The visiting card of the region is Sassolungo Peak (3181 m)

Val Gardena ! As beautiful as this phrase sounds, this alpine valley is so wonderful from every point of view. A separate book can be devoted to its description, but we, limited by the narrow framework of a ski sketch, will try to concisely cover the main aspects in order to give impetus to a further more detailed acquaintance with the details already in place.

“Val” means “valley” in Italian, “Gardenia” means “fence” or “fence” in the local Ladin language. A narrow valley that rises steeply in a serpentine way (altitude gain of about 1000 meters) goes to the right of the route connecting the Italian Bolzano with the Austrian Innsbruck. Administratively, the resort is located in the Alto Adige region, in the province of South Tyrol, which until 1918 was part of the Habsburg Empire, which left and continues to leave its mark on the local system. In particular, this is manifested in the way of life of the local population and traditions, which are much closer to Austrian than to Italian. For skiers, this is important in the sense that the quality of service here is similar to the Austrian one, and Austria is considered by many to be the best in terms of the level of the ski product. However, this does not apply to apres-ski, which is much quieter and calmer here, than in some small Austrian villages. In the evening after skiing, it is customary to visit one of the restaurants here, but if you wish, in some bars you will find a local flavor in the form of cheerful Tyrolean songs and dances, for example, in La Stua in Selva at the finish of the trail with Ciampinoi.

From the skiing point of view, Val Gardena is part of the Dolomites Superski alliance, which unites twelve resorts with a common ski pass and the total mileage of the tracks ranks first in the world. When we talk about the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites, we always have to use great epithets: the biggest region, the biggest mountains, the most beautiful views. And this is really not an exaggeration: the Dolomites are recognized by many as the most beautiful mountains in the Alps, the majestic views of stone giants, especially in the rays of the setting sun, are classic alpine landscapes and are included in all photo albums dedicated to popular European mountains.

Bar “La Stua” in Selva

Not all regions of the Superski Dolomites are connected by roads, moving from one to another by car takes from half an hour to two to three hours. But this does not apply to the Sellaronda region, which in turn includes Val Gardena. It has 400 kilometers of connected trails that you can navigate without taking off your skis, visiting, in addition to Gardena, the trails of the Alta Badia , Arabba , and Val di Fassa resorts .

Let’s focus on considering the skiing opportunities directly in Val Gardena. For skiing, the valley offers 175 kilometers of ski slopes with a good mix of beautiful forest and open slopes. The region unites three towns: Ortisei (Ortisei, 1236 m), San Cristina (S. Cristina, 1428 m) and Selva (Selva, 1563 m). Each of them has lifts to the skiing area, which in general can be considered unbroken, with the exception of Ortisei, where the ski slopes are located on both sides of the town. To get from one side of the valley to the other, you need to use an underground tunnel with a travelator, and then walk another three hundred meters. You can also use the bus connection between the main lifts of the cities, but it is difficult to call it convenient considering the low frequency of flights, besides, you will have to pay for travel. In general, we move only on skis, lifts and sometimes on our own two. By the way, there are hotels in Selva located right on the track or next to it, which allows you to ski on a ski-in/ski-out basis.

On the Alpe di Siusi plateau

So, let’s start with the beginners. For them, one of the best “training” sites in the Alps is offered – the Alpe di Siusi plateau (1700-2210 m) above Ortisei. Big, spacious, sunny. Tracks with a smooth terrain that do not require much effort to maintain balance. You can call this place a family place, where mom, dad and children get on skis for the first time. And it happens in the magnificent scenery of the surrounding mountains. An excellent start to a “skiing career”. The mileage of the tracks here is sufficient for small ski safaris, which will delight not yet very experienced skiers.

