Val Gardena ski resort is located in Italy, in a picturesque valley among the Dolomites. This is a famous place that attracts avid skiers and tourists. Here is the peak of an unusual form, which is called Sassolungo, which in Italian sounds like a "long stone."
Val Gardena (Italy) attracts thousands of tourists every year. He has been repeatedly awarded the title "the best resort of the Italian Alps", so you should definitely go there. And how to get there, what to visit and what to try, we will tell in this publication.
The spa towns of Val Gardena
If you are interested in what are the ski resorts of Italy, Val Gardena is what you need. There are many wonderful opportunities to have a great vacation. In the valley you can settle in one of the small towns - Selva Gardena, Santa Cristina and Ortisei.
Santa Cristina is located at an altitude of 1466 meters. This is a small city in which the World Cup is held every year at some stages. The most athletic is considered to be Selva Gardena. Here, tourists can go down to almost any hotel without taking off their skis. In addition, there are many interesting tracks for both beginners and lovers of winter sports. Ortisei is located at an altitude of 1236 meters. It is good to relax with the family in the village, because there are many restaurants, entertainment complexes in it that are suitable for hanging out with children. From the central part of Val Gardena to the ski lift can be reached in just five to ten minutes.
History and population of Val Gardena
Many in Italy and abroad know the ski resort of Val Gardena. Where is this place located? In the Dolomites where tourists from all over the world go.
Back in the 70s of the last century, Val Gardena became the venue for the world championship in skiing, so the World Cup is still held here at some stages. If you see with your own eyes the mighty peaks and their slopes, then in any case you want to go down the highway. And it doesn’t matter - you are a beginner or a professional in this matter. Nothing can replace a healthy release of adrenaline into the blood. Val Gardena can be enjoyed by ordinary amateurs or novice skiers, as well as those who have been involved in this sport for a long time.
Until 1918, the valley was attributed to Austrian possessions, however, at the end of World War I, it became Italian property. Despite this, local traditions have survived to this day, and the local population is difficult to strictly attribute to Austria or Italy.
Val Gardena ski resort is located in the ethnographic region of Tyrol, and the culture of the locals is quite different from both Italian and Austrian. Since the city traditionally belongs to one of the oldest and most famous resorts in the Dolomites, the locals have long adapted to the constant neighborhood of tourists. Due to this, local residents have long developed a unique hospitality and cordiality. They speak here in the Tyrolean dialect, which can be described as a mixture of Italian and German. All signs and signs in the towns of Selva Garden, Santa Cristina and Ortisei are made simultaneously in two languages - Italian, the official state language, and German, the use of which has long been fixed since Austrian times.
What to do in Val Gardena Valley?
What about the Val Gardena Valley itself? The ski resort is located in the valley of the same name, the length of which reaches twenty kilometers. If you are not a big fan of skiing, but indifferent to the mountain peaks, then you will also have something to do in Val Gardena. This resort is very popular among climbers. Equipment rental, the help of experienced instructors - all this will help you to safely and with great interest learn the basics of climbing art. For skiers, several special tracks are equipped for classic jogging. How to get by without a skating rink at a ski resort? Figure skating on a large ice space is also an advantage of the resort. Fans of extreme sports and beautiful scenery will love paragliding, paragliding. Ortisei also has a large water complex for water sports enthusiasts.
Holiday season
In a nutshell, we tried to describe what the resort of Val Gardena (Italy) is like. Holidays at the resort are best started, of course, in the winter. Its work begins in late December, closes in early January. This applies to winter activities. In addition, you can come to the valley in the summer, relax in the mountains from the heat and enjoy the freshness of the alpine air. The endless expanse of green meadows, forests, deep and crystal clear mountain lakes attract many tourists in the summer, when in the mountain valleys you can ride a bike or take a walk with an old friend.
How to get to Val Gardena?
Val Gardena (Italy) is a popular ski resort; getting to it will not be difficult for you. Closest to Val Gardena are large cities such as Bolzano (at a distance of 40 kilometers) and Innsbruck (110 kilometers), in whose territory there are international airports. If you prefer to travel by train, then you need the Verona - Brennero - Innsbruck - Munich railway line. Your stop is Brunico Station, just thirteen kilometers from the resort. In both cases, both from the plane and from the train, you can get to the final destination of the trip by bus or get off at Autobahn 22 and catch a car there.
