Guide to the Belluno Dolomites National Park: A Wild Heart Among the Peaks.
If you’re looking for an authentic experience, far from the most crowded tourist destinations, the Belluno Dolomites National Park is a true paradise. Created to protect an area of extraordinary natural beauty, this park stretches from the Cismon Valley to the Piave River. With elevations ranging from 400 meters at the valley floor to 2,563 meters at the majestic Monte Schiara, the area offers an incredible variety of natural environments.
The Belluno Dolomites are considered “peripheral” mountains, but it is precisely for this reason that they have retained a rugged, wild, and unspoiled charm, becoming a precious treasure trove of biodiversity and rare species.
Mountain Ranges: The Geography of the Park
The heart of the park is dotted with unique mountain ranges, each with its own geological character:
- The Feltrine Alps: characterized by steep slopes alternating with gentle, grassy peaks.
- The Cimonega Group: which embodies the most typical and classic Dolomite landscape.
- The Erera-Brendol Plateau and the Piani Eterni: a magnificent karst landscape.
- The Monti del Sole (Pizzon-Feruch Range): Located beyond the Mis Gorge, they are one of the most rugged and wild areas in Europe.
- The Schiara-Pelf and the Talvena-Pramper ridges: separated by the Cordevole Stream, they slope down toward the Val di Zoldo with dense, spectacular forested slopes.
🥾 The Piani Eterni: One of the park’s most fascinating geological features is the Piani Eterni plateau, an underground labyrinth that is home to over 200 karst cavities and caves.
Flora: The Realm of Moretti’s Campanula
With over 1,500 plant species, the park is a famous destination for botany enthusiasts. Among the scree slopes and crevices of the high-altitude rocks grow plants that are unique in the world:
- Moretti’s Campanula, a beautiful purple flower chosen as the park’s official symbol.
- The extremely rare alpine spurge, which adds a splash of color to the high-altitude pastures.
Wildlife: From Large Predators to the Kings of the Sky
The unspoiled natural environment of the Belluno Dolomites has allowed for the return and conservation of countless animal species.
Large and Small Mammals
Alongside large ungulates such as the chamois, roe deer, red deer, and mouflon, the dense forests are home to elusive and fascinating predators. In addition to foxes, martens, stone martens, and stoats, the park is also home to lynx,brown bears, and golden jackals (a species of Eastern origin that is spreading from the Balkans into northeastern Italy).
Birds of Prey and the Lords of the Night
The skies above the park are patrolled by an extraordinary variety of birds of prey:
- Diurnal birds: the golden eagle, the goshawk, the sparrowhawk, the buzzard, the kestrel, and the honey buzzard.
- Nocturnal Birds: the eagle owl, the pygmy owl, the long-eared owl, and the tawny owl.
Nature Note: Among the reptiles that inhabit the park’s rocky areas are three different species of vipers.
