Alpe di Resciesa

The Alpe di Resciesa is a high pasture plateau above Ortisei, with open meadows and woods between Val Gardena and Val di Funes. An eighteenth-century chapel reflects the alpine pasture's older pastoral life.

Why it matters

Resciesa lies within Puez-Odle Nature Park and the UNESCO-listed Dolomites. Its open pasture contrasts with the steep Odle walls and provides a broad view across the Valle Isarco toward the Sciliar and Sella groups. The plateau's landscape combines grazing land, woodland and high alpine terrain.

What to notice

The wide meadows are edged by the Odle, Sassolungo and Sciliar groups, with the Marmolada visible in clear conditions. The Holy Cross Chapel, built in 1755 at more than 2,200 metres and restored in 2012, stands on the open pasture. Woodland below the plateau marks the transition from alpine grassland to forest.

Context and history

Resciesa has served as alpine pasture for centuries. The 1755 chapel was built where herdsmen and travellers crossed the alp, giving the high pasture a place of worship far from the parish church below. A modern funicular changed the area's relationship with Ortisei, while the plateau remains part of Puez-Odle Nature Park and the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites.