Val Gardena Ski Resort Italy
Val Gardena is in a valley dominated by the classic Dolomites peak of Sassolungo & the huge Sella massif - a view skiers first enjoyed here as early as 1895. Since then Val Gardena has grown to become one of the most popular resorts in the Dolomiti, especially for families & intermediate skiers & snowboarders.
With more than 175km of runs connected by an incredible array of lifts, Val Gardena also gives snowboarders & skiers direct access to the Sella Ronda network plus the huge Dolomiti SuperSki area.
Val Gardena has been honoured in the past as the Numero Uno Italian ski resort, based on the ski resort size, standard & facilities. Locals speak German, Italian & their regional dialect “Ladin”. Their approach combines the best of these cultures to bring you a passion for life, food, music, fun & perfection!
Pros & Cons for Val Gardena Ski Resort
Pros
- Biggest ski resort in the Dolomites.
- Best range of intermediate piste trails in the Dolomiti Superski area (& perhaps Italy).
- High quality lift system.
- The most amazing ‘fun slope’ in the world.
- Great value lift pass comparative to the number of lifts & terrain.
- Integral part of the Sella Ronda ski circuit & Dolomiti Superski area.
- Numerous lively après ski options.
- Ski-in ski-out accommodation available on mountain & in villages.
- Superb mountain huts & rifugi.
- Located in one of the most spectacular mountain areas of the world.
Cons
- A massive resort that does get busy.
- Limited off-piste freeride terrain.
- Relatively limited advanced terrain (but with a few very good black runs on the piste).
- Accommodation can be hard to get & may be relatively expensive.
- Ski area is not quite fully integrated by lifts & pistes - effectively four separate ski areas (but to be fair, apart from Alpe di Siusi, they are only separated by a short walk).
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Three separate major villages, plus many smaller ones.
- Piste trails spread across a huge distance.
- Italy’s most popular ski area.
- Ikon Pass is now valid in the resort for up to a week.
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Skiing & Snowboarding. Lifts & Terrain
An extraordinarily large ski resort of 81 lifts and 175km of trails, Val Gardena skiing & snowboarding terrain is spread over three (probably four in reality) separate major zones: Val Gardena (Gröden), Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm) & Col Raiser-Seceda-Resciesa. Each is quite different in both character & aspect. The resort's full skiable vertical of nearly 1,300m can only be skied in one location from Seceda (& it’s a ripper!). Most of the terrain has skiable verticals of between 500 to 800m.
Check out the full ski trail map for Val Gardena below.
The amount of lifts & trails around the massive Sassolungo is dizzying & getting geographically confused is a real possibility. But what fun for intermediate skiers & snowboarders with nearly 100km of runs rated as red. Don't miss the huge fun slope on Piz Sella - it is simply extraordinary!
As one expects in the largest ski resort in Italy, the piste trails are of the highest quality & are generally in excellent condition. However, some high traffic areas (i.e. anything on the busy Sella Ronda routes) can become bumped & icy quite early in the day. The lower sections of Seceda are hectic in the late afternoon too! Off-piste freeride options are limited to some gentle alpine terrain.
Interlinked with Dolomiti Superski Resorts
Val Gardena is lift and piste interlinked with the ski resorts of Alta Badia & Val di Fassa. Combined with Arabba Marmolada, these resorts make up the excellent Sella Ronda, the full circuit of the Sella massif.
International visitors may be pleased to know that Ikon Pass is valid in Val Gardena & the Dolomites, but with certain conditions/limitations. Of course, the Dolomiti Superski pass is also valid.
For more information on snow, terrain, lifts, lift passes & ratings, see our Skiing & Snowboarding Val Gardena page.
Where is Val Gardena Italy?
Val Gardena is in the central Dolomites on the north-western flanks of the Sella massif. The closest major town is Bolzano, 43km and less than 1hr drive to the west.
The major gateway airport is Innsbruck (INN) 120km drive to the north & is the best option for travellers from within Europe or the UK. The Venice Marco Polo International Airport (VCE) is only 125km directly south of Val Gardena, but is a tortuous 190km, 3½hr drive over 4 major mountain passes.
Good public transport options in the form of train & bus exist from the west (the Bolzano-Innsbruck corridor). For larger groups without a car, a direct private transfer from the airport to their Val Gardena hotel may be the simplest & most efficient mode of transport. Search & book a private transfer to Val Gardena.
For more information on the best ways to get to this amazing ski area, see the Travel to Val Gardena page .
Val Gardena Accommodation
Val Gardena has three main villages: Ortisei; San Cristina; and Selva Gardena plus a plethora of other accommodation options in the mountains & throughout the valley. In Selva our ski-in ski-out pick is the brilliant Hotel Bel Vert - way better than its 3-stars might indicate.
Search & book all Val Gardena ski accommodation.
A dizzying array of mountain huts provide food & drink during the day plus high alpine lodgings at night. Rifugio Emilio Comici is the best known of the mountain huts, but there are many more worth seeking out. Try the excellent Hotel Piz Seteur.
Away from the main three villages, smaller ski resort villages with accommodation are located throughout the resort area. Plan de Gralba, Passo Sella & Passo Gardena above Selva plus Alpe di Siusi, Siusi & Castelrotto near Ortisei all provide alternative accommodations. In Alpe di Siusi the exclusive 5 -star Hotel Alpina Dolomites reigns supreme.
For more information see our Where to Stay in Val Gardena page.
Ski Rentals Lessons & Guiding
Ski rentals are available from our partners in convenient locations throughout the major Val Gardena villages. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Selva Gardena-Wolkenstein, Ortisei-St Ulrich & Santa Cristina Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
A staggering number of ski instructors ski schools & guides ply their craft in the Val Gardena ski resort & surrounding valleys. To narrow down the field, search & book via our Val Gardena Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Other Activities
Amongst numerous non-ski activities in Val Gardena, the most exhilarating is north of Ortisei (St Ulrich). On the top of the escarpment at Resciesa, two sledding trails are accessed by the Resciesa funicular & descend into the valley over several kilometres & a hefty 850m vertical. More sled trails are up on Alpe di Siusi.
Review
The Powderhounds have visited Val Gardena on numerous occasions & most recently returned in March 2019 to finally get some decent photos (have had a few issues here previously!). We had a wonderful time, particularly after meeting the après ski goat! Check out our stunningly witty prose via the reviews tab on this page.
See how Val Gardena and the other Dolomites ski resorts compare to the rest of the Italian ski resorts on the Italy ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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