Malaysian couple visits 'another kind of pyramid' ... in Italy

The writer and her husband in Alberobello with trulli houses in the background. — Photos: SIEW OI FUN

Mention pyramids and you would probably think of Egypt. Indeed, the pyramids there are world famous and millions of tourists have flocked to see them over the years. My husband and I too have been to Egypt to see these amazing ancient monuments. That was about 15 years ago.

Last year though, we saw another kind of pyramid... the earth pyramids of South Tyrol in northeastern Italy.

These are natural rock formations consisting of cone-shaped pillars formed by deposited clay, with a boulder on top. They developed over the course of many centuries, dating back to the glacial era. Apparently, these structures are constantly evolving due to erosion, with old ones collapsing and new ones sprouting up.

The earth pyramids that we saw are located on the Renon plateau above Bolzano, the capital of South Tyrol. We were there on an optional trip during our 17-day tour of Italy in May last year. It was our third time visiting Italy and we chose a tour that included several attractions that were new to us, such as these earth pyramids.

A board with information about earth pyramids in South Tyrol.