Located in Northern Italy’s world-famous Dolomites, Val Gardena is a haven for year-round outdoor adventures, but is particularly lively during winter. This is when locals and visitors flock here for pristine skiing and snowboarding conditions. The ski resort offers access to multiple skiing areas catering to all skill levels. You can also enjoy terrain parks, downhill courses and tubing areas.
During summer, Val Gardena becomes a hotspot for hiking and mountain biking, offering a wealth of trails, guided biking tours and treks as long as 18 kilometres. Adventurous travellers can also find a range of rock climbing areas, while families will love the PanaRaida adventure trail and the high ropes course in Ortisei.
Want to take it easy? Val Gardena offers retail therapy within its villages, from fashion at United Colors of Benetton to wood carvings at Comploj Andreas. In fact, Val Gardena is renowned for its wood carving industry, which you can learn more about at Gherdëina Museum in Ortisei.
Getting there
Val Gardena comprises three main villages: Ortisei, Santa Cristina Gherdëina and Selva Val Gardena. They’re all about 3.5 hours’ drive from Venice, where you can fly into Venice Marco Polo Airport and rent a car. You can also catch FRECCIALink trains from major Italian cities or organise a bus transfer from Malpensa Airport in Milan.