Val Gardena Mountain Resort, Italy: overview

The ski resort of Val Gardena 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. Repeatedly it was awarded the title "the best resort of the Italian Alps", so you definitely should go there. And we will tell you how to get there what to visit and what to try in this publication.

Holiday cities Val Gardena

If you are interested in what are the ski resorts in Italy, Val Gardena - this is what you need. There are many wonderful opportunities to have a great rest. In the valley you can live in one of the small towns - Selva Garden, Santa Cristina and Ortisei.

Santa Cristina is at an altitude of 1466 meters. This is a small city, where every year the World Cup is held at some stages. The most sporting is considered to be Selva Garden. Here tourists can go down almost to any hotel, without removing skis. In addition, there are many interesting trails for beginners, and for fans of winter sports. Ortisei is at an altitude of 1236 meters. In the village it is good to have a rest together with the family, because in it there are many restaurants, entertainment complexes that are suitable for spending time with children. From the center of Val Gardena to the ski lift, you can walk in just five to ten minutes.

History and people of Val Gardena

Many people 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.

As far back as the 70s of the last century Wal Gardena became the venue for the world championship in alpine skiing, so the World Cup is still held here at some stages. If you see the mighty peaks and their slopes with your own eyes, then in any case you want to go down the track. And it does not matter whether you are a beginner or a professional in this business. Nothing can replace the healthy release of adrenaline into the blood. In Val Gardena can ride as ordinary amateurs or beginners skiers, and those who have long been engaged in this sport.

Until 1918 the valley was attributed to the Austrian possessions, but at the end of the First World War it became Italian property. Despite this, local traditions have survived to this day, and the local population is difficult to strictly relate to Austria or Italy.

The ski resort of Val Gardena is located on the territory of 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 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 talk here in the Tyrolean dialect, which can be described as a mixture of Italian and German. All signs and signposts in the towns of Selva Garden, Santa Cristina and Ortisei are made simultaneously in two languages - Italian, the official state language, and German, whose use has long been entrenched since Austrian times.

What to do in the Val Gardena Valley?

What about the valley of Val Gardena? The ski resort is located in the same name valley, the length of which reaches twenty kilometers. If you are not a big fan of skiing, but not 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 safely and with great interest to learn the basics of climbing art. For skiers there are several special trails on which you can make classic jogs. How to get by in a ski resort without a skating rink? Figure skating on a large ice area is also an advantage of the resort. Fans of extreme and beautiful scenery like paragliding, paragliding. Ortisei also has a large aqua park for lovers of water sports.

Holiday season

In a nutshell, we tried to describe what the resort of Val Gardena (Italy) is. Rest at the resort is best to begin, of course, in the winter. His work begins in late December, and is closed in early January. This is for winter recreation. In addition, the valley can be visited in the summer, relax in the mountains from the heat and enjoy the freshness of the Alpine air. The endless expanse of green meadows, woodlands, deep and crystal clear mountain lakes attracts many tourists in the summer, when in the mountain valleys you can ride a bike or take a stroll with an old friend.

How to get to Val Gardena?

Val Gardena (Italy) - a popular ski resort, getting to it will not be difficult for you. The closest to Val Gardena are such large cities as Bolzano (at a distance of 40 kilometers) and Innsbruck (110 kilometers), in which 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, only thirteen kilometers from the resort. In both cases, both from the airplane and from the train, you can get to the final point of travel by bus or go to highway 22 and catch a car there.

Local kitchen

And here we are - before us is the ski resort of Val Gardena. Reviews of this place refer not only to the wonderful alpine expanses and features of the resort itself, but also to the local Tyrolean flavor. This can not be attributed to the beautiful Tyrolean cuisine. Rich in meat dishes, Tyrolean and Latin national recipes will conquer lovers of sophistication and unusual food. In addition, where, how not in Val Gardena, in a resort located on the Italian side of the Alps, to eat traditional Italian dishes - pizza and spaghetti? To eat in the valley is where. Each of their three villages has restaurants, there are also similar facilities in every hotel. Well, do not be afraid if the famine clears you while skiing - on the mountain slopes of the valley there are a lot of special huts where you can have a hearty snack between winter sports.

Where to stay?

If you are interested in what is in a place like Val Gardena (Val Gardena, Italy, ski resort) hotels, then we will try to say a few words about them. And a little more detail now, let's talk about hotels in the valley. This will help you decide where to stop. As already noted, in the valley are three small towns - Selva Garden, Santa Cristina and Ortisei. In each of them there are several hotels, and they differ among themselves. Hotel in Ortisei Panorama Residence Gran Tublà is perfect for a holiday with children. It is specially equipped for a family resort, for children there are several special programs, there are where and on whom to leave and so on. In Selva Garden, which is the largest and lively town in the valley, there are several hotels. 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 the five-star (Hotel Adler Dolomiti Spa & Sport Resort). The latter was not alone throughout the last dozen years recognized as the best hotel in all the Italian Alps. Santa Cristina - the smallest of the towns, but also the most cozy. Here you should stop 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 - mini-hotel Bed and Breakfast Iman.

What to do in Val Gardena?

For a child to a greater extent than for an adult, the journey must bring new knowledge and vivid memories. Especially for a trip to the Italian Alps did not pass for your child just like that, and organized clubs and special ski schools for children. What are the clubs in the valley and what do they teach?

• Verdebello - is located in Ortisei. The age of children is from four years, this is primarily a summer program for the child. Here the trained tutors conduct excursions and walks through the forests of the Alps, also the program includes fishing, swimming, barbecue; There are special mugs of manual labor for children.
• Mickey Mountain Club is a club in Selva Garden. The age of children is from four to eleven. Your child here is waiting for a fascinating pastime with the construction of huts in the forest, treasure hunting, fishing, excursions to the 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 you!
• Junior Club in the same town is designed for teenagers under eighteen.

Ski schools

A couple of words should be said about ski schools. All in all three towns of the valley there are five ski schools in which professionals will teach both adults and children the basics of skiing. If you previously did not like this thing, now is just the time to change your mind!

Cross-country skiing tracks

In principle, this is the basic information that should be known to the average vacationer, heading to Val Gardena. Overview of the ski resort in Italy, however, can not do without more professional consideration of the features of the ski runs, which is necessary for people who are not only engaged in skiing at a professional level.

What will suit athletes better than the professional track for the world championship in skiing? She descends from Mount Ciampioni (more than two kilometers) and reaches for Selva. Skiers with an average level have the opportunity to test a large number of tracks. Some lead from Chiampioni, some from the top of Dantherchepies. At the same time, they pass from Chiampion mainly in the forest territory, they are very tortuous and dangerous for beginners. The route from the second mountain, also leading to Selva, is simpler - and the incline is less, and the space is cleaner. Plots for beginners are located on the slopes of the whole valley. Of particular interest to beginning skiers is, of course, the Circus Saceda Kol-Reiser. This unusual space for skating attracts even professionals, although it is intended primarily for beginners.

What else do tourists do in Val Gardena?

With skiing it's also clear now. But what else can you do in the winter in the Valley of Val Gardena? At your service there is a skating rink, a toboggan run, and in the summer time all opportunities for hiking in the mountains, from mountaineering to biking and walking. In Val Gardena, you are sure to find an occupation for yourself at any time of the year!