Alta Badia - Val Badia
Val Badia is a dale at the foot of the Dolomites situated in a central position among pastures and meadows. The zone is composed of 6 localities grouped in three municipalities:
- Badia, that comprises the localities of Pedraces, Saint Leonardo, La Villa and San Cassiano;
- La Valle;
- Corvara, that comprises the hamlets of Pescosta and Colfosco.
Alta Badia is a much longed for locality especially in winter. For the summer vacations the fittest destination is Bassa Val Badia from where you can admire the Antermoia towards Passo delle Erbe and San Martino in Badia. Val Badia offers an endless possibility of trips and excursions through the ancient rural settlements of Cianins, Fisti and Oies. The Valley is interested from two Natural Parks which part of the Independent Province of Bolzano: the Natural Park Puez-Odle and the Natural Park Fanes-Sennes-Braies.
In the romantic Valley of Longiarù you can still admire the characteristic Viles, that is to say small inhabited centres that group houses and barns. Also the huts of Val Badia emanate a particular atmosphere and are very suggestive for special dinners, in the hush and the mystery of the place. The transport is really suggestive since it is made by snowmobiles and motorised sleighs. Among the huts we remind the Punta Trieste that fits very well a country evening and the sophisticated Santa Croce, where you can taste the best specialties of the region Trentino Alto Adige.
Numerous are the customs that characterize the Val Abbey. The processions constitute still today one of the most felt traditions. Every year, for example, for the Corpus Domini corteges of musicians and walk-ons in traditional clothes exhibit on small altars the statues of the saints while the parish priest reads passages of the Gospel. In Pieve di Marebbe, during the haymaking, the Ladin people turn and rake up the hay with farm tools in order to guarantee a uniform drying. The grass from the loans is collected and loaded on the peasants' shoulders or on the wooden sledges to the barns.
A pilgrimage destination, in Olies, is the native house of the Blessed Giuseppe Freinademetz, a spiritual figure of Val Badia. In all the churches of the municipalities and in many private houses his image is present.
... elves, spiteful giants, ogres, witches, drakes, knights, fairies...
In Val Badia there are numerous imaginary personages who give life to fantastic stories where fear, fear, wonder and also a bit of superstition prevail. In the caves of the Conturines the rests of a vegetarian bear (Ursus spelaeus) that lived here between 115,000 and 45,000 years ago were found.
Some history…
