Val Gardena, Italy

Val Gardena ski holidays

Established in 1900 the Italian ski resort Val Gardena lies at 1236 metres altitude in the Alto Adige (Bolzano) / Südtirol (Bozen) region of the Italian Dolomites \ Dolomiten. With the highest lifts and ski slopes at 2518m the area is snow sure. Over ? snow cannons ensure artificial snow making covers 165km of trails, which equates to around 95 of the slopes. The nearest airport transfer to Val Gardena is Milan / Milano at a distance of 300km or approximately 240 minutes driving time. Their season runs from December to April.

SNO-man says

Val Gardena is centred on the resort of Selva and nearby Santa Cristina and Ortisei. Lift-linked to the Sella Ronda, the local skiing is some of the most exciting in the region, with famous runs including Ciampinoi, Dantercepies and Piz Sella. Annual World Cup Downhill event recorded Britain's best ever performance - a second for Konrad Bartelski. The neighbouring resorts of Santa Cristina and Ortisei together make up the Val Gardena area. Ortesei is a elatively large and pleasant market town with a double cable-car link to Santa Cristina and Selva and from there onto the Sella Ronda, time and snow permitting. The town has a life beyond skiing, being a regional agricultural and commercial centre. it is therefore a good choice for those who like to escape ski talk in the evenings. Santa Cristina is a spread out but attractive village.

Alpine Downhill Runs

Beginner Trails  0 runs 0km	0%	Intermediate Trails  34 runs 52km	30%
Advanced Trails  67 runs 105km	60%	Expert Trails  11 runs 18km	10%

112 pistes and trails means approximately 175km of runs. 83 Val Gardena lifts have capacity to transport 115423 per hour. The longest run in the Italian ski resort is over 9km.

Of the 83 ski lifts, 27 are surface lifts or "drag lifts" - this gives an indication of how modern the lift system is and how good Val Gardena is for snowboarding - especially for beginners learning to board. Facilities include 4 terrain parks and 0 half pipe (longest half pipe length is 500 metres), 2 quarter pipe and 2 boardercross courses.

20 apres ski bars 100 restaurants 1 bowling 3 night club 1 cinema 1 billiards / pool 1 games room 0 concert 1 indoor swimming 0 outdoor heated pools 1 saunas 0 hot tubs 2 solariums 4 masseurs 1 indoor ice skating 1 outdoor ice skating 1 indoor sports centre 2 indoor tennis 1 squash racquetball 0 sleigh rides 0 ballooning 2 horse riding 105 prepare winter walks 1 climbing 2 golf 2 fishing 1 museum 3 library Plus these additional apres ski facilities Indoor Shooting Range.

Selva and Val Gardena have above average facilities including an indoor ice rink with ice hockey matches to watch. You can also try parascending or follow 105km of winter walks. Indoor facilities include snooker halls, a shooting range and tennis. In Val Gardena as a whole there is a weekly programme of open-air concerts, folk evenings, slide shows, film shows and processions in traditional costumes. Ortisei has a public indoor pool. In Selva the Alpenroyal Hotel has a beauty centre "Eghes" which offers facial and body treatments. The centre can prepare a personal programme taylored to your individual needs with first-class beauty-products ("Maria Galland" - Paris, Sixtus and DIBI), or you can choose any of their especially developed programmes or both men and women. Other hotels also have beauty centres and swimming pools open to the public. There is also the Valley's museum of local history and crafts in Ortisei.

Childcare in Val Gardena, Italy

Val Gardena day and evening care plus snow ski schools and babysitting.

Selva Gardena was one of the few Italian resorts to offer day care, accepting kids from age 1 to 4, but that facility has now finished. However the ski schools do attempt to accommodate children as much as possible. The Dolomiti Ski Pass also has low prices and free lift use for younger children, with spacial offer weeks through the season. Other facilities include the skating and the indoor pool at Ortisei. There's a playpark in the centre of the resort next to the minigolf, behind the Pranives Sports Stadium and in Plan da Tieja at the end of the Promenade. Special offers of free and discounted child holidays at certain establishments during low season, check with the tourist office.

3 stars out of 5 overall    

Val Gardena Shopping

Val Gardena shopping - fashion boutiques, outdoor gear and food shops

Selva Gardena has a good selection of shops covering most requirements and there's a weekly market on Thursday s. A greater choice of shops is available in Ortisei down the valley. The top local product, for which the valley has been famous for 400 years, are wood carvings - in centuries past several thousand wood carvers worked in the valley producing first wooden bowls and other simple utensils and then the more talented tried their hand on more artistic items, mostly statues with a religious subject, while some of them produced caricatures, picture frames, ornaments, animals, nativity scene figurines and children's toys. By the 18th century Val Gardena was a major centre of wood carving, and pedlars and merchants carried the carvings and the name of Val Gardena far and wide.

Val Gardena value for money gets 4 stars out of 5 overall    

Ski Equipment Rental Shops in Val Gardena

Val Gardena hire shops - overview of all shopping in Val Gardena

Selva Gardena has a good selection of shops covering most requirements and there's a weekly market on Thursday s. A greater choice of shops is available in Ortisei down the valley. The top local product, for which the valley has been famous for 400 years, are wood carvings - in centuries past several thousand wood carvers worked in the valley producing first wooden bowls and other simple utensils and then the more talented tried their hand on more artistic items, mostly statues with a religious subject, while some of them produced caricatures, picture frames, ornaments, animals, nativity scene figurines and children's toys. By the 18th century Val Gardena was a major centre of wood carving, and pedlars and merchants carried the carvings and the name of Val Gardena far and wide.

Val Gardena ski rental shops value rating gets 4 stars out of 5 overall    

Main Ski School in Val Gardena

Val Gardena ski school - snowboarding course & skiing lessons

The official ski/board school is called Ski & Snowboard School Selva Gardena and has 150 teachers teaching in English, German, Italian and taking students from a minimum age of 4.info@scuolasciselva.com www.scuolasciselva.com 795156

Val Gardena for beginners         gets 4 stars out of 5 overall    

Val Gardena for intermediates  gets 5 stars out of 5 overall    

Val Gardena for expert skiers   gets 3 stars out of 5 overall    

Val Gardena for snowboarding  gets 3 stars out of 5 overall    

Mountain & Snow Sports in Val Gardena

Val Gardena snow sports - off slope winter mountain sports

Cross Country Skiing (langlaufen) in Val Gardena: 102km X C ski trails, Lessons available? Y

Easy XC Ski Trails: 35km     Intermediate XC Trails: 31km   Difficult XC Trails: 32km

Telemark Tuittion: Y     Telemark Rental 5      Paragliding schools: 2

Snow mobile Rental: 0     Toboggan Run Length: 20km

Non Skiing Winter & Snow Activities in Val Gardena

Val Gardena snow fun - off slope winter activities

Outdoor Ice Rink: 1 Indoor Ice Rink: 1 Balloon Flights: 0

Prepared Winter Walks: 105 Snowshoeing: 1 Hang Gliding : 0

Snow mobile Rental: 0 Toboggan Run Length: 20km Paragliding schools: 2

Val Gardena non skiing facilities also include Indoor Shooting Range.