Trip 5 – Northwest through Val Gardena to Ortisei

Val Gardena, the 25 km long valley east of Bolzano on SS242 and northwest of Canazei, is a highly popular valley among tourists.

In winter enjoy the numerous great skiing slopes (Sella Ronda), and in summer you will love the great mountain ranges landscapes, 12 cable cars to the mountain’s peaks, green pastures, flowing rivers, and numerous hiking trails.

The valley in which the Rio Gardena River runs through is located between the mountain ranges of the Salla Gruppe in the southeast, the Sassolungo in the south and the Seceda range in the north. The three major small towns in the valley are Selva di Val Gardena, Santa Cristina and Ortisei, all lively ski and summer resorts with restaurants, small shops, hotels and various sports and recreation activities.

The valley is famous for its wood carving traditions hence the beautiful wood products available in the towns’ shops.

From Canazei drive north on SS242 through the Sella Pass and the City of Rocks (Citta dei Sassi) to SS243 and the Gardena Pass.
In the pass enjoy the wonderful view of the Badia Valley and Sassolungo Mountain and continue on SS242 to Selva di Val Gardena, Santa Cristina and Ortisei.

Rosengarten

City of Stones

Ciampinoi Cable Car

Ortisei

In each of the three towns in the valley there are few cable cars to the surrounding mountain peaks.

In Selva, two cable cars to the Ciampinoi and another one to the Gardena Pass.
In Santa Cristina, cable cars to Col Raiser, Pana and Ciampinoi.
In Ortisei, three cable cars to Seceda, a must see view point, Rasciesa, and to Mont Siusi, a highly recommended beautiful cable car ride.

When in Selva, hike to a very nice waterfall, Cascata on the signs, a trail starting near the cable car station of the Pana Mountain. It’s a 30 minute hike, or 1.5 hours for a circular route through the forest to the Rio Gardena river.

In Ortisei the largest beautiful town in the valley you will find restaurants, small local shops, few churches, museums, Botanic garden, Rosarium Uhrerhof, small water park, Mar Dolomit, and a very nice forest park with various sport activities.

The Seceda Mountain range offers great landscapes of most of the Austrian Tirol and the Dolomites mountains peaks including the Sassolungo, Sella, Marmolada, Pana, and Rosengarten.
This is a Paradise for hikers and mountaineers. You can reach the Sceda Mountain peak from Ortisei and Santa Cristina through Col Reiser.

The City of Rocks, Citta dei Sassi, near the Sella Pass in the foot of the Sassolungo Mountain Range, is an impressive large concentration of large rocks and a large Marmotte population.
It’s an easy 2 km trail named Naturonda within the City of Rocks which starts at the Refuge Passo Sella Chalet near the Forcella Sassolungo cable car station,1 km north of the Sella Pass.