Val di Funes

Val di Funes / Villnößtal

The view of St. Magdalena Church and the Chiesetta di San Giovanni in front of the jagged rock walls of the Odle Group is the Dolomites' most widely circulated postcard image.

Val di Funes (Villnöß/Funes) lies east of Bressanone/Brixen and is a quiet valley of farms and pastures. At its far end stand the jagged walls of the Odle/Geisler peaks (highest: Sass Rigais, 3,025 meters). Two small churches in the valley create the Dolomites' two most classic photos. The first is the parish church of the village of Santa Maddalena (St. Magdalena). Photograph it from the 'Panoramaweg' viewpoint trail above the village (a 15-minute uphill walk from the village center car park; search 'Santa Maddalena Viewpoint' on Google Maps). The church spire, meadows, farmhouses and the Odle peaks all appear in one frame, and the view is most beautiful in the evening when sunset turns the mountains red. The second is the Chiesetta di San Giovanni in Ranui, a baroque chapel with an onion dome built in 1744. It stands alone on the grass with the peaks behind it. The chapel sits on private land belonging to the Ranui farm, so you must pay €4 at the entrance to access the photo platform (there is parking at the trailhead). At the end of the valley, the Zannes/Zans car park is the starting point for hikes. The Adolf Munkel Trail (about 3 hours as a loop) runs along the foot of the north face of the Odle, passing through larch forests and high alpine pastures, and past huts such as Geisleralm and Gschnagenhardt Alm. It is one of the Dolomites' easiest and most beautiful trails. Getting there: it takes about 30 minutes to drive from Bressanone/Brixen, or you can take the train to Chiusa/Klausen and then bus No. 330. In peak summer, the Zannes car park closes to traffic once full, and you must switch to a shuttle bus. There are no cable cars or commercial facilities here, which makes it a good place to experience the rural life of South Tyrol. You can stay at a farm (maso), and try speck ham and Schlutzkrapfen dumplings. In mid-October, the larches turn golden yellow, which is the favorite season of photographers.

Val di Funes

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