Val di Funes
A quiet farming valley whose two small churches, set against the Odle peaks, became a photographic cliché.
Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map
The Villnösstal runs east from the Isarco valley below the Odle, a row of jagged Dolomite peaks reaching just over three thousand metres. Two small churches in the meadows, St Johann in Ranui with its onion dome and the church at Santa Maddalena on a rise behind it, are photographed constantly against that skyline. Both are in working farmland: St Johann is privately owned and viewed from a marked path with a fee, and signs ask visitors to stay off the fields. Reinhold Messner grew up in this valley. The Puez-Odle nature park covers the upper valley with walking routes below the peaks.
What you actually see
- St Johann in Ranui - a small onion-domed chapel in the meadows.
- The Santa Maddalena view - the second church on a rise below the Odle.
- The Odle ridge - jagged peaks closing the head of the valley.
- The Puez-Odle park - walking routes under the range.
When to go
June to September for walking and green meadows; autumn gives larch colour. The valley is quiet compared with Gardena. Winter has limited services.
Honest expectations
The chapel is private, charges for its viewing area and cannot be entered. Parking near the viewpoints is very limited. Visitors walking into fields cause real friction with farmers.
Nearby
Val Gardena lies south; Bressanone is west.
What to pack for Val di Funes
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.