Nature Park Visitor Center in Villnöss valley

The Puez-Geisler Nature Park encompasses mountain ranges such as the Geisler/Odle Group and the Peitlerkofel Massif, ranking it amongst the most impressive and most photographed mountain formations in the whole of the Alps. The central information point of the nature park is the Nature Park Visitor Center in Villnöss valley, which opened in 2009 in St. Magdalena/Villnöss valley. The simple contemporary cube made of concrete, wood and glass was designed by architects Stefan Burger and Birgit Rudacs and is integrated harmoniously into its surroundings in terms of both form and colour.

This visitor center in one of the most beautiful valleys of the Alps has, since it opened, presented many interesting exhibits including a huge aerial photograph that visitors can walk across and Berge anfassen (Touching the Mountains), which is about rock types and stratification. On the second floor there are also the two permanent exhibits: Wunderkammer der Natur (lit: Nature’s Chamber of Wonders) and Berge erobern (lit: Conquering Mountains).
The mission of the visitor center is not only to inform, but also to convey the geological, biological and cultural diversity found at Puez-Geisler Nature Park. In so doing, the hope is to raise enthusiasm in people of all ages – not only regarding the natural park’s beauty but also about those things for which it stands.

 

Special exhibitions

2nd January to 29th March 2025: Tiny, huge, always valuable! The protected areas of South Tyrol
South Tyrol is characterized by a diverse natural and cultural landscape. In the 1970s, the provincial government decided to gradually place the province’s areas of outstanding natural beauty under special protection. This special exhibition is dedicated to the various categories of protection and their characteristics. It tells you about the seven nature parks, presents selected biotopes as well as natural monuments and explains why the Dolomite nature parks have been awarded the World Heritage label – and what “Natura 2000” is all about.