PREDAZZO

In the beginning there were twelve farmsteads. Today it is the most populous town in Val di Fiemme. Predazzo is known as the “geological garden of the Alps” because it has the highest concentration of geological varieties in the world. In the main square you can visit the Geological Museum of the Dolomites to admire an extraordinary collection of rocks, minerals and fossils, as well as scientific publications documenting the studies on how the Dolomites were formed. Walking along the Doss Capèl geological trail, between Passo Feudo and Alpe di Pampeago (2,000-2,200 m above sea level), you come across ancient beaches and seabeds, shells and starfish that lived before the dinosaurs, as well as lava, ash and lapilli from the ancient Predazzo volcano. The historic centre, dominated by the neo-Gothic church of Saints Philip and James (built in 1870), preserves many old houses, some of them decorated with frescoes. The oldest church is San Nicolò, dating back to the 16th century.