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Coming from the Resia Pass, just before Naturno, the
Val Senales branches off to the left. Famous for being the place where the
"Ice Man Ötzi" was discovered in 1991 by the German climbers Erika and Helmut Simon, the valley offers countless opportunities to explore the alpine world.
It extends from the Juval hill, where Reinhold Messner's
Castle Juval is located, to the mighty glaciers at the valley's end. Half of the area is part of the
Texel Group Nature Park. The Vernago lake, which can be enjoyed on a peaceful two-hour hike, was created in the 1950's: a dam over 60 meters high was built here to form the artificial lake. The inhabitants of Vernago faced the same fate as the residents of the former Graun at Lake Resia: they had to leave their farms. Today, when the water level is low, the church tower submerged in the water serves as a reminder of these events.
With over 200 km marked hiking trails, both leisure hikers and mountaineers can find what they are looking for. For example, interested hikers can trek from Vernago trough the Tisen valley to the site where Ötzi was found, enjoy a family friendly hike to the alpine pastures in the
Pfossental valley, visit numerous alpine pastures or climb impressive mountain peaks such as the Similaun, the Hohe Wilde, or the Weißkugel.