UNESCO World Heritage

On June 26th 2009 the Dolomites have
been inscribed in the World Heritage
List because of their exceptional beauty
and unique landscape and scientific
importance from the geological and
geomorphological point of view.
UNESCO has so far approved
689 cultural, 176 natural and 25 mixed
properties in 148 countries in the world.

1. Pelmo-Croda da Lago
2. Marmolada
3. Pale di San Martino, Pale di San Lucano,
4. Dolomit Bellunesi, Vette Feltrine, Dolomiti Friulane, Dolomitis Furlanis, Dolomiti d'Oltre Piave
5. Dolomiti Settentrionali (our Dolomites around Alta Badia and the Sporthotel Panorama)
6. Puez-Odle (our Dolomites around Alta Badia and the Sporthotel Panorama)
7. Sciliar-Catinaccio
8. Rio delle Foglie
9. Dolomiti di Brenta

"The nine components of The Dolomites
World Heritage property protect a series
of highley distinctive mountain landscapes that
are of exceptional natural beauty. Their dramatic
verical and pale coloured peaks in a variety
of diestinctive sculpural forms is extra-
ordinary in a global context. This pro-
perty also contains an internationally
important combination of Earth science
values. The quantity and concetration
of highly varied limestone formations is
extraordinary in a global context, whilst
the superbly exposed geology provi-
des an insight into the recovery of marine life
in the Triassic period, after the greatest extinction
event recorded in the history of life on Earth.
The sublime, monumetal and colourful landscapes
of the Dolomites have also long atttacted hosts
of travellers and a history of
scientific and artistic interpretations of its values."
(Declaration of outstanding universal value,
World Heritage Committee Seville 26.06.2009)

"J'ai donc observé que les montagnes du
Tyrol, dont les sommets, sont formées de roches
composées de differentes espèces, les unes en
masses, le plus grand nombre fissiles. Le prolongment de
ces bancs forme ces pointes aigues, ces crêtes qui
caracterisnet et indiquent de loin le montagnes dites primitives..."
Déodat de Dolomieu 1791

"They are unlike any other mountans, and are to be seen
nowhere else among the Alps. They arrest
the attention by the singularity and picturesqueness of their
forms, by their sharp peaks of horns,
sometimes rising up in pinnacles and obelisks, at
others extending in serrated ridges, teethed like
the jaw of an alligator..." 
John Murray 1837