The Upper Venosta Valley irrigation channels have attained the prestigious status of a World Heritage Site. Acknowledgment arrived recently for the irrigation system of the Malser Heide through a significant international accolade. Enlisted in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the traditional irrigation practices of the Upper Venosta Valley now stand recognized.

The characteristic Venosta Valley Waalwege trails are slender pathways tracing the ancient waterways adorning slopes or hugging the valley, mostly devoid of notable gradients. These traisl accompany the age-old irrigation conduits, erected centuries ago and continuing to serve the valley's fields with water to this day.

Extending across approximately 400 hectares of expansive farmland amidst the Malser Haide, between the hamlet of Burgusio/Burgeis and the picturesque Lake Haidersee, traditional irrigation persists via the four irrigation channels: Larginwaal, Magrinswaal, Töschgwaal, and Nuiwaal. This practice involves regulated inundations as per a meticulously structured timetable. It ingeniously combines gravitational forces with manually crafted infrastructure such as feed pipes, trenches, and water reservoirs, ensuring the uniform flow of water across the meadows. Mastery of meadow morphology stands essential for executing this technique.

In a pursuit to rightfully honor this old irrigation methodology, South Tyrol has long aspired for its recognition as intangible cultural heritage. Collaborating with analogous irrigation systems from seven different nations, the application was endorsed by the Austrian UNESCO Commission in 2022.

This marks the second UNESCO cultural heritage accolade for South Tyrol, following the acknowledgment of transhumance—the ancient practice of guiding sheep through the Schnalstal Valley.