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Natural Monuments

Tunkelbald Rock Carvings

Natural Monuments

Tunkelbald Rock Carvings

Highlight • Historical Site

Tunkelbald Rock Carvings

Name: Tunkelbald Rock Carvings
Rating: 1.9

Recommended by 9 hikers out of 10

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Location: Roana, Vicenza, Veneto, Italy

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Best Hikes to Tunkelbald Rock Carvings

4.0

(2)

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1. Tunkelbald Rock Carvings loop from Roana

7.66km

02:18

250m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

3.7

(3)

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2. Tunkelbald Rock Carvings loop from Roana

4.93km

01:30

170m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

5.0

(2)

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3. Tunkelbald Rock Carvings loop from Roana

9.75km

03:04

400m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

A. 🐺

April 3, 2024

A fascinating collection of engravings from various historical periods, from prehistory to the contemporary era, intersect and overlap on the rock faces of the deep and isolated Val d'Assa: symbols, cup marks, crosses, geometric figures, writing, and an infinite number of other signs, often difficult to understand and chronologically assign. They testify to the passage of man through this valley, which since ancient times has been an important communication route between the Veneto Plain and the Asiago Plateau for hunting, livestock migration, and the transport of goods and timber. The oldest engravings date back to the Neolithic (4000-3000 BC); others to the Iron Age (1st millennium BC); many are from the Middle Ages (especially Christian crosses) and the Modern Age (dates and signatures); the latest graffiti are the work of soldiers from the First World War.

There are three archaeological sites, although scattered graffiti can be found throughout the valley: Tunkelbald (the largest group of signs, on the valley floor), Romina, and Rössle (close to each other, halfway up the slope, further downstream).

Tunkelbald (also spelled Tunkelbalt) means "dark forest" in the Cimbrian language. It is located in one of the narrowest and deepest points of the canyon, where a high, vertical rock of ammonite limestone extends for over forty meters and partially juts out, forming a natural canopy. According to scholars, it was a natural shelter for hunters and a sacred place where carvings were made into the wall for propitiatory purposes.

The petroglyphs were only discovered in 1966, after the Assa River flooded, washing away the sediment and moss that had hidden them. Until a few years ago, the site was fenced off and could only be visited with a guide, contacting the Canove Pro Loco tourist office. But the violent flood of summer 2021 devastated the area, which remains abandoned to this day: the fences, walkways, and panels were swept away; furthermore, the rock of the vertical walls may be unstable... it seems that the Municipality of Roana has declared it unfit for use and prohibited. Even the graffiti, exposed to the elements, are slowly deteriorating day by day.

it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_d%27Assa
www2.muse.it/pubblicazioni/7/18/LeonardiP,RigoniG,AllegranziA1982_PA18_Incisioni%20rupestri%20della%20Val%20d'Assa%20sull'Altipiano%20dei%20Sette%20Comuni_IMM&OCR.pdf

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Flavio 🥾🚲

June 21, 2025

Site of prehistoric and medieval rock carvings.
It is a pity that the place is in a state of complete abandonment, very degraded and not valorized.

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francesco

October 19, 2021

unfortunately it is impossible to see that much, everything has been broken and abandoned

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Elevation 870 m

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Wednesday 5 November

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Max wind speed: 1.0 km/h

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Location: Roana, Vicenza, Veneto, Italy

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Tunkelbald Rock Carvings

1. Tunkelbald Rock Carvings loop from Roana

2. Tunkelbald Rock Carvings loop from Roana

3. Tunkelbald Rock Carvings loop from Roana

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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