URTIJЁI / ST. ULRICH / ORTISEI

The main village of Val Gardena is the elegant Ortisei. The main street is full of shops not for every budget and we recommend you rather to take advantage of a tour in the center to enjoy a delicious breakfast based on strudel. Walking through the center of Ortisei, you will come across the church of St. Anthony in front of the fountain adorned with two cherubs. In the background, our beloved Dolomites. Isn’t it a wonderful view?

The elegance of this town is testified by the presence of exclusive hotels. We suggest you to park your car at the lift to Alpe di Siusi and reach the centre through the bridge over the state road. From this passage you can clearly see the swimming pool of the Cavallino Bianco, which also opens onto the outside.

From the centre of Ortisei you can easily reach Alpe di Siusi and Alpe Seceda, both hiking and skiing areas. To reach the Alpe Seceda and Resciesa lifts from the centre, you can climb up a series of escalators and moving walkways alongside which photographs of the great champions of Val Gardena from yesterday and today have been installed: truly an irresistible “hall of fame” for enthusiasts!

Ph © Enrica Pallaver Photography

Alpe Seceda is perhaps one of the most instagrammed places of the moment, thanks to its particular green slope that falls steeply from the other side. It is connected to the Sellaronda by the lifts and slopes of Santa Cristina and Selva di Valgardena.

We recommend two museums not to be missed, suitable for rainy days: the Ladin Cultural Centre, with testimonies of Ladin civilization of all ages, and the Museum de Gherdёina, a journey through the history of the Valley, where you can admire the precious wood sculptures.

Ortisei is the birthplace of two important personalities in the artistic world: Carolina Kostner, skating champion and Giorgio Moroder, award-winning with the Oscar for her soundtracks. Unforgettable that of Flash Dance or Top Gun.

Ph © Enrica Pallaver Photography

CHRISTINA IN GRÖDEN / S. CRESTINA-GHERDЁINA / SANTA CRISTINA VALGARDENA

The small village that goes east from Ortisei is Santa Cristina. It rises at the foot of the Sassolungo and is famous worldwide for the Saslong which hosts the free and super G of the Ski World Cup every winter. The atmosphere during the days of the race is certainly unique and we bet that even if you are not a ski enthusiast, if you tried to see it you would join the celebrations with great enthusiasm!

The town centre is situated on a small hill and has several interesting shops: in addition to the classic souvenirs typical of the area and wood carvers, many sports shops can serve you in case of need.

A fascinating place, certainly interesting for lovers of the genre, is Castel Gardena (Fischburg) dating back to 1641, also known as “Castle of Fishing” after the construction of lakes for raising trout: currently privately owned, you can visit during the period of ValGardenaMusika, a music festival with many concerts, especially classical music (from mid-July to late August).

From Santa Cristina you can reach countless hiking and skiing areas among the most beautiful in the world: Seceda and Monte Pana. We recommend the Alpe del Mastlè, where the symbol for the territory of the declaration of the Dolomites as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has been placed. Mount Pana is the ideal place for family excursions: the PanaRaida adventure path is suitable for prams and during the route you will find a giant swing, a labyrinth, a wooden horse throw and many other surprises.

Ph © Val-Gardena.com

SЁLVA / WOLKENSTEIN IN GRÖDEN / SELVA DI VALGARDENA

Directly on the slopes of the Sellaronda and in front of the Sella Group and the Sassolungo, here is Selva di Valgardena.

The centre is a lively network of streets and alleys full of shops of all kinds. In winter you will find it very convenient because the Sellaronda passes right here, with the Ciampinoi lift that starts directly from the center.

Also in winter we recommend you to immerse yourself in the Christmas atmosphere admiring the landscape, but especially visiting the exhibition of wooden nativity scenes strictly made by sculptors from Val Gardena.

Selva is the perfect destination for lovers of sporting events. In summer we remind you of the Sellaronda Bike Day towards the end of June and the Sellaronda Hero in mid-June.

From Selva you reach Langental, Vallunga in Italian, a corner of Val Gardena surrounded by greenery, suitable for families where every year on the first weekend of September there is the Almabtrieb, the festival for the return of cows from the pastures: music, traditional dances and beer, with the protagonists of the cows for a parade worthy of a catwalk.

Another very nice area is the Plan de Gralba, an obligatory passage in the direction of Passo Gardena and Passo Sella. From the Plan de Gralba there are many routes, such as the one that takes you around the Sassolungo and Sassopiatto or the one that takes you to Passo Gardena. If you feel the need to make a pit-stop towards the Gardena Pass, we recommend the Chalet Gerard, by Gerard Mussner, a former Italian alpine skier: a good slice of homemade strudel with blueberry juice and a panorama that you will hardly forget!

And if that’s not enough, remember that the legendary Isolde Kostner ownes her hotel in Selva!

Ph © Cosmina Sorin Campean

Val Gardena is certainly the valley suitable for families thanks to the numerous areas dedicated to children but not only: the numerous routes for via ferrata and climbing make the Val Gardena a paradise for those who want to try something a little more challenging.

Below we show you the best places for winter and summer.

SELLARONDA

Val Gardena is an integral part of the Sellaronda, the ski-to-walks tour around the Sella group. Choose the direction to take and between one bend and the next remember to stop and admire the landscape: if your eyes will be full of tears, we can understand you. It’s the dolomitic effect.

From Santa Cristina or Selva you can start your tour and reach Val Badia, Val di Fassa and Valle di Livinallongo. To access the Sellaronda the ski pass to buy is necessarily the Dolomiti SuperSki.

The summer version of the Sellaronda is all to be enjoyed by bike, passing through Passo Gardena, Sella, Pordoi and Campolongo. Selva di Val Gardena is also the starting point for the most popular cycling competitions of the moment: the Sellaronda Bike Day, a day with closed passes and accessible only by bike, falls towards the end of June and the Sellaronda Hero, a mountain bike race in mid-June.

From Selva, we also recommend one of the most beautiful climbing routes in terms of landscape: the Meisules. From its plateau you can see all the most important peaks of the Dolomites.

ADVICE

Start from Passo Sella for a fun and easy tour around the Sassolungo and Sassopiatto: plan your route and sleep at the Demetz refuge, which stands on the homonymous fork. The view you can enjoy from this refuge at sunset is priceless!

Ph © Hotel Angelo Engel

Ph © Enrica Pallaver Photography