VAL GARDENA

VALGARDENA.IT/EN

The beautiful ski destination of Val Gardena is one of Italy’s bestknown and most-loved ski resorts. Located in the north of the stunning Dolomite mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the local community brings together Ladin, Austrian and Italian influence for a very rich cultural heritage which you’ll benefit from in many ways when you visit, but particularly when you come to taste the fabulous local cuisine. The extensive ski area, with everything from peaceful and perfectly laid-out beginner terrain to exciting World Cup Downhill descents, is part of an even bigger network of interlinked pistes. That huge ski area connecting 500km of runs radiating around the famous Sellaronda circuit is one of the world’s three largest. But feeling like you can ski forever doesn’t just come from those impressive stats; it’s more of a state of mind that being in this stunning location gives you and owning a Dolomiti Superski pass facilitates! Going back from the feelings to the facts though, Val Gardena is a nearly 20 km-long valley that’s home to three main villages – Ortisei (1,236m), S. Cristina (1,428m) and Selva Val Gardena (1,563m), which is actually the highest village in the Dolomites. It’s also very easy to reach from Verona or Innsbruck airports.

On The Slopes

Val Gardena has a great selection of slopes including the “Legendary 8”, which includes the Saslong, Cir, Ciampinoi, Bravo, Falk, Gardenissima, La Pilat and the aptly named

“La Longia” … as it’s the longest slope in South Tyrol at 10.5km. You can also head off around the famous Sellaronda circuit of about 40km of lifts and runs from Val Gardena, a trip that takes about five fours and offers incredible panoramic vistas of Sassolungo, the Sella Massif and the Marmolada Glacier.

Not Just Great Skiing

Val Gardena has been a famous ski resort for many decades now, and the visitors from all over the world have helped it grow in other areas too. The Valley is now also known as the cradle of South Tyrolean art, for example, with over 200 artists based here and filling the local shops and businesses with their beautiful creations. There’s fabulous food to be enjoyed everywhere, from homely mountain huts to Michelin-starred restaurants. The après-ski scene is vibrant, helped on its way by a local gin “8025” from Refugio Sofie. You can also visit the Museum Gherdëina for insights into the valleys’ evolution, stepping back in time on a journey starting millions of years ago, delving into geology, palaeontology, flora and fauna and archaeology as well as the history of art. An ichthyosaurus fossil, part reptile, part fish, found in the Seceda mountains above Val Gardena is also here.

The many other attractions include a new 1,500m-long zip line, Monte Pana, along which you whizz 100m above the ground. Overall, for the warm Italian welcome, for the amazing skiing on snow-sure slopes and for the incredible Italian food, it’s impossible to beat Val Gardena.

KM OF RUNS

178

NO. OF LIFTS 79

RESORT ALTITUDE I236m

TOP LIFT HEIGHT 2518m

SPECTACULAR SCENERY, ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST SKI REGIONS