This flat walk follows the broad valley floor of the Antholz Valley, passing an interesting biotope situated in a shady deciduous forest. A number of wooden walkways lead through the biotope, which is home to numerous rare plants and animals. The valley’s mountain slopes are covered in dense coniferous forests and provide a backdrop to the impressive peaks of the Rieserferner Group.

Reachability

From the A22 Brenner motorway, take the Brixen exit, follow the Pustertal main road to the turn-off into the Antholz Valley, just past the village of Olang, and then continue on to Oberrasen, where you can park at the local cultural centre (reserved parking space for people with disabilities).

Description

From the car park (1,080 m), we first follow the “Nature Fitness Park” fitness trail along the Antholzerbach stream. The first short section is tarmac, after which the surface changes and we follow the unpaved track across wide meadows and fields. The route is very even. After a while, we reach the turn-off to the biotope. On the outward leg of our walk, however, we continue straight on towards Antholz. Passing a wooden bridge and another turn-off, we come across several rest areas by the side of the path with benches and tables, which are ideal for a picnic. Continuing straight on through the wide valley floor, with views of the high mountain peaks in the surrounding area, we finally reach a wooden bridge on the left, from which you can cross the road to the Hotel Bad Salomonsbrunn (1,100 m). Our walk takes us further into the valley and eventually brings us to the Antholz fish pond (1,124 m). From here, a road leads straight into the village. We return along the same route as far as the turn-off for the Rasen Biotope (2.7 km from the Nature Fitness Park). This time, however, we turn left and take the path to the biotope towards the forest. Various information boards provide details about the biological and natural features of this nature reserve (1100 m). We can venture deeper into the biotope along small wooden walkways, some of which are quite uneven. This walk is particularly recommended at the start of summer, when nature comes to life. We leave the forest behind and follow the signs towards Unterrasen. We finally return to our starting point along a tarmac road.