Erdpyramids

The famous Earth Pyramids are among the most celebrated natural features on the Ritten. The raw material for the earth pyramids comes from moraine clays deposited by the main Eisack valley glacier, as well as local tributary glaciers, in the late ice age.
When dry, this moraine clay is as hard as stone; dampened it forms a porridge-like substance which begins to slip and flow downhill. In this way, over a period of time, the saturated earth slides down into the stream below and is washed away. This constant and continuous slippage is temporarily halted only when this erosion encounters a forest where the underlying ground is so dry that it is rock hard, which hinders further rapid slippage. This is how those steep cliffs, up to 10 to 15 metres in height and a pre-condition for the formation of the earth pyramids, are made. Wherever the moraine contains larger stones which keep the earth underneath dry and hard, earth pyramids are formed by literally being "washed", or more precisely eroded, out of these cliffs. The higher the cliff and the higher up a suitable stone is found, the taller and mightier the resulting pyramid becomes

On the Ritten you‘ll find several earth pyramids, whereby those in the "Katzenbachtal" below Oberbozen and particularly in the "Finsterbachtal", between Lengmoos and Mittelberg, which are most well-known. Further one finds still earth pyramids in the proximity of Unterinn.

Walking tour to the pyramids: Themenweg.doc