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The territories that are today included within the Park have been assiduously inhabited for millenniums and preserve precious evidence of the ancient presence of humans. Among the most important vestiges we must remember the numer-ous pre-historical archaeological sites; the mining centre of Valle Imperina, which has a history of over half a millennium; the Chartreuse of Vedana, a building complex of exceptional value; the chapels of the piedmont belt; the old medieval hospices of the Val Cordevole; the “military roads”, which are a remnant of a troubled period in European history; the Al-pine dairies, and all the so-called “lesser” signs indicating the presence of human dwellings in the mountain areas.

The territory included in the Park comprises mountain environments of high and medium altitude. It is lo-cated between the Cismon Valley to the West and the Piave Valley to the East; with offshoots North towards the Maè Basin (Val Prampèr) and the lower Agordino. The mountain groups involved are the Alpi Feltrine (Vette, Cimónega, Piz-zocco-Brendòl-Agnelézze), the Pizzón-Ferúch-Monti del Sole group (between the Mis and Cordevole Valleys), the Schiara-Pelf group and Mount Talvéna, in the North-Eastern sector. The main peaks are: Mount Schiàra, 2.565 m, Mount Sass de Mura, 2.550 m, Mount Talvéna, 2.542 m, Mount Pavióne, 2.335 m, Mount Pizzón, 2.240 m. The main streams: Stién, Caoràme, Vesés, Falcìna, Mis, Imperìna, Cordévole, Vescovà, Ardo, Pram-pèra. These mountains have always been a part of the history and culture of the residing populations. Myths and legends, hard work and emigration are one and only with the harsh

HISTORY

THE TERRITORY

Dolomite peaks, which here overlook the fi rst valleys taking to the Veneto plains. The history of the park territory is also and above all the history of the communities that for centu-ries have lived there and have worked in a hostile environment, with which they have managed to establish a delicate balance, which is today often menaced by the global transformations of world economy and society. These are tough mountains, steep and covered with dense vegetation. Perhaps on account of this they have been left more in peace than other Dolomite peaks that have been exploited by mass tourism.

Since June 26th 2009, all the protected areas of the Dolo-mites, the Dolomite Sites of Community Importance and the Special Protection Areas in the provinces of Belluno, Bol-zano, Trento, Pordenone and Udine have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage list: a great acknowledgement of the work done in the attentive conservation of very beauti-ful but also very fragile environments.

One of the main livelihood activities of the populations that inhabited this territory, up to the years after the Second World War, was cow and sheep breeding. The Park has given great importance to upgrading the mountain economy and improving the shepherds’ life conditions: restoring the Alpine dairies, supplying power plants from renewable sources, creating innovative plants for milk transformation directly on the spot, are only a few of the activities undertaken to give dignity back to the life and economy of the Alpine dairies.

WORLD HERITAGE - UNESCO

DAIRIES

The Bellunese Dolomites are mountains rich in beautiful fl ora, with some rare species or of high phytogeographical value. The Park fl ora comprises approximately 1.400 species (almost a fourth of the Italian fl ora). Many are rare, such as the Campanula Morettiana, which has become the symbol of the Park. Besides, there is the ex-tremely recent and exclusive Alchemilla lasenii (dedicated to its discoverer, the fi rst President of the Park, Cesare Lasen). Woods have always been one of the most fl uctuating ele-ments of the landscape, the fi rst to be cut down in order to obtain new pastures or cultivable lands, get wood for fi re, and in order to stoke the melting furnaces of the mines, when demographic pressure or unfavourable economic conditions became heavier. Wood vegetation has undergone selection by giving space to more useful or profi table species. In the Park the vegetation is characterized by different altitude belts: the mid-European belt, with broad-leaved tree woods, with hornbeams and oaks; the sub-Atlantic belt with exten-sive beech woods, sometimes mixed with conifers; the bo-real belt with conifers, especially spruces. At high altitudes

THE FLORA

beech woods are replaced by mugho-pine woods. A true and proper belt of spruce woods is almost everywhere missing. The belt of dwarf shrubs is dominated by rhododendrons, dwarf junipers, and, in fresh habitats, green alders and weeping willows. The Alpine belt is characterized by primary pastures with different types of vegetal communities: blue moor grass, matgrass, festuce and sedges.

