Fauna and flora
The Fanes- Senes - Braies Natural Park can mainly be distinguished into two areas: the Braies Dolomites, where we find mountains like the Croda Rossa (3,146 m) and the area of the large Senes - Fanes - Fosses plateaus. These two really different landscapes provide the habitat for numerous birds, like the snow grouse, the Eurasian Capercaillie, the hazel grouse and the mountain cock, which prefers the areas of dwarf mountain pines and dwarf alpine rose bushes.

The forest belt mainly consists of red spruces, swiss stone pines, scots pines and larches. In the light mountain forests we find a lush vegetation of bushes, like blueberries, red berries and alpine roses. Higher up, the forest becomes sparser and mainly consists of mountain pines. Deer, martens, foxes, ermines, alpine rabbits and squirrels live in these forests. Sometimes you can even see rare animals like sparrow hawks and goshawks.

The valley area is mainly dominated by fields and pastures, where many flowers like arnica, gentian, the knotgrass and the golden hawk's beak.

Above 2,500 metres vegetation changes radically. It becomes sparser. However, during the right time you might be able to admire beautiful plants like mountain avens, sheep's bit, alpine achillea, edelweiss and the papaveraceae.

Further up between crevices and fissures of the rocks we can admire the Dolomite rapunculus, the edelweiss, potentilla, the evergreen sedge or the saxifragaceae. Those who would like to observe some of the rarer animals, might be able to see an eagle or more likely a common raven. On the rocky slopes we find chamois and for a few years now, also ibex.

Worth a visit is the cave with the remains of an Ursus spelaeus, a cave bear. These animals died out around the Little Ice Age (between 50,000 and 30,000 years ago). The skeleton was discovered by an excursionist in 1987, when he wanted to explore the karst cave.

Visitor's Centre: Via Caterina Lanz, 96 - 39030 San Vigilio di Marebbe. Phone.: +39 0474 506120

List of protected plants:
Pulsatilla: all local kinds (Pulsatilla spp.)
Aquilegia di Einsele (Aquilegia einseleana)
Snowdrop (Leocojum vernum)
Martagon lily (Lilium martagon)
Orange lily (Lilium bulbiferum)
Orchid: all local kinds (Orchidaceae)
Daphne: all local kinds (Daphne spp.)
Carthusian pink (Dianthus carthusianorum)
Dittany (Dictamnus albus)
Primrose: all local kinds, except for the cowslip primrose (Prinula spp. except Primula veris)
Cyclamen, spring sowbread (Cyclamen purpurascens)
Alpine thrift (Armeria alpina)
Gentian and gentianella: all local kinds (Gentiana spp.)
Yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus)
White water lilly (Nymphaea alba)
Typha: all local kinds (Typha spp.)
Yellow water lilly (Nuphar luteum)
Devil's claw (Physoplexis comosa)
Alpine forget-me-not (Eritrichium nanum)
Thousandleaf (Achillea oxyloba)
Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum)
Alpine wormwood (Artemisia mutellina)
Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus)

List of protected animals:
Mole (Talpa europea)
Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)
Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)
Garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus)
Grass snake (Natrix natrix)
Dice snake (Natrix tessellata)
Western whip snake (Coluber viridiflavus)
Aesculapian Snake (Elaphe longissima)
Smooth snake (Coronella austriaca)
Slow-worm (Anguis fragilis)
Sand lizard (Lacerta agilis)
Green lizard (Lacerta viridis)
Viviparous lizard (Lacerta vivipara)
European wall lizard (Lacerta muralis)
European tree frog (Hyla arborea)
Common toad (Bufo bufo)
Green toad (Bufo viridis)
Yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata)
Green frog (Rana esculenta)
Common brown frog (Rana temporaria)
Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra)
Alpine salamander (Salamandra atra)
Alpine newt (Triturus alpestris)
Common newt (Triturus vulgaris)
Crested newt (Triturus cristatus carnifex)
Copse snails: all kinds (i.e. edible snails) (Helicidae for example Helix pomatia)
Wood ant (Formica rufa)
Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa)
Noble crayfish (Astacus astacus)