As you gain experience and gain confidence in the technique, when the red tracks are no longer scary, you can move to the other side of the valley and climb to the top of Seceda (2518 m). There are excellent wide tracks of medium difficulty in the direction of San Christina, it is quite possible to stay here for half a day to “drive”. Having diluted this pleasure, we recommend a beautiful eleven-kilometer (longest in the region) descent back to Ortisei. It is not very wide, as in its main part it passes through the forest, winding along the slope in small zigzags. But it is very beautiful and there are two local attractions on it: a beautiful, several meters high, frozen waterfall and closer to the bottom of the track on the right side – Anna’s cafe, where you can have a delicious lunch or end a skiing day with dinner. Popular and colorful place. A little advice:

Well, skiing skills are growing, it’s time to go further up the valley and visit the slopes of San Cristina and Selva. To do this, we will use the local “metro” – an underground rail funicular connecting the northern and southern slopes above San Christina. We will climb to the top of Ciampinoi (2254 m), from where there are breathtaking views of the local attraction – Sassolungo peak (Sassolungo, 3181 m, “sasso lungo” in Italian means “long stone”), from here there are several options for descent First of all, self-confident skiers should stay on the ski World Cup track, which is held here every year around the Christmas holidays. It is called Saslong A and leads back to San Cristina, a height difference of more than 800 meters. If you are not completely sure of your abilities, you can go down the parallel red option (Saslong B), which is also very good. Closer to the finish line of the red route, right next to the descent, there is the Fischburg castle, built in 1641, which served as a summer hunting residence of the Wolkenstein princes, who at that time ruled in these places (by the way, the Austrian name of Selva is Wolkenstein) . Just above San Cristina, there are some excellent trails from the summit of Mont de Seura (2117) to the plateau of Monte Pana (1636), located away from the main routes – they are usually uncrowded and not very broken.

In the Plan de Gralba area

Very pleasant red and blue tracks in the area of ​​Plan de Gralba (Plan de Gralba, 1800 m). Not very long, with a drop of about 400 meters, but quite wide and comfortable even for beginners. Only for them to get here from Selva will be difficult, since for this you need to descend from the top of Ciampinoi, the exits from which in the upper part are quite steep. For beginners, it will be difficult to ski in Selva and Khrystyna, unless it is your first time on skis and you do not plan to spend the entire vacation on the training slope – for this case, there is an excellent site in Selva right within the city limits, served by several ski resorts. The twisty red and black pistes from Ciampinoi to Selva are good in themselves for confident skiers, but unfortunately break quickly due to heavy loads.

And finally, the last skiing area is the tracks that go to Selva from the top of Dantercepies (2300 m). With a very pleasant average slope, long, rolled, but with them the same problem as with the tracks on Ciampinoi – they break quickly, as they lie right on the Sellaronda route. It is best to skate here in the first half of the day, before lunch.

Selva Val Gardena

We went through all the ski areas of Val Gardena , but this certainly does not mean that you will ski only here. Other regions of the Sellaronda, connected to it by lifts, are no less attractive, and for sure you will make more than one trip to the tracks of Val di Fassa, Alta Badia, Arabba with its famous Marmolada glacier. Amazing possibilities for building ski-safari routes. Most likely, you will return to these parts more than once, because from the first visit the carousel of the Sellaronda is just starting to spin.

Val Gardena 2019: how to get there, where to stay, what to see

How to get to Val Gardena

Val Gardena is one of the most famous and popular ski resorts in Italy, located in South Tyrol, in the Dolomites. The infrastructure of the resort is considered the best of the best, it is not for nothing that the World Alpine Skiing Championship was held here. In the valley of Val Gardena there are three resort towns – Selva Gardena, the largest, fun and noisy; Ortisei, the second largest, is suitable for family holidays and for spa lovers; Santa Cristina, the smallest and cozy, for lovers of nature and seclusion.

Fans of skiing, staying at the resorts of Val Gardena, will be able to test their strength on the slopes of the Sella Ronda massif, which is considered the most popular circular skiing route. All three resorts are connected by a continuous network of descents and lifts for maximum comfort on vacation.

Getting to the towns of Val Gardena by public transport is quite difficult and time-consuming. The nearest city with an airport that accepts flights from Ukraine is Verona.

