Val Gardena, The Dolomites, Italy

Val Gardena is one of the best holiday destinations in the world when it comes to skiing, hiking and exploring nature. Surrounded by the UNESCO-protected Dolomites, this charming alpine valley is the perfect place to unwind, enjoy life and recharge your batteries. Come to Val Gardena for the best mountain holiday of your life! Val Gardena is just a step away from the sky and is a real heaven on earth for hiking lovers. Let the path itself be your destination; venture forth on ascents that lead you to incomparable panoramas, or enjoy a medium-difficulty guided tour to let your thoughts wander and to find inner peace. Family excursions, guided tours to places off the beaten track or hikes along your favourite paths: in the mountains surrounding Val Gardena there is something for all kinds of hikers!

Located in Italy’s northernmost province, Val Gardena is one of the loveliest corners of planet Earth. Holidays like nowhere else

The name Val Gardena is first recorded in a deed of gift from the year 999, when Duke Otto von Andechs made the Bishop of Freising a present of an area of woodland called “Forestum ad Gredine”. Val Gardena – Gröden in German and Gherdëina in Ladin – means “fence”. Val Gardena, the heartland of the Ladin culture, is about thirteen miles long and runs more or less from west to east from the narrow entrance to the valley at Ponte Gardena to Selva at the end of the valley and up to Passo Gardena and Passo Sella. The lowest point is located at 470 m above sea-level, while the highest is Sassolungo (3,181 m).

Val Gardena starts off as a gorge-like valley before it opens out after the defile at Pontives to form a high-level valley at Roncadizza, at about 1,100 m above sea-level. From Pontives the valley rises gradually to Ortisei (1,236 m) and continues to gain in height as far as S. Cristina (1,428 m) and Selva Gardena (1,563 m). These are the main centres of the three valley communities, of which Selva Gardena is the biggest in area. Roncadizza, Bulla and Oltretorrente – on the left bank of Rio Gardena – have been part of the adjoining community of Castelrotto since the Middle Ages. For the church, however, the valley is a single unit, the Deanery of Val Gardena.

Val Gardena Villages Beautiful nature and a wealth of activities and offers

Ortisei, Selva di Val Gardena and S. Cristina: three immensely charming villages. Discover picturesque small towns, fantastic restaurants, both international fashion boutiques and traditional artisan shops, and delight yourself in Val Gardena hospitality!

The best ski resort in the Dolomites A ski paradise for beginners and World Cup stars – experience the longest ski slope in South Tyrol

A myriad of sports and activities are on offer in Val Gardena, but skiing is king. The Dolomite mountains and snowy hills around the valley constitute the perfect natural setting, and an intricate web of state-of-the-art lifts and perfectly prepared slopes ensures you will never run out of fresh slope kilometers. Come and find out for yourself why everybody loves skiing in Val Gardena! With its connection to Dolomiti Superski, the world’s largest ski carousel and the nearby Alpe di Siusi, it is the eldorado for all winter sport lovers.

With the Dolomiti Superski Skipass you can use all uphill lift facilities including 500 km of connected slopes around the Sella Group and a total of 1.220 km of slopes and 12 ski areas. Doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a skilled skier – enjoy a new dimension of skiing holidays!

Dolomites Val Gardena is a holiday destination for skiers who love diversity and would like to get to know a skiing area that is perfect for families with children as well as offering beautiful slopes for World Cup stars looking for more of an athletic challenge. The Dolomites Val Gardena ski area is part of the Dolomiti Superski, a world-famous network of 12 ski areas in the Dolomites which you can access using just one ski pass. The Alpe di Siusi in the Dolomites Val Gardena skiing area and is a beloved starting point for beginners and families whose children are taking their first ‘steps’ on skis, from green to blue slopes.

From Selva Val Gardena, a picturesque village in Dolomites Val Gardena, you can also directly reach the Sellaronda skiing carousel which will provide you with an unforgettable skiing circuit on skis on the Sella massif. In Val Gardena you can also experience the longest ski slope in South Tyrol, the “La Longia”, which is more than 10 km long, features 1,273 m of elevation gain and stretches from mount Seceda to Ortisei. The slopes feature a variety of passages, from wide slopes to a natural canyon with a frozen waterfall: pure bliss for every skier! Sellaronda is one of the top holiday destinations in the Dolomites which can be easily reached from Dolomites Val Gardena.

You can access this fascinating skiing carousel in Selva Val Gardena. Even amateur skiers can easily complete the 40 km circuit thanks to the cable cars peppering the route – provided they plan a whole day just for this extraordinary experience. You can access the Sellaronda and the 12 large ski areas in the region with the Dolomiti Superski pass. The skiing area represents one of the largest and one of the most beautiful of its kind in the world. Experience a unique diversity of slopes that promise plenty of fun for your whole holiday!

The highlights for your skiing holiday

– Dolomites Val Gardena: several awards and the best ski area in the Dolomites

– Part of the largest ski carousel: Dolomiti Superski with over 1,200 km of slopes – Sellaronda, the most beautiful panoramic ski circuit in the Alps

– 500 km of directly connected slopes with one ski pass

– 100 % snow guarantee thanks to technically programmed snowmaking – State-of-the-art lifts for a pleasant and fast ascent

– Ski slopes at world cup level in the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites

– Whether beginner or professional skier: downhill runs for all levels – More than 60 cosy mountain huts invite to stay & enjoy

– The Südtirol Gardenissima: the longest and hardest giant slalom in the Dolomites

Après Ski The fun of skiing doesn’t have to end when the slopes close down. In fact, some might argue that’s when it begins! After a hard day’s skiing, what could be better than kicking back, enjoying a few drinks and dancing to Schlager music with locals and tourists from all over the world alike? There’s time before dinner. Instead of heading straight from the slopes to your hotel, consider stopping in one of Val Gardena’s excellent aprés-ski joints! You’ll have a great time.

Snowparks If you’re the kind of skier who loves freestyle and adrenaline, you’re probably looking for snowparks with rails, big air jumps and boarder-cross courses. Rest assured, Val Gardena’s got those too! The “Snowpark & Funpark Sassolungo”, located on Piz Sella, is the biggest snowpark and arguably your best option. However, you will also find a snowpark in Selva (“Funslope Selva” at Risaccia) and a kids-only park in Ortisei (“Snowpark Furdenan”). Check them out for some family fun!