Pale di San Martino, San Lucano, Dolomiti Bellunesi, Vette Feltrine

This System extends over 31,666 hectares, making it the second largest in the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site. The System fans out over the provinces of Belluno and Trento, bounded to the south-east by Piave river valley, to the west by Val Cismon, to the north by the valleys of Travignolo, Biois and Valle Agordina and to the north-east by Val Zoldana. Starting from the south, you encounter the peaks known as Vette Feltrine, followed by the Cimonega-Erera Brendol chain. Heading north, you come to the Monti del Sole peaks and the Schiara-Talvena chain, with the amazing rocky pinnacle known as Gusela del Vescovà. After Monte Pizzocco come the Civetta and Moiazza chains and, finally, Pale di San Martino. The eastern section of the System includes Pale di San Lucano and Monte Agner.

The landscape of this System is extremely rich. To the south, the rugged scenery is scored by deep valleys and perpendicular rock faces, while, to the north, there is more variation with rolling Alpine pasturelands giving way to bare rock. The world’s mountaineers are particularly fond of this System which contains some of the world’s most challenging and scenic rock faces.

The natural environment of this System is considered by all to be a treasure well worth protecting. Much of it falls within the boundaries of two designated protected areas: Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park and Paneveggio – Pale di San Martino Natural Park.

Pale di San Martino, San Lucano, Dolomiti Bellunesi, Vette Feltrine 3

Geology

The stratigraphic sequence of the rocks in this sizeable System covers a broad period, spanning more than 150 million years of the Earth’s history, from the Permian to the Cretaceous period. The System is commonly divided into two sectors along the prominent tectonic fault of Valsugana, which separates the northern area of Pale di San Martino, Pale di San Lucano, Civetta and Moiazza from the southern area of the Belluno Dolomites and Vette Feltrine. The stratigraphic profile of the northern section covers a period from the early Paleozoic to the late Carnian-Norian period. The rocks here belong predominately to its Permian-Triassic geological history, with the Anisian-Ladinian period particularly well represented. In the southern section the thick layers of rock present a continuous history from the Ladinian period to the Cretaceous. Starting from the west, this runs along the Vette Feltrine ridge, providing a unique section of the southern Jurassic edge of the Trento platform, yielding rare fossils of calcareous and siliceous sponges.

The geology of System 3: Pale di San Martino, San Lucano, Dolomiti Bellunesi and Vette Feltrine – PDF

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Stages of the Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail: 32-35, 36-38

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The stratigraphic sequence of the rocks in this sizeable System covers a broad period, spanning more than 150 million years of the Earth’s history, from the Permian to the Cretaceous period. The System is commonly divided into two sectors along the prominent tectonic fault of Valsugana, which separates the northern area of Pale di San Martino, Pale di San Lucano, Civetta and Moiazza from the southern area of the Belluno Dolomites and Vette Feltrine. The stratigraphic profile of the northern section covers a period from the early Paleozoic to the late Carnian-Norian period. The rocks here belong predominately to its Permian-Triassic geological history, with the Anisian-Ladinian period particularly well represented. In the southern section the thick layers of rock present a continuous history from the Ladinian period to the Cretaceous. Starting from the west, this runs along the Vette Feltrine ridge, providing a unique section of the southern Jurassic edge of the Trento platform, yielding rare fossils of calcareous and siliceous sponges.

The geology of System 3: Pale di San Martino, San Lucano, Dolomiti Bellunesi and Vette Feltrine – PDF

Mountain huts

Accessible Dolomites

Museums

High quality

Stages of the Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail: 32-35, 36-38

360° pictures of the Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail: Sass de Mura, Monte Schiara, Moiazza, Pale di San Martino e San Lucano, Monte Civetta

The Schiara with Gusela del VescovàMonte CivettaPale di San Martino

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