The gorge

Stones in every imaginable size and shape can be found in the Bletterbach gorge. They have been on the move for millions of years.
What can they tell us?

Bozen quartz porphyry

280 to 260 million years ago, hot ash and lava was thrown out as a result of violent eruptions following major volcanic events. In this way a mighty mountain range was created on the North African continental plate – the Bozen quartz porphyry plate..

Gröden sandstone

Deposited and hardened …
Heat, water and wind began their work. Over millions of years, large parts of the porphyry mountains were carried away. Torrential streams and rivers transported..

Bellerophon strata

Towards the end of the Permian era, 250 million years ago, the land sank and the sea advanced a long way westwards. Shallow coastal waters and lagoons characterised the coastal plains, comparable with the Adriatic nowadays, in the area of..

Permian-Triassic border

The upper layers of the Bellerophon formation mark the Permian-Triassic border, the transition from the Palaeozoic to the early Mesozoic era.
As a result of a catastrophic event, the majority of the flora..

Werfen strata

At the beginning of the early Mesozoic era, 248 million years ago, the sea spread out in a westerly direction. About 400 m of major strata was deposited. They are of varying construction, and provide evidence of the alternation between advancing..

Sarl dolomite

The summit of the Weisshorn mountain is made of sarl dolomite. The rock was formed from algae containing calcium carbonate in a shallow sea.