Fascinating facts about prehistoric South Tyrol

A visit to the Museum of Natural History is a unique experience!

Did you know that millions of years ago, there was a coral reef in South Tyrol? Or that a super volcano once dominated the region?

There’s an abundance of winter activities on offer here in Alta Badia: winter hikes from Corvara to Colfosco, cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing on the Sellaronda, tobogganing, and much more besides. Whichever of the countless active and leisure options you choose, a cup of hot chocolate or hot apple juice is the perfect way to round off your winter experience.
If we’re looking for something a bit different here in our winter paradise, we like to visit the South Tyrol Museum of Natural in the provincial capital, Bolzano. You’ll find a fascinating, colourful display on the flora and fauna of South Tyrol here, and information on prehistoric times is presented in a way that kids will love. The permanent exhibitions cover three main topics:

The geological development of the four typical South Tyrolean landscapes (Bolzano quartz porphyry, Eastern Alps, valleys, and the Dolomites) over the course of more than 300 million years
The return of flora and fauna as well as humans to the high mountains, pastures, forests, low mountains, and valley floors after the ice age
The coral reef in South Tyrol which was located in the place where the Dolomites now stand during the Triassic period (some 230-220 million years ago)

You can also regularly admire special exhibitions and events here, such as an extraordinary journey through time, which is on until 4 February 2024. 280 million years ago, a super volcano dominated the centre of what is our Trentino-South Tyrol region today – as demonstrated by the porphyry deposits in the area. The fossils in the rock strata between the layers of porphyry tell us of the volcano’s dormant phases, during which plants and animals made their homes here.
A visit to the Museum of Natural History in Bolzano is a unique experience that your kids won’t be able to stop talking about, as the exhibitions leave both children and adults wide-eyed and open-mouthed. But don’t just take our word for it – find out for yourself!

Andrea Varallo and his team
Movi Family Apart-Hotel

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