VAL GARDENA
Ski & Snowboard Resort Review
Located in the magnificent Dolomites mountains in Italy, Val Gardena has exciting skiing and snowboarding terrain, a good snow record of deep dry powder and three bustling villages.
Val Gardena Skiing and Snowboarding Terrain
The skiing and snowboarding terrain at Val Gardena consists of seemingly endless long linking groomed trails, open powder bowls, steep fast runs and gentle beginner areas.
Val Gardena is included in the world famous interconnected Dolomiti Superski Pass covering over 1,200 kilometres of skiing and snowboarding terrain in the Dolomites.
The hands free Dolomiti Superski Pass encompasses the following twelve ski areas; Cortina d'Ampezzo, Kronplatz, Alta Badia, Val di Fassa/Carezza, Arabba/Marmolada, Alta Pusteria, Val di Fiemme/Obereggen, San Martino di Castrozza/Passo Rolle, Valle Isarco, Tre Valli - Moena/P.sso S. Pellegrino/Falcade, Civetta and Val Gardena.
Skiing and Snowboarding The Sella Ronda from Val Gardena
A must do after a fresh snowfall is the world famous 'Sella Ronda' tour. It is a 40 kilometre (26 kilometres of skiing and snowboarding slopes) round trip all day journey over linked groomed trails and breathtaking scenery.
The Sella Ronda tour covers the Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Val di Fassa and Arabba valleys and is suitable for intermediate level and above skiers and snowboarders. Be sure to start the tour first thing in the morning to ensure you make the last lifts back; on average the tour takes around six hours from start to finish.
The Val Gardena piste map marks the tour which can be done clockwise or anti clockwise.
Advanced Skiing and Snowboarding
Advanced skiers and snowboarders at Val Gardena can enjoy open fast groomed trails great for giant carving GS turns throughout the entire skiing and snowboarding area.
For some steep and bumpy runs stay out on the far right hand side of the Ciampinoi Gondola leading out of the village of Selva Gardena.
There is not a lot of off piste skiing and snowboarding at Val Gardena that is readily accessible. A guide is necessary to explore most of the off piste terrain as avalanches and sudden cliff drops can be readily encountered.
Intermediate Skiing and Snowboarding
The majority of the skiing and snowboarding terrain at Val Gardena is intermediate with long linking wide trails everywhere.
The upper vast areas of Passo Sella and Col Rodeia are treeless, open and steep enough to be challenging yet great fun.
Move at breakneck speed down the winding long trail that runs from the top of the Cuca Kukasattel area down to the village of Ortisei. The run is so long that you keep expecting it to finish but it just keeps on going and going.
For a full day excursion do the Sella Ronda tour, it is fantastic! Some intermediate skiers and snowboarders have been known to take the tour every day for a week!
Beginner Skiing and Snowboarding
Beginners are not forgotten at Val Gardena with the three villages all having gentle sloping wide and easy runs on the lower slopes. The lower slopes behind the Selva Gardena village are particularly suitable for first time skiers and snowboarders.
Once confidence grows head to the Alpe di Siusi area above Ortisei for some wide runs around the Laurin, Panoroma and Steger Dellai Chairlifts.
Val Gardena has eight ski and snowboard schools offering group, day long and private lessons to all ages and ability levels. There are also two mountain guide companies in Val Gardena offering off piste guided skiing and snowboarding tours.
Val Gardena Terrain Park and Halfpipe
Val Gardena has two fun and challenging boardercross courses, one is in the Passo Sella area and one in the Piz Sella area above the S. Cristina village. The Piz Sella area also has a natural halfpipe serviced by the Sotsaslong Chairlift.
A well maintained man made halfpipe is located in the Alpe di Siusi area next to the Laurin Chairlift.
Other Activities at Val Gardena
Other activities available in Val Gardena include ice climbing, ice skating, ice hockey, snowshoeing, tobogganing, paragliding, cross country skiing and horse drawn sleigh rides.
Indoor activities include playing tennis and squash, climbing walls, swimming, ten pin bowling and yoga classes.
Shopping at Val Gardena
Between the three Val Gardena villages there are enough shops to keep even the fussiest of shoppers happy. There are ski and snowboard shops stocking the latest equipment and rental gear, clothing boutiques, souvenir and gift stores, children’s fashion shops, perfumeries, shoe shops, homewares shops and photography and art galleries.
The villages also have well stocked grocery markets, fruit and vegetable stores, delicatessens, butchers, bakeries and wine shops.
Val Gardena Restaurants
The gourmet restaurants, pizzerias and cafes in the three Val Gardena villages serve delicious traditional Italian cuisine and local specialities.
In Selva Gardena the Sal Feur Restaurant serves home made wood fired pizzas and pastas complemented by an excellent wine list. On warm sunny days lunch is served outside on the large sun terrace.
The Maciaconi Braustube Restaurant brews their own beer and serves local specialities and wholemeal pizzas.
In Ortisei the Grien Restaurant in Hotel Grien serves four course candlelit dinners and has a salad and dessert buffet every night and a wine list of more than 300 Italian and international wines.
Restaurant Genziana Enzian has enjoyable traditional Italian fish and wild game dishes.
In S. Cristina the restaurant in the Sporthotel Monte Pana only serves local produce like filled pastas, sauerkrauts with potatoes and top desserts.
La Tambra Pizzeria serves some of the best pizzas in the region using local cheeses and mushrooms. They also have good pastas and local wines.
On the slopes the popular Rifugio Emilio Comici Restaurant which looks down over the Selva Gardena village serves seafood dishes as well as quick bowls of steaming pasta and cool drinks.
Val Gardena Nightlife
The three Val Gardena villages are littered with small wine bars, crowded pubs and funky discos.
In Selva Gardena the Irish Goalie’s Pub is very popular with an après ski happy hour every night, good music and frequent theme nights. Another great après ski bar is the Luislkeller Bar which opens at 3.30pm for early cocktails and bar snacks. For those wanting to party all night go to the Dali-Disco dance club for the latest house and pop music mixed with some old classic hits.
In Ortisei the crowded Adler Bar is the place to go for après ski cocktails before heading to the Maurizkeller nightclub to dance to the latest DJ mixed music.
In S. Cristina the Piz5 Hoer’s Alm Pizzeria turns into a fun nightclub after dinner with loud music and lots of dancing while the popular L Fudle Bar features live bands throughout the winter season.
New for 2007/2008 at Val Gardena
There is a new tourist night bus, the Val Gardena Night Bus, operating between Ortisei and Selva Gardena enabling you to stay in one village and dine out in another. The bus costs 3 Euros and operates from 8pm to 2.30am every night.
A new indoor and outdoor swimming complex has opened in Ortisei. Mar Dolomit has a children's area, water slide, spas and saunas just right to sooth those aching muscles after a long day on the slopes.
More About Val Gardena
Your Val Gardena Ski & Snowboard Resort Reviews
M Smithers, UK. March 2006 Get up early and hit the slopes before the crowds, the Italians never seem to be in a hurry for anything (apart from on the roads - where most think the only way from A to B is flat out) and don't go out until about 10.30am, by then you can have covered a lot of ground and fresh snow. In good conditions I imagine that the area is hard to beat but in the later warmer months it can be very icy in the morning and slushy in the afternoon. The lift system is OK, a mix of old slow chairs and some faster ones. We enjoyed a sunny day at St. Christina soaking up the sun before the long ski to St. Ulrich for a long lunch. I would only return in excellent snow conditions to truly experience Selva and the Dolomites at their grandest.
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