Puez-Geisler / Puez-Odle Nature Park

The park’s karstic highlands, majestic rock faces, rolling Alpine pastures set off against bizarre looking backdrops of cleft mountains, valleys formed by extreme erosion, and dark coniferous forests comprise a multifarious landscape that is rarely found in such a small area.

Founded in 1978, the Puez-Geisler / Puez-Odle Nature Park extends to Würzjoch / Passo delle Erbe in the north, Grödner Joch / Passo Gardena in the south, Gadertal / Val Badia valley (Kampill, Untermoj / Longiarü, Antermöia) in the east and Villnößtal / Val di Funes and Grödntal / Val Gardena in the west. The northern portion of the park encompasses Aferer / Odle di Eores, Villnösser Geisler / Odle di Funes and Peitlerkofel / Sas da Pütia, while the southern portion encompasses the highlands of Gherdenacia, Sassongher, Puez (including Langental / Vallunga) and the Cir mountains.

The park was enlarged in 1999 and now extends over an area of around 10,729 hectares belonging to the villages of Abtei / Badia, Corvara, Villnöss / Funes, St.Martin in Thurn / S. Martino in Badia, St.Ulrich / Ortisei, St. Christina / S. Cristina in Gröden and Wolkenstein in Gröden / Selva di Gardena. Apart from Villnösstal / Val di Funes, all of the park’s other municipalities are Ladin communities: St. Christina/Santa Crestina, Wolkenstein/Sëlva, Abtei/Badia and Corvara in the south, and St. Martin in Thurn/San Martin de Tor in the east.

The park is part of the European-wide Natura 2000 sites, which aim to promote habitat, flora and fauna conservation and were established under the EU’s FFH Directive (92/43/EC) and Bird’s Directive (2009/147/EC). Article 6(1) of the FFH Directive requires EU member states to elaborate conservation measures for Natura 2000 sites, to which end the province of South Tyrol commissioned so called management plans.

Each park has an executive board whose members are representatives of the relevant municipalities, an expert in natural sciences, representatives of nature conservation associations, farmers' representatives and representatives of the relevant provincial agencies.