Skiing, cross-country, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sledding, rock-climbing – combine with the breathtaking landscapes of the Dolomites, and you have your perfect active winter vacation in South Tyrol’s beautiful Val Gardena.
Overview
The Val Gardena extends for 25 km in the north-western section of the Dolomites. From Ponte Gardena (471 m), the entrance to the valley, it rises up to the Sella Group, a plateau-shaped massif shared with three more valleys. The resort villages of Ortisei (the popular main town of the valley), Santa Cristina and Selva (a favorite with mountain bikers) make for perfect bases to explore the Val Gardena.
The mountain symbol of this valley is the Sassolungo (Langkofel), which, at 3,181m, is the highest peak of the Gruppo del Sassolungo (Langkofel Group) in the Western Dolomites, and includes other spectacular peaks, such as Punta Grohmann, Torre Innerkofler, Dente del Sassolungo, Punta Cinque Dita, Sassopiatto.
[The mountain resort of Ortisei in Val Gardena.]
The Val Gardena is also famous for its artistic woodcarving, which originated in the 17th century as a pastime to fill the long winter hours. Now, these handmade wooden sculptures are exported and sold around the world. Ortisei in particular is considered an international center for wood carving.
Another peculiarity of the Val Gardena is the language spoken here, Ladin, an ancient Rhaeto-Romance language of Rhaetian origin, recognized as the area’s third official language besides German and Italian. It is still taught in schools. The Ladin community is the smallest ethnic minority in South Tyrol.
And since doing sports will make you hungry, make sure you stop at the many family-run mountain huts (rifugi) to savor the tasty cuisine of the region!
Winter sports paradise
[Photo: Ski piste in Val Gardena with view of the Dolomites.]
Being part of Dolomiti Superski, the largest ski area in the world with 1,200 km of slopes, Val Gardena really is a paradise for winter sports enthusiasts. With just one skipass, you have access to all lifts and cable cars in the circuit (12 different ski areas).
Val Gardena is home to the Saslong Classic, a men's World Cup downhill race which has been held almost every year since 1969. The Saslong course is considered one of the five "classic" men's downhill races. As you ski down the piste, you will realize that the views here are the main attraction, as you glimpse over the Sciliar, the Sella, and the Odle groups of the Dolomites, and the Alpe di Siusi and Rasciesa plateaus.
The Sella Group, which lies east of the Sassolungo Group, is home to the Sellaronda ski circuit. You can ski around the entire massif by using the Sellaronda ski lift carousel. A popular winter event is the Sellaronda Skimarathon race, which covers 42 km of mountain trails around the entire Sella (the same trails can be covered by mountain bike during the summer).
[Photo: Alpe di Siusi with view of the Sassolungo-Sassopiatto.]
Of course winter sports are not just about downhill skiing. In Val Gardena, there are many opportunities for cross-country skiing as well: it offers 133 km of well-maintained cross-country trails for all levels of ability. Vallunga in Selva Gardena, Monte Pana in S. Cristina and the Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm), the largest high altitude Alpine meadow in Europe, should not be missed.
For those looking for a slower pace, silence, few crowds and an even closer connection to nature, try snowshoeing, an ancient, much-beloved way of moving over the snow, which is the winter equivalent of summer hiking.
And if you want to experience some child-like thrill, don’t miss the chance to go sledding. From the top of the funicular Ortisei-Rasciesa, a well-prepared 6-km long toboggan run will take you down to the valley. The Alpe di Siusi also offers many beautiful toboggan runs (it is forbidden to go sledding on the ski slopes).
How to reach the Val Gardena:
By car: autostrada A22 to Chiusa, then S242.
By public transport: train to Bolzano, then bus to the valley (bus company is Sad).
Closest airport: Verona.
For more information: http://www.valgardena.it/en/.