Verona is located at a distance of about 200 km from the resort. To get from Verona to Val Gardena by public transport, you need to take a train to the town of Bolzano, and from there take a bus to one of the towns of Val Gardena. Together with the transfer from Verona airport to the train station and the transfer in Bolzano, the total travel time will take at least 5 hours, and this does not include the time spent on the flight.

That is why those tourists who go on vacation to Val Gardena often use transfer services or rent a car at the airport of arrival. Individual transfer Verona-Val Gardena is not a cheap pleasure, but it completely solves the issue with transfers and significantly reduces travel time. So you can order a transfer before the arrival time, in which case the travel time directly to Val Gardena from Verona airport will be only about 2 hours. In addition to individual transfer/taxi, there are bus shuttles from Malpensa airport, transportation is provided by Alto Adige Bus.

It will take the same amount of time to get to the resorts of Val Gardena by rental car. The beauty of this method of transportation is that you can rent a car right at Verona airport, it will not take much time, but it will give you complete freedom of action. Renting a car in Verona is a popular and popular option.

You can get to the Val Gardena valley in similar ways from other cities in Italy, but they are all located at a greater distance than Verona. So, for example, Bergamo is 277 km away, Milan is 322 km away, Venice is 309 km away.

Val Gardena in summer

Where to stay in Val Gardena

You can stay in Val Gardena at the three nearest resorts – Selva Gardena, Ortisei, Santa Cristina, all of them have a wide number of rooms and are located in the immediate vicinity of the ski slopes. As accommodation in Val Gardena resorts, you can choose hotels or apartments, while apartments are a type of accommodation that is still developing, so hotels of various types prevail here by a large margin. The general recommendation when looking for accommodation in Val Gardena, regardless of its type, is to book early, which will provide you with an ideal accommodation option in terms of price/quality ratio.

Val Gardena hotels

In the Val Gardena valley , you can find hotels of different star categories, including both budget accommodation options and exclusive five-star hotels. Most hotels in the resort include breakfast or half-board in the price of accommodation, while the restaurant infrastructure here is excellently developed. Another advantage of local hotels is that almost all of them have access to the ski slope, so there is no special need to spend time and money on additional movement. Many hotels are made in the style of a chalet, cozy and made of natural materials – all this, combined with local cuisine and a hospitable atmosphere, gives the opportunity to feel the spirit of the Dolomites.

Hotels of category 4 and 5 stars, as a rule, are additionally equipped with spas and health centers, here it is possible to receive a relaxation procedure without leaving the hotel. The spa areas are equipped with indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna, a hydromassage, a fitness center, and a Turkish bath. For those who prefer a hotel without a spa center, you can find a place to relax in the center of the Val Gardena resorts, which have separate wellness complexes with a similar set of amenities.

You can check prices for all possible accommodation options in Val Gardena on specialized search sites Booking, Hotellook and others, which allow you to compare all existing offers for the required dates. With the help of these services, you can see all available options in Selva Gardena, Santa Cristina, Orizea and other, smaller settlements, for example, in Campitello, Vilnosso, Alpe di Susa and others.

Hotels that enjoy stable popularity among tourists include, for example:

Hotel Diamant 4*

The location is the town of Santa Cristina. The hotel is designed in an alpine style, there is a health center with a swimming pool, gym, sauna and hydromassage. There is also a restaurant and a bar on the hotel premises. You can stay in rooms of different capacities, meals include breakfast. You can leave your car in the paid private parking lot, but you need to book in advance. Wi-Fi works for free throughout the hotel;

Hotel Pinei 4*

The location is the town of Castelrotto, guests are offered a free shuttle to the ski area. The hotel has a spa center with an indoor pool, sauna, bathhouse, hydromassage. There is a restaurant and a bar on the premises. You can stay in rooms of different capacities, meals are continental breakfasts. There are places for storing skis, free public parking, wireless Internet;

Hotel Pradell 3*

The hotel is located in the town of Ortisei, 400 m from the nearest lift. The hotel has a spa area with a sauna, a terrace for relaxation, and a restaurant serving Italian cuisine. You can stay in rooms of different capacities, meals are half-board. Breakfast is served buffet style. Parking spaces and Wi-Fi are provided free of charge.

