Funes
Funes (Villnöss in German) is a municipality in South Tyrol nestled in the valley of the same name, one of the most photographed v...
Updated 17 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Funes now
The story
The story of Funes
Val di Funes and the Odle, heart of the Dolomites UNESCO site
Val di Funes opens up east of Chiusa and Bressanone, climbing gently toward an amphitheater of green meadows enclosed by the spires of the Odle (Geisler) group, among the most iconic massifs of the Dolomites, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. The vertical walls, rising above 2,800 metres, change colour with the daylight, producing at dawn and dusk the famous enrosadira glow. The valley floor, dotted with scattered farmsteads and small hamlets such as San Pietro and Santa Maddalena, preserves an almost untouched agricultural landscape, with hay meadows and forests of spruce and larch climbing toward the rock walls. This contrast between the gentleness of the pastures and the verticality of the Odle makes the valley one of the most beloved and photographed locations in the entire Alpine arc, a destination for hikers and artists for over a century.
San Giovanni in Ranui: the most photographed chapel in the Alps
Isolated among the meadows of the hamlet of Ranui, the small baroque church of San Giovanni in Ranui (St. Johann in Ranui) is probably the most recognizable image of Val di Funes and one of the most reproduced views in the entire Dolomites. With its white onion-domed bell tower set against the walls of the Odle, the chapel appears in countless photographs, calendars and covers of international travel guides. Built in the eighteenth century on an older structure, it stands in a rural setting that has kept its simplicity intact: no road reaches it directly, and it is best admired from a short path across the mown meadows. Not far away stands the church of San Pietro di Funes, another religious and scenic landmark of the valley. Both bear witness to a tradition of Alpine faith that has coexisted for centuries with the farming life of the surrounding masi.
Puez-Odle Nature Park and the trails among the peaks
Much of Funes' mountain territory falls within the Puez-Odle Nature Park, a protected area safeguarding the karst plateau of Puez and the dolomitic spires of the Odle, both part of the UNESCO Dolomites serial site. The park offers a network of hiking trails ranging from easy valley-floor walks to demanding high-altitude traverses, including the famous Sentiero delle Odle (Adolf Munkel Trail), which runs at the foot of the vertical walls, touching mountain huts such as Malga Zannes and the Gschnagenhardt Alm. At the entrance to the high valley, the hamlet of Zannes often marks the starting point for excursions into the park, while higher up, panoramas open onto the Puez group, Val Gardena and the Alpe di Siusi. Management of the protected area aims to reconcile hiking tourism, traditional Alpine grazing and the conservation of a high-mountain ecosystem of great natural value.
Reinhold Messner and the valley's mountain culture
Val di Funes is the home valley of Reinhold Messner, one of the world's most celebrated mountaineers, the first to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen. Raised among the farmsteads and pastures of this valley, at the foot of the Odle, Messner has often recounted how the vertical landscape of his childhood shaped his calling for the mountains. This deep bond between the local community and mountaineering is still reflected today in the culture of Funes, where the farming life of the masi is interwoven with a long tradition of mountain guides, hut keepers and connoisseurs of the Dolomite peaks. The valley keeps its Ladin-Tyrolean identity alive through rural architecture, seasonal festivals linked to transhumance and the careful stewardship of the mountain farming landscape, elements that continue to attract visitors interested not only in the scenery but also in the human history that shaped it.
Farmsteads, hikes and nature among the pastures of Funes
Beyond the Odle, Funes offers a rural landscape of scattered farmsteads, many still active in livestock farming and dairy production, and broad pastures that come alive in summer with grazing cattle and the scent of freshly cut hay. The hamlets of San Pietro, Santa Maddalena and San Giacomo dot the valley floor with their churches and typical Tyrolean farmhouses of wood and stone, serving as starting points for walks of every level: from easy strolls toward Ranui and the nearby farmsteads to more demanding climbs toward high-altitude huts and the ridges of Puez-Odle. In winter the valley turns into a destination for cross-country skiing and snowshoe walks in the silence of the snow. The variety of environments, from hay meadows to coniferous forests to dolomitic rock, makes Villnöss a destination able to satisfy both those seeking demanding treks and those simply wishing to recharge in mountain tranquility.
Not to be missed
- The view of the Odle (Geisler) group from the valley-floor meadows, one of the iconic panoramas of the Dolomites UNESCO site
- The chapel of San Giovanni in Ranui (St. Johann in Ranui), among the most photographed images in the Alps
- The church of San Pietro di Funes, a religious and scenic landmark of the valley
- The Sentiero delle Odle (Adolf Munkel Trail) in the Puez-Odle Nature Park, at the foot of the vertical walls
- The traditional farmsteads and mountain huts of Reinhold Messner's home valley, amid pastures and coniferous woods
To see
What to see in Funes
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Funes
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