Val Gardena

Dolomites, South Tyrol

Region

Dolomites, South Tyrol

Country

Italy

Local time

Europe/Rome

Currency

EUR

Val Gardena is three villages — Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva — in a South Tyrolean valley where the first language is Ladin, older than either Italian or German and still spoken daily.

The skiing is superb intermediate terrain, immaculately groomed in the way South Tyrol takes seriously, with the Saslong — a World Cup downhill course — running down to Santa Cristina. From Selva you are on the doorstep of the Sellaronda, the circuit that laps the Sella massif and is the signature day of a Dolomites holiday.

The Alpe di Siusi above Ortisei is the largest high-altitude meadow in Europe, and it is where much of the gentle skiing is.

Last reviewed 4 August 2026

Best suited to

Intermediates
Families
Beginners
Advanced skiers

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Where lessons start

The Alpe di Siusi plateau is exceptional beginner terrain: vast, gently rolling, sunny and high enough to hold snow. It is reached by cable car from Ortisei, so a first lesson starts with a ride up and ends with a ride down — no long descent home to worry about.

Getting there

Innsbruck is about two hours over the Brenner, Verona and Venice around three. The valley is reachable by bus from Bolzano, which connects to the Italian rail network.

Qualifications required in Italy

Teaching skiing or snowboarding for payment in Italy is a regulated profession: an instructor must hold the Maestro di sci, registered in the regional albo. Instructors listed as certified on Alpine Pal have either sent theirs to us for review or are vouched for by the ski school that invited them.

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Val Gardena: common questions

Can a beginner do the Sellaronda?

It is marketed as accessible and it is mostly blue, but it is a full day, around 40 km, with lift queues and a hard cut-off time — miss the last lift and you are paying for a long taxi round the massif. Do it once you can ski a blue comfortably all day, and do it the first time with an instructor who knows which direction to go in on the day.