Flora and fauna

Many beautiful waterfalls such as the Riva Waterfalls or the Pojer Waterfall, mountain streams and lakes can be found in the Vedrette di Ries-Aurina Nature Park. Among the latter, the most famous one is Lake Anterselva, the third biggest natural lake of South Tyrol. The protected area is rich in animals and plants, such as the golden eagle, the marmot, the chamois, the roe deer and the red deer. Larger animals in these forests are the fox, the badger and the pine marten, whereas smaller animals are represented by the woodpecker, the squirrel and the red crossbill.

Representatives of flora, however, are the mountain arnica, the golden foxglove and the anemone. The main species of tree is spruce. The above mentioned abundance of water extends also to the Aurino, the river which flows through the Tures and Aurina Valleys and arises at 2,500 metres a.s.l. in the nature park. The Aurino Floodplain Forest in the valley, where the common kingfisher and the grey heron live, is protected as a biotope and is part of the European-wide Natura 2000 sites.