A geopark surrounding the Binntal Landscape Park

The “Valley of Minerals” boasts the greatest mineral diversity in the Alps (over 300 species, including rare-earth minerals) and, with the Lengenbach mineral deposit, features a mineral deposit that is unique in the world.

The Binn Valley and its immediate surroundings—including the area south of the national border—gained international fame primarily due to its enormous mineralogical diversity.
This diversity stems from the coexistence of very different rock types in which alpine fault zones could form: various orthogneisses, a wide variety of paragneisses, amphibolites, serpentinites, Graubünden shale sequences, and Triassic metadolomites with primary mineralization. To date, over 300 different mineral species have been found in the region, more than 60 of which have “Binntal” as their type locality.
Among others, the anatase, iron roses, and black tourmalines are world-renowned. The mineral association in the mineralization within the Lengenbach metadolomite is unique, featuring over 150 mineral species, primarily Pb-Zn-As-Tl sulfosalts. More recently, the significant rare-earth minerals from the Ritterpass area have been added to this list.

• Regional nature park of national significance, certified by the federal government
• Binntal-Veglia-Devero Transboundary Park, Switzerland/Italy, certified by EUROPARC