Local kitchen
And so we got - in front of us is the ski resort of Val Gardena. Reviews about this place apply not only to the wonderful Alpine open spaces and features of the resort itself, but also to the local Tyrolean flavor. This also includes the excellent Tyrolean cuisine. Tyrolean and Latin folk recipes rich in meat dishes will captivate lovers of sophistication and unusual food. In addition, where, if not in Val Gardena, in a resort located on the Italian side of the Alps, eat traditional Italian dishes - pizza and spaghetti? There is where to eat in the valley. Each of the three villages has restaurants, and similar establishments are in every hotel. Well, don’t be afraid if hunger kills you while skiing - there are many special huts on the mountain slopes of the valley where you can have a hearty meal between winter sports.
Where to stay?
If you are interested in hotels located in a place such as Val Gardena (Val Gardena, Italy, a ski resort), we will try to say a few words about them. And in a little more detail, let's talk about hotels in the valley. This will help you decide where to stop. As already noted, in the valley there are three small towns - Selva Gardena, Santa Cristina and Ortisei. Each of them has several hotels, and they differ from each other. Hotel in Ortisei Panorama Residence Gran Tublà is the perfect place to relax with your children. It is specially equipped for a family resort, there are several special programs for children, they are where and for whom to leave and so on. Selva Gardena, the largest and busiest town in the valley, has several hotels. At the same time, the choice is wide enough and depends only on your pocket - whether you stay in a two-star hotel (for example, Villa Seceda), or prefer a five-star hotel (Hotel Adler Dolomiti Spa & Sport Resort). The latter has been recognized as the best hotel in all the Italian Alps more than once over the past decades. Santa Cristina is the smallest of the villages, but also the most comfortable. You should stay here if you want to fully enjoy the atmosphere of alpine silence and Tyrolean hospitality. And many tourists recommend first of all to pay attention to a good budget option - Bed and Breakfast Iman mini-hotel.
What to do in Val Gardena
For a child to a greater extent than for an adult, the journey should bring new knowledge and vivid memories. Especially for your child’s trip to the Italian Alps to be just like that, clubs and special ski schools for children are organized. What kind of clubs are there in the valley and what do they teach?
- Verdebello - Located in Ortisei. Children age - from four years, this is primarily a summer program for a child. Here, trained teachers conduct excursions and walks through the forests of the Alps, also the program includes fishing, swimming, barbecue; there are special manual labor groups for children.
- Mickey Mountain Club is a club in Selva Garden. Children are between four and eleven years old. Your child will have an exciting pastime with the construction of huts in the forest, treasure hunting, fishing, excursions to alpine farms, sports games and many other interesting things. Do not be surprised if the vacation for the child was much more interesting and lively than for yourself!
- Junior Club in the same town is designed for teenagers up to eighteen years old.
Ski schools
A few words should be said about ski schools. There are five ski schools in all three towns of the valley, in which professionals will teach both adults and children the basics of skiing. If you didn’t like this business before, now is the time to change your mind!
Ski slopes
In principle, this is the basic information that should be known to the average vacationer traveling to Val Gardena. An overview of the ski resort in Italy, however, cannot do without a more professional consideration of the characteristics of the ski slopes, which is necessary for people who are not only involved in skiing at a professional level.
What is better for athletes than a professional track for the world ski championship? She descends from Mount Chiampioni (more than two kilometers) and reaches for Selva. Skiers with an average level have the opportunity to try out a large number of pistes. Some lead from Ciampioni, some from the top of Danterchepies. At the same time, they pass from Chiampioni mainly through the forest territory, they are very winding and dangerous for beginners. The route from the second mountain, also leading to Selva, is simpler - both the slope is less and the space is cleaner. Plots for beginners are located on the slopes of the entire valley. Of particular interest to beginner skiers is, of course, the Seched Col-Raiser circus. This unusual skiing space attracts even professionals, although it is intended primarily for beginners.
What else do tourists do in Val Gardena?
With skiing now everything is also clear. But what else can you do in winter in the Val Gardena Valley? At your service - an ice rink, a track for sledding, and in the summer - all the possibilities of hanging out in the mountains, from climbing to cycling and sports walking. In Val Gardena you will definitely find something to your liking at any time of the year!