Every day leading into the new ski season, we will be highlighting ski resorts from around the world! Today we start with Val Gardena ski resort in Italy. A popular destination with avid British skiers and snowboards with so much on offer. Whilst your here make sure you check out our fantastic Val Gardena ski resort guide full of useful information to help you make the perfect choice for your next ski holiday! If you are eager to get away make sure you check out of Holiday Offers where you will find some of the best holidays available across the Alps and beyond!
Found in the South Tyrol region of Italy, the beautiful Val Gardena ski area is made up of a collection of villages, right in the heart of the Dolomites. Set in a picturesque backdrop, you’ve got direct access to the Sella Ronda and much further – right across the Dolomiti Superski area.
LET’S TALK SKIING IN VAL GARDENA SKI RESORT
Skiers of all standards will find pleasure on the Val Gardena piste map. There is a good area dedicated to beginners on the edge of the village of Selva, it’s either a walk or a short bus ride away from some of the accommodation. Advanced skiers will find the longer blues more difficult to find, however there are some more gentle reds which less confident intermediates will enjoy. If you’re looking for some adventure and you are a keen intermediate or an advanced skier, the Val Gardena slopes surrounding the Sella Ronda Massif will be ideal for you.
With an altitude of 1816m – 2798m, you’ll find the slopes are fairly steep around some areas of the Val Gardena ski area – particularly when it comes to the Downhill and Giant Slalom runs on Saslong Mountain. Want some real adrenalin? Try the long reds at Seceda; especially when they’re freshly groomed and there’s been some heavy snowfall. You’ve got 175km of total piste here with 79 lifts for you to use with your Val Gardena lift pass. There is a total of 1000km in Dolomiti Superski – with 452 lifts.
THE RESORT OF VAL GARDENA
The lovely Italian resort of Val Gardena is made of three charming villages. Filled with gorgeous small towns to visit, fabulous shops and restaurants to experience and many more activities, this resort has a lot to offer. Historically, Val Gardena is known for its Austrian heritage, and you’ll see this frequently with German often being the first language for locals here. If you want to be first onto the ski slopes of Val Gardena, it’ll be a good idea to look for places to stay in the centre of Selva. However, the other villages of St Cristina and St Ortesei are good alternatives too.
STAYING IN VAL GARDENA
If you’re looking for Val Gardena ski accommodation, there are lots of choices of places to stay. There’s a good variety including B&Bs, smaller garni hotels, guest houses, hotels and houses to choose from.
VAL GARDENA SNOW CONDITIONS
When looking at Val Gardena weather, the resort sees an average of 3.6 snow days per throughout the December to April season. The heaviest snowfall is seen in April; 4.4 days per week. It may have less snow than other resorts with an average of 21.8cm snow per week, however the 630 Val Gardena snow cannons ensure that the majority of the slopes (98%) remain covered.
VAL GARDENA RESORT LIFE
For non-skiers in Val Gardena, there are lots of alternatives to come and enjoy. These include dog sled rides, horse-drawn sleighs, ice climbing, and ice skating. You could try tobogganing from the top station of the Rasciesa chair lift in Ortisei. For the real adrenalin lovers, there’s tandem paragliding too.
WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT VAL GARDENA?
Without a doubt, Val Gardena is a large and beautiful resort that has so much to offer. Found in the north-eastern most region of Italy, it‘s popular with both families and groups. As one of our favourite winter destinations, it enjoys around 300 sunny days a year. Benefiting from up-to-date ski facilities combined with well-groomed slopes, they even offer a ‘snow guarantee’; it’s no surprise that this is such a popular ski destination.
Val Gardena’s three villages are big names on the international skiing scene. You’ve got five Alpine ski schools in Val Gardena to choose from, as well as two mountaineering schools – all welcoming visitors of every age and standard. The ski slopes of Val Gardena are also award-winning; receiving recognition from Trip Advisor as the 6th place for their coveted ‘Travellers’ Choice Award’, 5 stars for the ‘Best Skiing Area’ by skiresort.de in Germany, plus many other international awards.
Off the slopes you can also look forward to great Val Gardena restaurants and bars that serve excellent quality food, not to mention lots of venues and events to visit that represent the art and culture in which Val Gardena is steeped.
THE SNOWRESORT VERDICT
Val Gardena is definitely a great area for snowmaking and skiing. With spectacular backdrops and beautiful scenery, you’ll be certain of some picture-worthy views. It also has some excellent mountain huts to visit. The Val Gardena piste is made up of superb local slopes; benefiting from big verticals. You’ve got a mix of open and wooded slopes to try, and beginners will definitely enjoy the excellent nursery slopes. Snowfall can be somewhat erratic which is worth bearing in mind, and you’ll find that it can become quite busy on the Sella Ronda circuit
If you like the sound of Val Gardena do not forget to check out our fantastic Les Arcs ski resort guide! If you fancy making Italy your next ski destination then also check out our Livigno & Courmayeur resort guides.
