The Bletterbach Canyon - South Tyrol's only canyon

The Bletterbach Canyon is unique in the whole of Europe! The canyon gives an insight into the mountains and their development over millions of years! The Canyon is the result of weathering and degradation. Since the Ice Age about 15,000 years ago, the water of the Bletterbach stream has cut a gorge measuring about 8 kilometres in length and up to 400 metres in depth into the mountainside. Layer after layer was uncovered. Now you can skim through these layers like in a book. Unlike similar cases in other areas of the Alps, the layers in the Bletterbach Canyon are undamaged. The composition of the rocks provides information on the development, the climate, and the environmental conditions of 250 million years ago.

Highlights:

• Traces of dinosaurs in the layers of the Gardena sandstone
• Fossils in the sea deposits like sea shells, snails, and cephalopods provide evidence of life in warm, tropical seas
• Well preserved imprints of plant parts and numerous gnaw marks tell us about the plants and the activities on the ground from this period.

Further information & pictures of the Bletterbach Canyon