울텐 - 울티모‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪20‬개의 천연기념물

The walk to the trees is very worthwhile.

impressive trees

Beautifully situated quiet mountain lake

In the Ulten Valley, at 1,425 m above sea level, there are three ancient larches, which are among the oldest conifers in Europe. See: https://www.meranerland.org/it/cultura-e-territorio/attrazioni/larici-secolari-della-val-dultimo/

Monday is a rest day, unfortunately closed

I found the Ulten, like sequoias, very fascinating.

The primeval larches of St. Gertraud in Ultental are 850 years old and are among the oldest conifers in Europe.

Three European larches stand on the edge of a protected forest near St. Gertraud in Ultental. When one of the then four larch trees fell in 1930, it is said to have had over 2,000 annual rings. Therefore, this was also assumed for the other trees. However, since the rotten interior made an exact estimate impossible, various calculation methods were used in 2004, which resulted in an age of 850 years. The three remaining larches are among the oldest conifers in Europe. The tallest of the primeval larches is 36.5 m high, has a trunk circumference of 7 m and the top died out as a result of a lightning strike. The thickest larch with a circumference of 8.34 m is almost as high, and it also has a withered top. The third larch has a large trunk cavity and burst generations ago at a height of 6 m. The top now rises into the sky in the form of a side branch. Nevertheless, the trees turn green every year. By the way: In the Ulten Valley, larch wood has been used for the typical roof shingles for centuries, which characterize the traditional Ulten court architecture. The three Ultner larches are also important as a shelter for plants and animals such as martens and bats. That's why they are called "Bat Larch" by the residents. In 1979 they were placed under protection and stabilized and are now part of the world natural heritage. A 30-minute walk begins below St. Gertraud and leads to the ancient larches. A trilingual display board tells of the ancient trees. The Ultner Höfeweg, on the other hand, leads from Dreieckwies to the Urlärchen in around 2.5 hours. There are more ancient larches in the upper Passeier Valley, along the ancient larch path in Platt. Source: https://www.meranerland.org/de/highlights/sightseeing/ultner-urlaerchen/