The Bellunese Dolomites are beautiful mountains, with a large range of habitats enabling many animal species to fi nd suitable conditions for living and reproducing. Among the mam-mals present, the most signifi -cant species are the ungulates: chamois, roebucks, deer and moufl ons. The Park has successfully reintroduced the mar-mot, at the same time of the fi rst presence of the bearded vulture being reported. Practically all other species of the Alpine fauna are present: mountain hares, foxes, badgers, stoats, weasels, pine martens, stone martens, squirrels, dormice and hedgehogs. More and more frequently the lynx and bear have been spotted, since these animals have started to enter the territory of the Park. The bird fauna is rich and diversifi ed, even thanks to the variety of ecosys-tems in the Bellunese Dolomites. Well represented are both day and night raptors. Important are also the populations of capercaillies, black grouse, mountain francolins, and snow- grouse. Forest habitats are enriched by the presence of the great black woodpecker. The herpetic fauna is well represented, despite the relative scarcity of damp habitats in the Park. Together with frogs and tritons, the uncommon black salamander must be mentioned.

THE FAUNA

The history of the Bellunese Dolo-mites is long and complex. It start-ed in warm tropical seas more than two hundred million years ago and was successively featured by key events which have brought about a unique geological variety, with high altitude karstic-nival environ-ments, which have been modelled by glaciers and subse-quently by snow and karstic activity. Today inside the Park we can admire large meadow dells, wide and deep valleys, vast and solar mountain walls, but also sombre narrow gorges, cliffs hanging over dark ravines, high solitary gorg-es, tormented plateaus where the karstic nature of the rocks has allowed a subterranean landscape to develop made of potholes, cracks, halls, tunnels, and abysses penetrating into the bowels of the earth. The karstic complex of Piani Eterni, with its over 30 Km of tunnels, is the largest of the Dolomites, and one of the most extensive caves in the Veneto Region and in Italy. In the Bellunese mountains there are numerous ore bodies. The most interesting one is the former mining complex of Valle Imperina, which for at least fi ve centuries provided the raw material for the Veneto copper industry. Extraction of the mineral, which began presumably in the 15th century, continued until 1962. Really noteworthy, from an architec-tural point of view too, is the building hosting the old furnac-es for melting the cupriferous pyrite and refi ning the copper. In this site the Park has invested considerable energy and resources, in order to make it possible for citizens and visi-tors to enjoy it from a cultural point of view and for tourism. Activities producing lime by heating up lime stones of ex-cellent quality, abundant along the pebbly riverbanks, were also widespread. In the territory several “calchere” can still be seen: these are small stone furnaces, which were used until the fi fties and sixties of the twentieth century.

GEOLOGICAL HISTORY

The Park has managed to integrate the safeguard and con-servation of a protected area with socio-economic develop-ment plans oriented towards environment sustainability and of great scientifi c and cultural value. The Park is the fi rst protected area in Europe which has ob-tained the ISO 9001-14001 and Emas certifi cations, and that has contributed to the Emas certifi cation of 5 of the 15 town-ships of the territory. It has also received the Emas certifi cate for vast areas, for the fi rst time in Italy, for the whole territory of the “Park Community” too. For this activity, the Ag-Emas project has been reported by the European Union as one of the best European projects, with a special mention in 2009.

The Park has carried out a general plan of installation of solar panels, by creat-ing over twenty fi ve power plants utilizing renewable energy sources, tailored on the basis of the location and specifi city of the buildings. All refuges, Alpine dair-ies, bivouacs, Park tourist facilities and surveillance bases have been provided with solar plants. The realization of the Fossil Free project has involved other administrative bodies too. The CAI (Italian Alpine Club) has actively collaborated in the installation of solar panels in the Park refuges. This project has received several awards at national and inter-national levels and, on initiative of the Ministry for economic development, has been “exported” to the National Park of the Pollino.

GOOD IDEAS

FOSSIL FREE

International cooperation by the Park was at fi rst addressed to Latin American countries, characterized by historic emi-gration by people from Veneto and Belluno. With time ac-tivities have increased, involving the Balkan area too. The project “from the Dolomites to the Andes” is a fund raising campaign in favour of the Chile Park of Omora and the Ar-gentinian Park of Nahuel Huapi (whose main city centre, Bariloche, was founded by Bellunese people).The Durmitor project, co-funded by the Veneto Region and also involving UNESCO, pursues the aim of institutionally strength-ening the Montenegrin Park and promoting sustainable socio-economic activities, with the collaboration of local partners. Some experiences of socio-economic promotion carried out by the Park, in particular the project “Carta Qualità” (Qual-ity Card), have been the object of international exchanges of experiences with parks of the National Park Service of the United States of America. The positive experience of the Park has given a decisive contribution to the assignment of the Dolomites as a Human Heritage by Unesco.

