The Val Gardena valley in winter resembles a snow-white alpine fairy tale, and in summer it amazes with a kaleidoscope of bright colors: emerald meadows with a multi-colored scattering of flowers, dark green centuries-old pines and gray mountains, looking into the piercing blue of the sky. The same bizarre palette is a mixture of languages, cultures and traditions of Val Gardena, which was at different times the land of the ancient empire of Ladinia, part of South Tyrol and the territory of modern Italy. Therefore, today you can hear a unique Romansh dialect here, drink new wine with roasted chestnuts at the old Tyrolean holiday Törggelen, or enjoy traditional Italian cuisine. The beauty and originality of this popular ski resort is complemented by the charm of mountain villages and towns with comfortable cozy hotels,
History
According to experts, the objects found during archaeological excavations in the valley were made 6,000 BC, while the finds found in the town of Ortisei date back to the 4th century BC. However, Val Gardena is mentioned in documents starting from 999. The name of the valley comes from the Romansh word Gherdëina, which means “fence, border”. The etymology of many words and the very language spoken by the locals is unique – it is a mixture of Italian and Romansh languages (after all, Val Gardena is located on the territory of the former Roman empire “Ladinia”), as well as German, or rather, its Tyrolean dialect, since Val Gardena historically it is part of South Tyrol, which was part of Austria-Hungary and after 1918 ceded to Italy. Unusual is the mixture of cultures and traditions,
Weather
Information about the weather at the resort in the coming days: http://www.gismeteo.ru/towns/99058.htm
Geography
Val Gardena, 25 km long, is located in the northwestern part of the Dolomites, in the region of Trentino, at altitudes from 1236 to 1536 m above sea level. The valley stretches from the mountains of Ponte Gardena to Sella Gardena, and the picturesque river Rio Gardena flows along the valley. Val Gardena includes three main resorts – Ortisei (Ortisei), Santa Cristina (S. Cristina) and Selva Valgardena (Selva Valgardena), as well as the villages of Roncadizza, Oltretorrente and Bulla, which are part of the municipality of Castelrotto (Castelrotto).
Getting
there The nearest international airports are Bolzano (40 km) and Verona (190 km).
Slopes, slopes, lifts
The resort of Val Gardena, which is part of the Sella Ronda round-the-world route, offers 175 km of slopes of varying difficulty (black – 10%, red – 60%, blue – 30%).
Elevation difference: 1060-2518 m.
Total number of lifts: 84.
Cross-country skiing trails are 98 km.
For lovers of difficult descents, the Piz Sella and Mont de Seura area is recommended with “red” and “black” slopes, including unmarked ones. Simple “blue” slopes are widely represented in the areas of Monte Pana and Alpe di Suisi.
For professionals, the description of the famous Saslong highway will be interesting. Here is how the famous skier, a native of Val Gardena, Peter Runggaldir, tells about it: “I invite you to ride Saslong with me. We start from Ciampinoi, from a height of 2249 m, immediately after that we get into a double loop with a very difficult jump, this section of the route turns into a short counter-slope, throwing out into the “Crooked Jump”, after which you need to land clearly on flat skis and rush along a long straight line, which ends with “The Wall”. This is where it’s really difficult. On almost 60% of the slope, athletes are met by a number of small flights – 40-50 meters each. After a short break, the famous “Camel’s Hump” begins – Saslong’s calling card. And finally, the finish line. It is a long straight line, with a gradually increasing slope – from 20 to 50%.
For beginner skiers, the trails in the ski area are scattered over all slopes, for example, the Seceda Circus – Kol-Raiser, where the trails are concentrated on the right side of the zone. From here you can go down to the village itself.
Sports
Val Gardena also has great opportunities for other sports: a park for snowboarders, the Ice Stadium in Ortisei, where hockey competitions take place, an ice rink, golf courses, swimming pools (Mardolomit Water Park in Ortisei), tennis courts, fitness centers, also offers rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, paragliding, hiking trails and much more.
Ski schools and kindergartens
The resort has 6 ski schools and several kindergartens.
The main resorts of the region
Ortisei (St. Ulrich)– the main and most popular resort of the region, located at an altitude of 1236 m above sea level, covering an area of 2423 hectares, and connected by ski lifts and a new pedestrian tunnel with the Alpe di Siusi, Seceda and Rasciesa ski areas. The old town of 5,500 inhabitants is famous for world-famous names: composer Giorgio Moroder, who wrote the music for many Hollywood films, including Ocean’s 11 and Midnight Express; actor, director and writer Louis Trenker; and Olympic medal winner Isolde Kostner. In Ortisei there are: the Val Gardena Heritage Museum, where you can learn a lot of interesting things about the history and traditions of the region, the ruins of the Stetteneck Castle, built in the 13th century, the Church of St. Jacob (St Jacob’s Church), dated 1181, parish church (Ortisei Parish Church), built in 1793-1796. and decorated with magnificent frescoes, as well as a unique exhibition of sculptures by contemporary authors – Unika Sculpture Fair.
Cristina (Santa Cristina)is a small picturesque resort town located at an altitude of 1428 m in a sunlit valley. Connected to the Monte Pana, Ciampinoi, Col Raiser and Seceda ski areas, Santa Cristina is a favorite destination for families.
Selva Gardena (Selva Gardena) – the largest resort in the region, located at an altitude of 1563 m, and representing ample opportunities for sports and entertainment. There are indoor and outdoor skating rinks, a golf course, a riding school, as well as many restaurants, bars, taverns and nightclubs. The resort is connected to the Sassolungo, Puez and Sella ski areas and almost all Selva hotels are skiable.
Laion (Laion) – a picturesque place, spread out at an altitude of 1100 m, at the entrance to the valley. The town is famous for its traditions, the museum, which exhibits archaeological finds of these places, as well as the autumn festival “Törggelen” – with folk festivals and tasting of new wine.
Culinary and craft traditions of the region
Val Gardena’s restaurants, cafés and taverns serve traditional Tyrolean, Italian and international cuisine, as well as fine European dishes. And at the Tyrolean festival Törggelen, which has been held every autumn for several hundred years, you can taste the famous Tyrolean ham, Alpine cheeses, mouth-watering homemade bread and delicious new wine with chestnuts roasted in grape juice (Suser).
Val Gardena is famous not only for its picturesque nature and magnificent ski slopes, but also for the art of woodcarving, which the local craftsmen have mastered since the 17th century. Unique wood products can be purchased in shops and shops of the resort.
Also in Ortisei there is an exhibition of modern sculpture Unika, located in the center of Typak and presenting exclusive works of local authors.
