THE GEOLOGICAL FORMATION OF PAZNAUN

The Paznaun Valley is located in the Central Eastern Alps and belongs to the geological unit of the Silvretta cover. This cover consists of rocks that were formed millions of years ago by the collision of the African and European continental plates. During this collision, the rocks were folded and deformed, resulting in the characteristic mountain formations in Paznaun. The dominant rocks in Paznaun are slates, quartzites and limestones. Slate rocks, formed from clay and silt sediments, are widespread and characterise the slopes and mountains of the region. Quartzites, formed from metamorphosed sandstone, form robust and resistant rock formations. Limestones are found mainly at higher altitudes and bear witness to the deposits in a former sea.