During these years the Park has funded and supported over 150 research projects, since these are necessary preconditions for man-aging the territory. A true and prop-er “inventory of biodiversity” has been drawn up, which has resulted

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION PROJECTS

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

in being of great help in the elaboration of instruments for planning (Park Plan and SIC-ZPS Management Plan).As concerns vertebrates, besides simple qualitative re-search (in order to fi nd out what species there exist), quanti-tative research has been carried out (in order to fi nd out how many animals are present in the Park), with censuses re-peated through the years concerning fi sh, ungulates (cham-ois, deer and moufl ons), capercaillies, mountain grouse, Greek partridges, snow-grouse and golden eagles. Among the most recent work done is the reintroduction of the marmot, the new atlas of nesting birds, which required three years of fi eld research, studies on grasshoppers and on bats. Important research has also been carried out on invertebrate fauna, in particular on terrestrial and fresh wa-ter molluscs (of which 134 species have been reported); on day butterfl ies (which are present with 96 species, i.e. 40% of those present in Italy) and night butterfl ies (present with 435 species). Of great interest is the research on the subter-ranean fauna with the discovery of 5 new species living in the karstic complex of Piani Eterni. A lot of research has been focused on mapping the habitats existing within the Park. This research is important for territory management plan-ning from a naturalistic point of view.

In order to promote the protected area and the contiguous territo-ries as a whole, the project “Carta Qualità” (Quality Card) was cre-ated, which awards the Park logo to services and products guaran-teeing high quality standards and respect of the environment. Proto-cols have been worked out for each productive sector, set-ting the quality and environment protection requisites which the economic activity must observe in order to be able to bear the Park brand and be mentioned in the “Carta Qual-ità”. The products and services inserted in the circuit can take benefi t from the promotion activities carried out by the Park at local and national levels. The single businessman is constantly updated on Park activities, takes part in periodic verifi cation and project sharing meetings, joins by observing environmental and cultural targets proper to the “mission” of the Park and of the “People of the Park”. Currently the circuit joiners are more than 250, and make up what in Italy is the biggest socio-economic promoting com-

CARTA QUALITÀ munity operating with a protected area. The products of “Carta Qualità” are obtained by traditional and/or organic methods, and are a perfect synthe-sis of the binomial man-nature. They are foods boasting a long productive tradition and creating unique fl avours from the en-vironmental peculi-arities of these moun-tains. “Carta Qual-ità” also promotes modern food and ag-ricultural businesses on the territory, as far as they operate in con-sistency with the “mis-sion” of the Park.

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PHOTOS: Archives PNDB, M. Minute, A. Borgo, B. Boz, F. Friz CTA-CFS, N. Martino, G. Poloniato, E. Vettorazzo, CAI Feltre.

TEXTS: Nino Martino

GRAPHIC PROJECT: EVIDENZIA immagine&comunicazione

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LA SANTINALoc. La Santina - Val di Canzoi - Cesiomaggiore - T 0493 3328

In Val di Canzoi, one of the most frequented Park accesses, stands the centre for environmental education of the Park. The facility is provided with laboratories, scientifi c equipment,a teaching room and a documentation centre. The centre aims at being a point of reference for environmental edu-cation activities within the Bellunese Dolomites National Park.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTRE

PIAN D’AVENALoc. Pian d’Avena - Pedavena - T 0439 3328

Along the road leading to the Croce d’Aune pass, there is the pic-nic area of Pian d’Avena, which has a refreshment and information point.

GIARDINO BOTANICO

“AL FRÀSSEN” HOUSELoc. Fràssen - Val Canzói - CesiomaggioreT 0439 42723 - C 329 0040808frassen@dolomitipark.it - www.dolomitipark.it3 bedrooms (5+5+12 beds), 5 bathrooms

In Val Canzói, in the heart of the Park, at the start of the tracks leading to two of the most extraordinary places in the Bellunese Do-lomites, the Erèra plateau and the Cimónega dell, there is a lodge called “Al Fràssen”. An old rural house, bought and restored by the Park, has become a cosy lodge with 22 beds, toilets, a completely equipped kitchen, a large dining room with a fi replace, and a teach-ing room. At a very short distance from lake de La Stua, it is the ideal place for animal-watching, environmental education, school camps and as the starting point for excursions to Piani Eterni. It is possible to book a single bed, a room, or the entire facility. Lunch and a shuttle service are available by prior booking.

