Top 5 Sites to Discover Around Val Gardena in the Dolomites

Val Gardena

When you think of a vacation in the Dolomites, you immediately think of Val Gardena, Italy.

In the heart of the Italian Dolomites, it is internationally known for its alpine ski competitions!

In fact, the ski areas of the Val Gardena are extensive, of varying difficulty and unfold their trails in splendid landscapes whose expanse reinforces the verticality of the mountains, the dolomites. But that's not the only reason she's famous.

This valley in South Tyrol, easily accessible from the cities of the Adige plain, including Bolzano, the capital of the Province, is part of the group of valleys that cross the dolomites, this mountain range whose rocky, vertical and colorful relief is so famous throughout the world, to the point of being part of UNESCO World Heritage since 2009.

Compared to other valleys in the region, it is relatively short, around thirty kilometres, but on its own it concentrates many remarkable sites.

Among these, AlpAddict has chosen five, in and around the valley that you absolutely must not miss during your Holidays in the Dolomites in Val Gardena.

Ortisei, heart of Val Gardena

Ortisei is the main center of Val Gardena. Urtijei in Ladin language. It is an excellent rear base for your Holidays in the Dolomites.

La Ladin culture is very present in this valley, as well as in the neighboring valleys: Badia, Fassa, Livinallongo and the Ampezzano valleys in Veneto. Ladin is a Rhaeto-Romance language that has managed to resist German from the north and Italian from the south due to the very isolated nature of these places.

To learn all about Ladin culture, you will have to cross the Passo Sella and go to the Val di Fassa neighboring, where a museum of Ladin culture allows you to better understand this very local specificity.

Who says protected language, authenticity, tradition also says craftsmanship. The artisans of the valley are wood carvers. Today there is an art school in Ortisei to deepen the techniques of this profession.

The museum, located in the Cesa Ladina (the Maison des Ladins) presents collections of wooden sculptures.

The village centre shows the historical richness of this region: the shops occupy the ground floors of the large houses with colourful facades that line the main street, where people like to stroll to enjoy the late afternoon sun. Such a typical environment can only brighten up your Holidays in the Dolomites.

The bulbous bell tower, typical of the valley's churches, crowns a church with Baroque interior decoration that is worth a visit. The church is dedicated to Saint Ulrich, hence the name Ortisei in German: Sankt Ulrich.

The village is surrounded by the most beautiful peaks of the Dolomites: Langkofel et Odle whose rocky peaks overlook dense coniferous forests.

Going up the valley you can visit the village of Santa Cristina the castle of Wolkenstein, one of whose members, Oswald, was a poet whose memory is still celebrated today with a medieval ride.

Finally Valgardena Jungle has developed around skiing, and its altitude guarantees satisfactory snow cover throughout the season.

If you want to leave Val Gardena from its highest part, the visitor has two choices. Two mythical passes. Known by cycling enthusiasts, but also by skiers who embark on a day around the Sella massif, through all the ski areas that surround it: this route runs in one direction only and is called the Sella RondaIt passes through the Passo Gardena and the Passo Sella.

Gardena Pass, the most beautiful pass in the Dolomites

The Passo Gardena (Gardena Pass), located at an altitude of 2121 meters, provides passage between the Ladin valleys of the Val Badia and Val Gardena, between Corvara and Selva.

The flat area at the pass allows you to take a break to admire the landscape of dolomites.

Nearby, the Sella Towers seem like the impassable ramparts of a legendary castle that is supposedly located above the clouds.

Further on, the landscape towards Sasso Lungo and the Odle is greener thanks to the distance, but allows for magnificent shots for photography enthusiasts.

From the pass, many paths lead up to the heights, and each of them is a meditative invitation to the beauty of Nature.

When your holidays in the Dolomites in winter, the Passo Gardena allows you to to ski on the two areas of Selva and Val Badia, up to Colfosco and Corvara.

Passo Sella, the Dolomites between Val Gardena and Val di Fassa

The Passo Sella, at 2213 meters, separates Val Gardena from the Val di Fassa, on the road from Selva to Canazei.

