has been eroded so that nowadays you can see the singular layers. Here you can discover at first hand how the stunning Dolomites developed: The lowest layer is porphyry, above in the middle we find sandstone and at the top Dolomite limestone, of which also Mt. Corno Bianco is made. The interesting GEOlogic Trail takes you through the fascinating gorge.

Starting point is the visitor centre in Aldino or the GEOMuseum in Redagno. 16 information panels tell you all about the different layers and stones. Moreover, they inform about such precious findings as carbonised plants and woods, primeval sea animals, corals and mussels or the imprints of dinosaurs. What an extraordinary experience to stand between the up to 20 metres high stone walls! The gorge, covering an area of 818 hectares, is open from May to October and is part of the Dolomites as World Heritage site. There are two visitor centres.

The above mentioned visitor centre in Aldino, located slightly beneath the Laner Mountain Hut, tells about the proceedings that led to the formation of the single layers in the gorge. Furthermore, you can see fossilized shells and fish. The GEOMuseum in the Peter Rosegger House at Redagno, however, shows important findings from the gorge as well as the characteristic rocks.