AGRE HOSPICELoc. Agre - Val Cordevole - SedicoT 0439 3328 - info@dolomitipark.it - www.dolomitipark.it

Agre is an old medieval hospice, which used to give hospitality to way-farers, merchants, pilgrims and cavaliers coming down from Northern Europe towards the Plains and Venice. It has been restored, and hosts a Park Study and Research Centre, and it is the heart of our volunteer-ing activities. If you want to merge into the wild nature of the Park and contribute to the upkeep of the tracks by working side by side with the Park personnel in their daily activities… Agre is the right place for you.

PARK LODGE

“AL FRÀSSEN”

AGRE

HOSTEL AND RESTAURANT VALLE IMPERINALoc. Le Miniere - Rivamonte Agordino - T 0437 62451 ostelloimperina@dolomitipark.it - www.dolomitipark.it7 bedrooms (37 beds), 15 bathrooms

The Imperina Hostel is an extraordinary building of industrial ar-chaeology, which has been obtained inside the old and important mining centre (dating back to the 15th century and still working until 1962). In the area the mine infrastructures (today restored) are still visible, among which roads, tunnels, stables, and the old building with the melting furnaces, which dates back to the 16th century. The hostel is placed at the crossroads of two thematic routes created by the Park, “The Hospice Route” and “The Forgot-ten Mountain”, and has 37 beds, in rooms with 4 or 6 beds, a TV room, a reading room, an internet room. The Restaurant menu of-fers dishes prepared mainly with products coming from farms that have obtained the Park brand Carta Qualità. Booking is welcome for groups with more than 10 people.

CANDÀTENLoc. Candàten - Val Cordevole - SedicoT 0437 847508 / 950909 - www.dolomitipark.it

A large picnic area with tables and barbeque, a small bar, a shop with local products with the brands “Carta Qualità” and “Zero Kilo-metres”, a camper parking area: you can fi nd all these things to-gether in a single place at Candàten, next to the Cordevole stream and next to the Agordina regional road.

VALLE IMPERINA

PIAN FALCINALoc. Valle del Mis - Sospirolo - T 0437 950909 - valledelmis@dolomitipark.it

The recreation centre of Pian Falcina comprises a camper parking area with facilities, a bar, an equipped picnic area, a playground for children, and a wide area for outdoor cultural activities. The parking area guarantees enough parking spaces for about 100 cars and a couple of buses. The camper parking area is provided with 12 clear spaces for campers, and toilets. Bungalows are also being built, for a total of 24 beds. The picnic area, on the banks of the lake, is provided with public toilets. Completing the facilities of the area is a small amphitheatre for outdoor cultural activities, sheltered by a tensile structure, and an athletics course.

REFRESHMENT AND CAMPER AREA

Piazza Piloni - Belluno - T 0437 27030 centroculturale@dolomitipark.it - www.dolomitipark.it

This Park facility, located in the former Fire Brigade barracks, has not by chance been called a “cultural centre” and not a “visitors’ centre”, because it has the aim of becoming a centre for cultural aggregation open to all citizens. Here it is possible not only to get information about the Park or to buy books and other publications on the protected area, but also to stop by and drink a glass of wine together with friends. The Cen-tre, dedicated to one of the father founders of the Park, is also a bar and a shop with products with the Park brand “Carta Qualità”, where events such as concerts, art exhibitions and book presenta-tions are organized.

