Conturines cave

Mount Conturines, located in the Fanes-Senes-Braies natural park in the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage, is the highest mountain in the Fanes group of which it is also one of the most representative.

At the foot of the Conturines a sensational discovery was made at the end of the 1980s: a cave with fossil remains of a prehistoric cave bear. The bear belonged to a species never studied before and was called Ursus ladinicus, in honor of the Ladin valley where it was found.

The access to the cave is allowed only on the occasion of guided hikes organized by the Alta Badia Tourism Association. The fossil remains are exposed in the Museum Ladin Ursus ladinicus in San Cassiano.


*By car

- Coming from Innsbruck: take the A 13 and the A 22 toll motorway and exit at Bressanone/Brixen, following the signs to Brunico/Bruneck along the Val Pusteria/Pustertal road as far as San Lorenzo/St.Lorenzen. Follow the signs to Val Badia/Gadertal

- Coming from Verona-Bolzano: take the A 22, exit at Bressanone/Brixen and continue as above

*By train

The nearest train stations are:

- Brunico - 37 Km

- Bolzano (via Passo Gardena) - 72 Km (via Brunico) - 100 Km

- Connection train station - Alta Badia by the local bus SAD: www.sad.it

*By air

- Innsbruck - 130 km

- Munich - 330 km

- Venice Treviso / Venice Marco Polo - 180 / 200 km

- Verona - 213 km

- Milan Bergamo / Milan Malpensa - 310 /400 km

- Information airport transfer: www.suedtirolbus.it - www.cortinaexpress.it


At the foot of Mount Conturines a sensational discovery was made at the end of the 1980s: a cave with fossil remains of a prehistoric cave bear.