The Dolomites became part of the UNESCO patrimony from 2009.
The Valle di Primiero valley and its side valleys are located in eastern Trentino, surrounded by the Pale di San Martino, the Vette Feltrine and the Lagorai mountain chains.
In the north the area adjoins the Val di Fiemme valley with which it is connected by the Passo Rolle mountain pass. In winter there is a popular skiing region with great pistes and modern ski lift services. On the western side of the valley the peaks of the Lagorai mountain chain rise up to the sky, their red porphyry is in clear contrast to the white limestone of the Dolomites and the Vette Feltrine.
In 1967 the Autonomous Province of Trento founded the Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino Nature Park. Besides the Pale di San Martino and Lagorai mountains, the fascinating nature park includes the colourful meadows, woods and pastures of the valleys Val Canali, the Vanoi Valley and Val Venegia.
Yet what has always captivated visitors – from 19th century travellers to modern-day tourists – is most of all the Altipiano delle Pale: a stone plateau set at 2700 metres altitude, a lunar and mysterious landscape, fifty square kilometres of bare rock to be discovered.
In front of the dolomitic group of the Pale di San Martino, the easternmost slopes of the Lagorai range stand out. This vast mountain chain, made of volcanic rock (mainly porphyry, except for the granitic massif of Cima d’Asta) still harbours unspoilt landscapes that are a great attraction to wilderness lovers. The Lagorai range is criss-crossed with paths that allow you to set off on long hikes from Passo Rolle, from San Martino di Castrozza or from Valle del Vanoi.
The long mountain range that escalates into the spectacular pyramid shape of Mount Pavione is called the Vette Feltrine range. This chain of mountains divides our territory from the adjoining Feltre area, marking the natural border between the two regions of Trentino and Veneto and the two provinces of Trento and Belluno. The highest of the peaks is that of the pyramid-shaped Pavione, 2335 metres high, while the lowest is the Vallazza, 2167 m. These peaks, just like the Pale di San Martino, are safeguarded by a park, the National Park of Belluno Dolomites, established in 1993, where they are part of the Vette Feltrine Nature Reserve.
(Sources: Trentino.com; APT San Martino di Castrozza Primiero Vanoi)
