Dolomites in Trentino

Trentino has 4 out of the 9 natural heritage sites included in the "World Heritage List"

The "Pale mountains" in 2009 received one of the most prestigious acknowledgements in the world, which confirms their great value for the Earth's geology and the aesthetics of the landscape. Dolomiti di Brenta, Latemar-Catinaccio, Marmolada and Pale di San Martino offer sceneries unlike any other in the world and countless opportunities for skiers and mountaineers.

"But what are these mountains?" It is not only the British Gilbert and Churchill who have asked themselves this question, but visitors nowadays too, who are startled by the aesthetic beauty, the majestic landscape, the shapes of these mountains that sometimes seem to reach to the sky and at others appear compact and become colourful at sunrise and sunset, mountains that 150 years ago have been named after the French scientist who discovered their secret mineral, Dolomieu. 

During the Unesco session in Seville on June 26, 2009, 9 Dolomite systems within the provinces of Trento, Bolzano, Belluno, Udine and Pordenone were added as a "serial asset" to the World Heritage List. The total area covered by the mountains included in the list is 234,422 hectares. The 9 systems have features of outstanding universal value, based on criteria VII and VIII, which are summarised below in a nutshell:

"The Dolomites are widely considered among the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the world" (criterion VII).

"Taken as a whole, the complex of geomorphological and geological values represents an asset of global importance" (criterion VIII).

Trentino has 4 of out of the 9 serial sites: one fully located within its borders, the Dolomiti di Brenta within the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park that since 2008 has also become a "Geopark". Other three sites are located partially in Trentino, as they lie on the border with the provinces of Bolzano and Belluno. Let us see them from West to East: the Latemar-Catinaccio group, with the Torre di Pisa and the soaring Torri del Vajolet; Marmolada, named the "Queen" of the Dolomites with its highermost summit, Punta Penìa (3,343 metres a.s.l.) and its vast glacier; and finally, the Pale di San Martino group in the Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino nature park, with the Cimon and Vezzana peaks.