From the pass, the view of the Sasso Lungo is impressive. And it is hard to imagine that a cable car car (yes, you read that right!) took you to the middle of these mountains as inhospitable as possible! Once up there you were happy to know that extraordinary via ferrata allow you to cling to these high walls and enjoy extraordinary landscapes!

In summer, traffic for the pass is regulated and limited to a certain number of vehicles per day. Remember to inquire before planning your day. You can nevertheless reach the pass thanks to the ski lifts and hiking trails that are traced in the flowery mountain pastures of the upper Val Gardena.

At Alpe di Siusi, view of the Dolomites

When we arrive at the village of Compass, the inhabited heart of the Alpe di Siusi, we still do not imagine that this mountain pasture is the largest plateau in Europe. The relief is in fact very gentle. The slope is gentle to go from the lowest point at 1600 meters to the highest point at about 2200 meters. However, you can climb much higher if you undertake the ascent of the Dolomite fortresses that border the plateau: Sciliar, Sasso Lungo and Sasso Piatto between 2600 and 3181 meters…

Alpe di Siusi is neither a village – Siusi, a few hundred meters lower is one - nor a specific place: it is a series of hamlets, houses, barns scattered over distances of several kilometers. The view is clear, the sun shines more than 300 days a year. The snow is exceptional in winter. The Holidays in the Dolomites at the Alpe di Siusi leave lasting memories.

There is a tourist center, a ski resort. It is called Compatsch. You get there by road or by cable car from Siusi, a small village on a small balcony overlooking the Isarco valley, that of the Brenner motorway. Then you travel by bus, on foot, on skis (cross-country skiing of course, but also downhill skiing), or even on horseback.

In summer, it is the kingdom of two wheels and hikes. Green as far as the eye can see.

The symbol of the Alpe di Siusi is its landscape: the silhouette of these two characteristic mountains: the Sasso Lungo, a vertical pyramid, and the Sasso Piatto whose long slope towards the South resembles the roof of a house.

Here, wellness centers, traditional guesthouses and mountain restaurants invite you to take care of yourself, disconnect and enjoy the mountain air. This is also the goal of a stay in the Dolomites.

The Val di Funes, the postcard of the Dolomites

Each region has its own characteristic photo.

Combloux has its bell tower in front of Mont Blanc. Bonneval sur Arc has its alleyway that passes between stone houses whose roofs are covered with a thick layer of snow, Zermatt has the Matterhorn that protrudes from the roofs of the village, Chamonix has this statue in the center of the village whose hand indicates the summit of Mont Blanc…

South Tyrol has the church of San Giovanni in Ranui !

Perfectly aesthetic, this small chapel with its bulbous bell tower, lost in a perfectly green meadow, is topped by a chain of sharp, rocky mountains that resemble a Gothic cathedral, the dolomites. You have certainly seen it. In summer, in autumn, with the red foliage, in winter when this all-white chapel is lost in the snow.

We come in the Funes Valley to hike around this church to the Odle massif, the most aesthetic of Dolomites massifs !

The Funes Valley, Villnösstal in German, you are welcomed in one of its small hamlets in the absence of a large village. It is a bit like a mountain community. Everyone has stayed in their place of life. As a result, you can visit many churches and chapels rich in decoration. Often there are representations of Saint Christopher, protector of travelers...

For mountaineering enthusiasts, this is where Reinhold Messner found his first playground, still a child, at the Alpe Casnago: he loved climbing in the Odle.

During a stay in the Dolomites of Val Gardena, you will have plenty to satisfy your desire for beautiful landscapes thanks to the mountains that surround the valley. However, a few kilometers away, with easy access, the Alpe di Siusi and the Val di Funes complete the visit to this sector of the Dolomites of South Tyrol.

Unique mountain landscapes, dense forests, typical villages with decorated facades, churches with onion-shaped bell towers, refined gastronomy accompanied by the good wines of the region and this mixture of three languages, Italian, German and Ladin, assure you the change of scenery you are looking for for your holiday in the Dolomites.

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