Discover Puster Valley: Nature, Mountains and Culture

Between protected areas, mountain lakes and peaks

Puster Valley combines protected Dolomite landscapes with mountain lakes, high-altitude trails and museums. Three Peaks Nature Park is part of the Europe-wide Natura 2000 network of protected areas. It extends across the municipalities of Dobbiaco, Sesto and San Candido and is bordered by Puster Valley to the north. Another distinctive natural area is Lake Braies: it lies at the end of the Prags Valley, a side valley of Puster Valley, in Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park and in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Dolomites.

The Cornetto di Confine peak is located in the vicinity of Puster Valley. The Pfannhorn mountain, the Toblacher Pfannhorn peak and the Hochgruben peak are also located in the surrounding area.

Understanding the mountain world: museums at Kronplatz and in Hochpuster Valley

MMM Corones on Kronplatz is located at an altitude of 2,275 metres and focuses on traditional mountaineering, its history, equipment and development. The view of the mountains is part of the exhibition experience. MMM Ripa offers insights into the everyday life, rituals, religions and economic systems of 25 mountain peoples. The two museums have different focuses: one centres on the history of mountaineering, while the other focuses on the ways of life of different mountain peoples.

Visiting MMM Corones also requires planning your route. The museum cannot be reached by car. You can reach the summit plateau of Kronplatz by cable car or on foot.

The Three Peaks Nature Park Visitor Centre presents the geological and geomorphological features of the Dolomites in Hochpuster Valley. Texts, images, video installations and animations convey the topics in different formats. At LUMEN, the Room of Mirrors displays authentic and rare objects from the world of mountain photography, as well as an artistic and poetic exploration of the mountains' distinctive atmosphere.

Roman history, Dolomite myths and military traces

The Mansio Sebatum Museum focuses in particular on the development of the Roman road station of Mansio Sebatum towards the end of the 1st century AD. Across three floors, it tells the settlement history of this Roman road station in the Puster Valley area.

DoloMythos presents the Dolomites and the story of their formation in the historic Villa Wachtler. The exhibitions include Megachirella wachtleri, fossilised worlds, the Conturines cave bears, the development of plant life and crystal worlds.

The wider regional area around Puster Valley is also home to destinations of historical significance. These include the Resti del Castello Sant'Uberto ruins, Weiherburg Castle, the Batterie Corazzate di Col Vidal fortification and Forte Alto di Col Vidal. The bunker of the Bunker Museum was built between 1938 and 1942 as part of the Toblach barrier and was used from 1950 as part of NATO defence plans against the Warsaw Pact.

Walks, high-altitude trails and circular routes

A short hike around Lake Braies can be planned specifically: the circular trail is approximately 3.5 kilometres long and can be completed in around one and a half hours. Rowing boats can be rented during the opening months at the historic pile-dwelling site on Lake Braies. This makes it possible to combine a circular walk and time by the water with a connection to cultural history.

For longer alpine excursions, the Hochpuster Valley High Trail combines alpine views and the observation of red deer and chamois with traces of the First World War and evidence of the history of mountaineering. The circuit around the Three Peaks begins at the Auronzo Hut at an altitude of 2,320 metres. The trail initially follows route no. 101 towards the Lavaredo Hut at 2,344 metres.

Olperl's Mountain World on Helm offers a 1.5-kilometre circular trail. It begins at the children's farm with its animals and leads to ten stations about native wild animals. The site also includes the highest barefoot trail in the Dolomites.

Mobility and choosing where to stay

Lake Braies can be reached by bus route 442 from Dobbiaco or Villabassa. During the busy summer months, access to the valley and bus use may be regulated, meaning that online reservations may be required. For your planning, this possible regulation is just as relevant as the fact that MMM Corones cannot be reached by car.

In winter, the Ski Pustertal Express connects a ski area with Kronplatz in around 40 minutes and runs hourly. Depending on the focus of your trip, the location of your hotel in Puster Valley may therefore play a different role.

Other places to help you get oriented

Rasun-Anterselva, Percha, Issengo, Badia, Predoi, Chienes, Dobbiaco, Brunico, Valdaora, Selva dei Molini, San Martino in Badia, Marebbe, Sesto, Gais, San Lorenzo di Sebato, Villabassa, La Villa, Valle di Casies, La Valle, Falzes, Colfosco, Floronzo, San Candido, Terento, Monguelfo-Tesido, Vandoies, Valle Aurina, Casere-Knappenegg, Lappago, Lutago, Molini di Tures, Campo Tures

For the higher-level travel overview: Bolzano.