Earth Pyramids of the Val Pusteria

The Earth Pyramids of Terento on the Val Pusteria Sun Road were probably created by a heavy storm in 1837. Masses of debris were washed away by the Rio Terento and swept away various buildings, including 16 mills, a smithy and a sawmill. Several people lost their lives. A slope was also washed away, the rocks and stones of which enabled the formation of the Earth Pyramids.

The soil underneath comes from moraine deposits from the last ice age. Where no stones were deposited, however, ribs and ridges were formed in the slope. Today, a path leads from the village centre to the Earth Pyramids in about 40 minutes, a popular family hike. A bit further towards the Upper Val Pusteria, above Perca, is the small village of Plata. This hamlet in the municipality of Perca at about 1,400 metres a.s.l. also has some Earth Pyramids to offer.

They were formed in a similar way: A few hundred years ago, a landslide blocked the cart track between the Thalerhof farm and the hamlet of Sopranessano. In the course of time, the Plata Earth Pyramids grew out of the stones and the clay underneath, and today they can be reached in 45 minutes on a pleasant hiking trail. The natural monument is also interesting in winter, when snow covers the stones and forms another protective cap.