A high village of Val di Fiemme, famous for its rocks and close to the Paneveggio forest and the violins.
A short history
Predazzo sits at just over a thousand metres, where Val di Fiemme meets Val di Fassa and the Travignolo. It is a mountain village grown among woods, meadows and routes towards the great Dolomite passes.
Its fame is tied to geology. Around Predazzo rare rocks surface, born from the ancient meeting of magmas and Dolomites, which since the nineteenth century have drawn scholars from all over Europe. The village hosts a geological museum that gathers minerals and fossils from the area. For those who study rocks, Predazzo is a name that counts.
Just above the village begins the road to the Rolle Pass and to the Paneveggio forest, where the resonance spruces used for centuries to build violins grow. Predazzo is thus a gateway to one of the most famous woods in the Alps and to the peaks of the Lagorai.
Predazzo is called the geological garden of the Alps. Within a few kilometres rocks of different origins surface, joined by the ancient meeting of a huge volcano and the Dolomites. Right here, in the nineteenth century, a new theory took shape on the origin of mountains, according to which magmas rise from the depths and push into the pre-existing layers. The scholar Leopold von Buch called these places the key to the Alps.
The Geological Museum of the Dolomites was founded in 1899 out of this scientific ferment. Today it keeps more than twelve thousand items, including one of Italy's largest collections of invertebrate fossils from the Middle Triassic reefs. Rocks, minerals and fossils tell the long story of the area and the reason Predazzo drew geologists from all over Europe.
How to fit Predazzo into a three, five or seven day trip: The Dolomites in 3, 5 or 7 Days: How to Plan Your Trip.
What to see
- The violin forest of Paneveggio, the great wood of resonance spruces above the village, along the road to the Rolle Pass.
- The Lagorai range, the long wild ridge that closes the valley to the south, among lakes and little-walked trails.
- The geological museum, which gathers the rocks, minerals and fossils that made Predazzo famous among scholars.
How to get to Predazzo
By car, leave the A22 Brenner motorway at Egna-Ora and climb all of Val di Fiemme along the valley-floor road, beyond Cavalese, to Predazzo. The nearest station is Ora, on the Brenner line, linked to the village by local buses. From Predazzo the roads climb towards the Rolle Pass and Val di Fassa.
When to go
Summer is the best season to visit the Paneveggio forest and climb towards the Rolle Pass and the Pale di San Martino. In winter the village is a base for skiing and for the area's cross-country races. In autumn the spruce and larch woods offer quiet walks among the colours.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see in Predazzo?
The Paneveggio forest with its resonance spruces, the geological museum that gathers the area's rare rocks, and the Lagorai range above the village. Predazzo is also the gateway to the Rolle Pass and the Pale di San Martino.
Why is Predazzo famous for geology?
Because around the village rare rocks surface, born from the ancient meeting of magmas and Dolomites. Since the nineteenth century they have drawn scholars from all over Europe, and today the geological museum gathers their minerals and fossils.
How do you get to Predazzo?
By car you leave the A22 at Egna-Ora and climb all of Val di Fiemme beyond Cavalese. The nearest station is Ora, on the Brenner line, linked to the village by the local buses that serve the valley.
What is the Paneveggio forest?
It is the great wood of resonance spruces above Predazzo, along the road to the Rolle Pass. For centuries it has supplied the wood used to build violins, and it is one of the most famous woods in the Alps.
What can you see at the Geological Museum of the Dolomites?
The museum, founded in 1899, keeps more than twelve thousand items among rocks, minerals and fossils of the area. It includes one of Italy's largest collections of invertebrate fossils from the Middle Triassic reefs. It tells why Predazzo drew geologists from all over Europe.
Why is Predazzo called the geological garden of the Alps?
Because within a few kilometres rocks of very different origins surface, joined by the ancient meeting of a volcano and the Dolomites. In the nineteenth century a new theory on the origin of mountains took shape here, and the scholar Leopold von Buch called these places the key to the Alps.