Dolomites World Natural Heritage

On Friday, 26th June 2009, the Dolomites were placed on the prestigious list of Natural World Heritage Sites. The decision was made by UNESCO at its annual world congress.

UNESCO was enchanted by the beauty of the Dolomites: pointed spires, jagged summits and glorious colors that change throughout the day. At sunset the Dolomites turn a fiery red, then change to violet before disappearing into the night. This is the “Enrosadira” – a phenomenon caused by the unusual chemical composition of dolomite – a natural spectacle that is beyond compare.

Rising from the depths of the primordial ocean 250 million years ago, the Dolomites were shaped by the relentless effects of water, wind and ice, which sculpted this natural masterpiece. Named for the geologist who first studied them, Déodat de Dolomieu, and protected by numerous parks, the Dolomites rise to an altitude of more than 3,000 m and are one of the most charming mountain landscapes on the world. And this is expressed in the concluding report of the IUCN’s international commission of experts, which judged the Dolomites, with their particular geological, botanical and scenic qualities, to be unique in the world.

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