Active & Nature
The credit for having recognised and added value to the many tourist attractions in the Pusteria Valley should be given to the Imperial Reign of the Privileged Society of the Southern Railway. In the second half of the 19th century throughout the territory the Hapsburg Empire was responsible for building rail lines. The Pusteria Valley line, of which the highest point is in Dobbiaco, was inaugurated in 1871. At that time tourist travel was in rapid expansion. The Imperial Reign Society did not limit themselves with building a railroad, but also built the infrastructure for tourism: this is how the Grand Hotel of Dobbiaco was conceived, a summer residence of the European elite of the era. The rail line of Val Pusteria is enjoying growing popularity from tourists thanks to the substantial resources spent to improve services by the autonomous province of Bolzano. Along the rail line between Fortezza and San Candido there is a bike trail that can be taken in two directions. During the trip there is always the option to take certain parts by train to save energy. Upon completion of the main rail line from Val Pusteria, it was clear that tourism was a new opportunity for the neighbouring valleys as well. In 1907 work began for the railway seg-
Highlights 2012: • Giro d’Italia | 22. 05. Pfalzen - Falzes • Alta Pusteria Choir Festival 20. – 24.06. • Dolomiti Superbike 07.07. Niederdorf – Villa bassa • Herbert Grönemeyer live | 10.07. Bruneck - Brunico • Tauferer Straßenküche | 10.07. – 21.08. Sand in Taufers – Campo Tures •Gustav Mahler Musikwoche | Music Week | Settimane Musicali | 14.07. – 03.08. Toblach Dobbiaco
TOURIST INFO: Kronplatz: Tel. +39 0474 555 447 www.kronplatz.com Hochpustertal: +39 0474 913 156 www.hochpustertal.info Tauferer Ahrntal: +39 0474 652 081 www.ahrntal.com
68 · WELCOME · SUMMER 2012
ment from Brunico to Campo Tures, thanks to which Valle di Tures entered the international tourist circuit. Price was no object: since its inception the Brunico-Campo Tures line was electrified. After a few years there was a plan to expand the line to Ca' di Pietra, but the project never materialised. In 1914, with the outbreak of WWI, the functioning of the railway changed radically. The mountain peaks of South Tyrol became theatres of terrible battles and to guarantee the transport of arms and soldiers, new lines were built. One of these connected Dobbiaco with Cortina through the Landro Valley. After the conflict, the line assumed an important role in tourism: in 1956, for the Winter Olympics in Cortina, the route was extremely useful for the transport of spectators. In the mid 1950's,the popularity of the secondary railway lines waned, due to the new way of life that favoured independent transport : In 1957 the line from Brunico to Campo Tures was closed and the line of the Dolomites railroad met the same fate in 1962. What remained was the memory of a mode of transport that made tourism to our province possible. Many people are displeased about it, because railways could be the solution to many of today's problems.