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Dolomites

The pale mountains! According to the architect Le Corbusier the Dolomites are the world’s finest example of natural architecture.

The characteristic rock of the Dolomites consists of fossilised coral reefs formed around 250 million years ago during the Triassic Period. The Alps arose as a result of the collision of the African and European tectonic plates, forcing the rocks at the point of impact to soar skyward. The Dolomites now stand proud and distinct from the other limestone Alps. In 1788 the French geologist Deodat de Dolomieu (after whom the mountains are named) discovered the properties of this rock, which he realised was a type of mineral comprising calcium magnesium carbonate found in varying proportions in the whitish-grey sedimentary limestone rock of the Dolomite mountains. They soon became popular, postcards of the Drei Zinnen were sent around the world and in the early 20th century the actor and film producer Luis Trenker immortalised the Sasso Lungo/Langkofel.