Rasun-Anterselva
Rasun-Anterselva (Rasen-Antholz in tedesco) è un comune della Val Pusteria, in Alto Adige, che si distende su due valli laterali a...
Actualizado el 17 julio 2026
Esta temporada · Julio · Verano
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La historia de Rasun-Anterselva
The municipality and the Anterselva Valley
Rasun-Anterselva was formed by the administrative union of two side valleys of the Val Pusteria (Pustertal): the Rasun valley, more open and closer to the main valley floor, and the Anterselva valley, narrower and more secluded, stretching north almost to the Austrian border. The hamlets of Rasun di Sopra, Rasun di Sotto and Anterselva di Mezzo retain the typical layout of South Tyrolean villages, with onion-domed bell towers, timber-and-stone farmhouses and small frescoed churches. The Anterselva Valley (Antholzertal), in particular, has remained a relatively untouched environment: here mountain farming, alpine pasture herding and tourism coexist without disrupting the landscape. The valley floor rises gradually to considerable altitude, framed by wooded slopes and peaks exceeding three thousand metres, offering starting points for hikes of every level and for outdoor life in every season of the year.
Biathlon and the Südtirol Arena
What makes Rasun-Anterselva known well beyond South Tyrol's borders is biathlon. The Südtirol Arena in Anterselva is one of the world's most prestigious venues for this discipline, which combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting: every season it hosts Biathlon World Cup stages and has served as host venue for World Championships, drawing top athletes and a large, enthusiastic international audience. The arena, set within a natural amphitheatre at over 1,600 metres of altitude, is equipped with shooting ranges, internationally certified tracks and facilities to welcome large crowds. Outside competition periods, the venue and its connected trails are often open for amateur training and for getting to know this technical, thrilling sport, which in South Tyrol enjoys a following almost comparable to that of alpine skiing in the region's most famous valleys.
Lake Anterselva and the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park
At the head of the Anterselva Valley lies one of South Tyrol's most striking lakeside landscapes: Lake Anterselva (Antholzer See), the region's third-largest alpine lake. Its intensely turquoise waters, fed by the surrounding glaciers, reflect the wooded and rocky slopes that enclose it, forming a scene beloved and widely photographed by hikers and families alike. The lake lies within the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park, a protected area safeguarding a high-altitude alpine environment of glaciers, peat bogs, larch and Swiss stone pine forests, and wildlife including chamois, marmots and numerous alpine bird species. A flat path runs around the entire perimeter of the lake, making it accessible even to those seeking a short walk with no elevation gain, while more demanding routes toward the park's mountain huts and peaks set off from here.
Cross-country skiing, nature and hiking
Thanks to the Südtirol Arena and the shape of the valley, Rasun-Anterselva is one of South Tyrol's benchmarks for cross-country skiing: the network of groomed tracks, often equipped with artificial snowmaking to guarantee the season even in uncertain periods, attracts both athletes in training and casual enthusiasts seeking technical, scenic routes through the woods and along the valley floor. In summer the same territory becomes ideal terrain for hiking: trails of every difficulty link the valley-floor farmsteads to high-altitude mountain huts, alpine pastures and viewpoints over the surrounding peaks, while the proximity to the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park opens up multi-day trekking toward glaciers and alpine lakes. Road cycling and mountain biking also find room along the valley's secondary roads, in a setting that favours active tourism respectful of the mountain environment.
Farmsteads, traditions and the surrounding Val Pusteria
Beyond its sporting appeal, Rasun-Anterselva retains a close bond with the farming culture of the Val Pusteria: the masi (Höfe), often passed down through generations, dot the mountainsides and continue to practise livestock rearing and dairy production according to traditional methods, in many cases opening their doors to guests as farm stays. Religious feast days, processions and village festivals still punctuate the local calendar, while the rural architecture, with its dark timber chalets and flower-decked balconies, speaks of a cultural identity deeply rooted in the German-speaking alpine territory. The municipality sits within the wider context of the Val Pusteria, one of South Tyrol's most renowned alpine valleys, an ideal starting point for reaching other localities in the area, its lakes and neighbouring villages, and for discovering a corner of the mountains that manages to stay authentic even a few steps from biathlon's international spotlight.
Not to be missed
- Südtirol Arena in Anterselva, a biathlon temple and host of Biathlon World Cup stages
- Lake Anterselva (Antholzer See), with a path circling its entire perimeter
- Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park, amid glaciers, larch forests and alpine wildlife
- The Anterselva Valley's cross-country ski trail network, active in winter
- Traditional farmsteads and farm stays of the Val Pusteria, blending livestock farming and rural hospitality
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