CULTURAL CENTRE “PIERO ROSSI” KEY TO SYMBOLS

PARK BIVOUACS

BRENDÒL - 1686 m. - Erèra-Brendòl

CAMPOTORÓNDO - 1763 m. - Erèra-Brendòl

LA VARETTA - 1709 m. - Talvéna

LE MANDRE - 1378 m. - Pizzón

LE PRESE - 1442 m. - Vette Feltrine

MALGA ALVÌS - 1573 m. - Cimónega

MONSAMPIÀN - 1902 m. - Vette Feltrine

RAMÉZZA ALTA - 1485 m. - Vette Feltrine

TAVERNÀZZO - 1104 m. - Vette Feltrine

Park boundaries

Regional boundaries

Bivouac

Refuge

Hiking base, accommodation facility

Area for campers

Villa Binotto - Premises of the Park Authority

Information point

Station of the Forest Rangers

NATURALISTIC ACCESSES TO THE PARK

Val Prampèr

Val del Grisol

Cajada

Valle dell’Ardo

Val di San Martino

Val di Lamen

VISITORS CENTRES - INFO POINTS - REFRESHMENT AREAS

Cultural centre “Piero Rossi” - Belluno

Old Mining centre of Valle Imperina - Rivamonte Agordino

Visitors’ centre “Il Sasso nello Stagno” - Pedavena

Botanical garden “Campanula morettiana” - Sospirolo

Environmental education centre “La Santina”Cesiomaggiore

Refreshment and camper area - Candàten - Sedico

Information point Croce d’Aune - Sovramonte

Refreshment and camper area - Pian Falcina - Sospirolo

Refreshment area - Pian d’Avena - Pedavena

Volunteers’ centre - Agre - Sedico

MUSEUMS

Town museum - Belluno

Archaeological area - Feltre

Diocesan museum - Feltre

Ethnographic museum - Seravella

Ethnographic museum - La Valle Agordina

PARK ITINERARIES

REFUGE 7° ALPINILoc. Pis Pilon - 32100 BellunoT 0437 941631 - C 339 7864925info@rifugiosettimoalpini.itwww.rifugiosettimoalpini.it58 beds

PARK REFUGES

REFUGE B. BOZLoc. Conca Nevetta32030 CesiomaggioreT 0439 64448 - C 348 7248949danieleboz@libero.it38 beds

REFUGE PIAN DE FONTANALoc. Pian de Fontana - 32013 LongaroneC 335 6096819piandefontana@livecom.itwww.goldnet.it/piandefontana26 beds

REFUGE F. BIANCHETLoc. Pian dei Gat - 32036 SedicoT 0437 669226 - C 333 8668891ivanicadore@alice.it40 beds

REFUGE SOMMARIVA AL PRAMPERÉTLoc. Prà della Vedova - 32013 LongaroneC 337 52840330 beds

REFUGE G. DAL PIAZLoc. Cesta - Passo Vette Grandi32030 SovramonteT 0439 9065 - C 348 2208808info@rifugiodalpiaz.itwww.rifugiodalpiaz.it26 beds

for groups with more than 10 people.

REFRESHMENT AND CAMPER AREA

WWW.DOLOMITIPARK.IT

REFRESHMENT AREA

GRECALE

TRAMONTANA

MAESTRALE

PONENTE

LIBECCIO

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Lunch and a shuttle service are available by prior booking.

VOLUNTEERS’ CENTRE “CAMPANULA MORETTIANA”Loc. Val Brenton - Val del Mis - Sospirolo

T 0439 3328 - www.dolomitipark.it

The garden enables one to observe high altitude species, without having to go on diffi cult and exhausting hikes, which are not within the reach of all people visiting the protected area. It is subdivided into sectors recreating the main habitats of the Park: rocks and screes, damp areas, meadows and pastures, and woods. The garden is completely accessible to the disabled, may be visited by people on wheelchairs, and is provided with didactic supports for sightless and partially sighted people.

BOTANICAL GARDEN

Thematic track “I Cadini del Brentòn”Evortion potholes in Val del Mis30’ - 1 km - difference in height 50 m

Thematic track “I Circhi delle Vette”A geological - geomorphological itinerary through the Buse delle Vette 5 h 30’ - 7 km - difference in height 400 m

Thematic track “Piedmont chapels. Warrior saints and healer saints in the Bellunese Dolomites”approx. 40 h - 110 km - difference in height 4.200 m (in 13 stages)

Thematic track “Covoli in Val di Lamen”An archaeological itinerary on the footsteps of the Mazarol Man2 h 30’ - 2,5 km - difference in height 200 m

Thematic track “The forgotten mountain”Military tracks and old miners’ roads36 h 30’ - 39 km - difference in height 2.250 m (in 6 stages)

Thematic track “The Route of Hospices”On the old traces of wayfarers in Val Cordevole8 h - 20 km - difference in height 540 m

Nature tracks: “Val Falcina” - “Val Canzoi”

GTP: Great Park Crossing

The Walk through the Dolomites

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