Apartment in Val Gardena

Full-service apartments in Val Gardena can be found in the town of Ortisei, while aparthotels (a mix of hotels and apartments) can also be found in Selva Gardena. The main difference between apartments and hotels is that when renting an apartment, there is no such option as food, that is, you will have to take care of food yourself, eat in restaurants or cook yourself. As a rule, apartments are equipped with a kitchen area and all the necessary appliances.

The advantage of renting apartments is the possibility to find apartments for the same price as a hotel room, while the size of apartments, as a rule, is many times greater than the size of any room, that is, apartments can be compared with a full-fledged apartment or even a house. In general, apartments as holiday accommodation are more suitable for families with children, as well as large companies. Stable demand is enjoyed by apartments in the complexes:

Residence Antares 3 *

Location – Selva Val Gardena, on the territory there is an indoor pool, a spa, a restaurant. The nearest lift is 200 m away. Guests can stay in studio rooms or apartments of various capacities, including family apartments. All rooms have an equipped kitchen area. Public parking and wireless internet are provided free of charge;

Panorama Apartments Gran Tubla

The complex is located in the town of Ortisei, there is a free bus shuttle to the ski slopes. You can stay in apartments of different capacities, each of which has an equipped kitchen area. Breakfast is available for an additional fee. The complex also has a free private parking garage. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge throughout the territory.

Val Gardena

What to see in Val Gardena

The main specificity of the resorts of Val Gardena is skiing, although even in the summer, recreation here is in demand due to the natural and climatic conditions, as well as the development of the infrastructure. The total length of ski slopes in Val Gardena is 175 km, 52 km of which are easy slopes, 100 km are of medium difficulty and 20 km are difficult, suitable for skiing professionals. At the same time, a record number of lifts are operating in the Val Gardena valley – 83, 36 of which are chairlifts, 23 – ski lifts, 12 – cabins and even one lift of the “metro” type.

Val Gardena also offers great opportunities for cross-country skiing and hiking. The only people who might not feel completely comfortable at the resort are snowboarders, because the resorts were originally built for skiers, so there is no fan park. The nearest fan park with different shapes and a length of 700 meters can be found in the town of Piz Sella.

Val Gardena ski lifts

You can relax after a busy day dedicated to skiing on the mountain slopes in local spa complexes. Both of them are located in Ortisei. MarDolomit is a wellness center with swimming pools and saunas. So, the complex has open and indoor pools, waterfalls, pools for children, springboards, showers of various intensity, stone baths, oil baths, vitarium, heat therapy, Finnish sauna, inhalations, Kneipp baths and much more.

The complex works every day. Current prices can be found on the official website of the MarDolomit health resort.

Another spa center – 181Fit – is also located in Ortisei. This center has a strong focus on fitness, wellness and self-care. A fitness room, a spa area with a sauna and a treatment room, as well as a beauty salon – these are the main components of relaxation in this spa center. Among the procedures, you will be offered various types of massage, masks and facial care, depilation, peeling, anti-cellulite procedures, make-up, and manicure. More detailed information and prices for services can be found on the official website.

Val Gardena offers quite a variety of active recreation. In addition to mountain and cross-country skiing, the resort offers rock climbing, mountaineering, horseback riding, ice skating, paragliding, sledding, tennis, golf (in summer), and snowshoeing. All this is available in the resorts of the Val Gardena valley. In general, we can say that recreation here combines active sports with pleasant relaxation procedures and interesting leisure activities. For this, Val Gardena has excellent tracks, lifts, all kinds of routes, spas and wellness centers, restaurants, discos, bars, cafes, shopping promenades, so every tourist here will be able to find activities to his liking.

Ortisei