VAL GARDENA SKI SEASON STARTS DECEMBER 3

Ortisei, Santa Cristina, Selva


September 2011: Val Gardena, UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and spectacular ski valley at the heart of the Italian Dolomites, starts the 2011/12 ski season on December 3. The resort announces classic events for the diary and well-priced early season packages. Gastronomy ski tour on slopes of “1970’s Ski World-Championships “

For details visit http://www.valgardena.it/

Diary dates include:

• December 2-30 – Traditional Christmas Market in S.Cristina

• December 10-11 – FIS-OPA Continental Cup – cross country ski race

• December 16-17 – FIS World Cup Races (Super G & Downhill) on the Saslong

• December 27-30 – Snow Sculpting competition in Selva

• January 22 – Val Gardena Ciasp Snowshoe race on Monte Pana above S.Cristina

• February 10 – Sellaronda Night Ski Marathon

• February 16 – Carnival Parade in the centre of Ortisei

• April 1 - South Tyrol Gardenissima, S Cristina/Selva, the world’s longest Giant Slalom ski race (6km, approximately 100 gates, 1000m altitude drop)



Early Season Packages

Val Gardena SuperPrèmiere: (December 4-23) offers 4 nights’ accommodation, 4 days’ ski equipment hire and a 4-day lift pass for the price of 3 (participating accommodation options are indicated by a snowflake symbol). Book online at www.valgardena.it.

FIS Ski World Cup Dolomiti Classic: (December 15-18) Pension Jagdhof *** in Selva offers a 3 night halfboard package for 2 sharing starting from €291pp. The price also includes a 3-day ski pass, tickets for the World Cup ski races on Friday December 16 and Saturday December 17 and a goodie bag (containing a variety of gifts and noisy gadgets to welcome racers over the finish line). Alternatively Dolomiti Classic VIP for €490 pp Hotel Rainell **** in Ortisei is offering 3 nights’ half-board accommodation, a 3-day ski pass, a goodie bag and entry to the exclusive Gardena Gröden VIP Hospitality suite with access to the Central VIP Stand for a guaranteed view of the action.

Val Gardena’s gastronomic specialities on skitour which follows the slopes of Alpine Ski World Championship held in 1970

TRAIL PLEASURE - Culinary offers on amazing ski trip “Val Gardena 1970” which runs on the legendary slopes of World Championships held 1970 in Val Gardena.

Begins with tasty refreshments swings: the SOFIE HUT (with highest altitude wine cellar in Val Gardena) to an "aperitivo" with grilled king prawns , genuine South Tyrolean bacon and a glass of bubbly "Arunda rosé" - Typically Tyrolean cuisine and fine South Tyrolean wines in the DANIEL HUT - Home made cake and a "hot grandma" in the TROJER HUT - Almhotel COL RAISER offers maximum comfort to over 2000 meters, only with skies or gondolas to reach, ideal for nature lovers and ski lovers, breathtaking panoramic view on the big terrace, www.colraiser.com . At the Alpine Hotel PIZ SETEUR www.pizseteur.it, funny afternoons at the ski-bar on slopes, it’s located in Plan de Gralba / Piz Sella - accessible only by skis or chair, cozy rooms, sauna and Jacuzzi. In the Emilio Comici HUT, taste the delicious fresh fish dishes, visit them also at the spectacularly designed SPECIAL NIGHTS theme nights, followed by a long moonlight ski descent. On Dantercëpies, at the FRAINELA tearoom www.frainela.com stop by Grandma's cake, homemade ice cream, delicious hot chocolate and tasty snacks. Finally descent on the legendary Saslong downhill, where Bernhard Russi of Switzerland won the 1970 world championships, just before the camel humps is the SASLOCH HUT, recently rebuilt with a large sun terrace and breathtaking views of the whole valley.


General Information about Val Gardena:

Val Gardena (www.valgardena.it) is made up of 3 charming Alpine villages - Ortisei at 1236m, S. Cristina at 1428m, and Selva at 1563m - and a handful of pretty hamlets including Bulla, San Giacomo and Roncadizza.

Val Gardena itself has 83 lifts and 175km slopes, 95% of which benefit from snow-making facilities, providing more than 1200km of slopes including 115km of cross country skiing. From Val Gardena, access the world’s largest ski-network covered by a single lift pass - the Dolomiti Superski - to enjoy 1220km slopes of which 500km are inter-connected in the Sella region served by 450 lifts carrying 620,000 skiers per hour. The world famous Sella Ronda, accessible to intermediate skiers, is a spectacular linked circuit of the Sella (3151m) offering 26km and some 4500 vertical metres of skiing.

Val Gardena’s homepage (www.valgardena.it) offers a fast online booking service and real-time weather updates at all altitudes from 9 live cams. Val Gardena boasts more real-time information than any other Alpine resort. Val Gardena in Italy is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Dolomites. Proud South Tyrolean people celebrating their Ladin culture, artistic traditions and unique language. Classic Alpine villages against a backdrop of sublime Dolomite scenery. World-class gastronomy, spectacular events, diverse sporting and cultural activities for visitors all year-round. A new Val Gardena APP easy to use on I-Phone and I-Pad, can be down loaded for free from the APP-store.

Cross Country skiing in Val Gardena

Val Gardena offers 60km of panoramic high-altitude cross country skiing on Alpe di Siusi (above Ortisei), more than 35km of trails in Vallunga and at Monte Pana (above S. Cristina) and connection slope to the huge Alpe di Siusi with more than 70km of well prepared slopes


NEW: On December 10 and 11, 2011, on Monte Pana above S. Cristina is scheduled the first FIS OPA Continental Cup (COC)

It is the second highest cross-country ski racing series of the International Ski Federation FIS. The competitions will be held at the Nordic Ski Centre of Monte Pana, above S. Cristina. The organizers are expecting around 300 athletes from 20 nations.

On Monte Pana will be held a total of four races: two women and two men's races. On the first day the individual competition takes place in the classical style. The ladies must complete 5km, and the men 10km. The next day, the 10km skating style (ladies) and 15km (men). The start of the race takes place at 9.30 (women) and at 11.00 (men).


NEW: Alpine experiences in Val Gardena, discover the new site

All information on rock/ice climbing, snowshoe hiking and ski touring in Val Gardena.

In order to plan mountain climbing (Summer), hiking and skiing in Val Gardena and the Dolomites, it is sufficient by itself now log into the new website www.dolomitesalpine.it The specifics of this new Internet portal are: it’s, among other things, offered the opportunity to interact with professional mountain guides from the Alpine Val Gardena schools directly and the page contents are entered in large part by the guides themselves.

The homepage is divided into three items: climbing, skiing and hiking. The portal provides a quick overview of the tour highlights and useful information.

The main features of this new web portal are sure the good side with the interactive maps on which paths and routes for all the obvious and easy to understand.

The ski section leads to: "ski", "Freeride", "fields", "touring suggestions" and again "mountain guide offices" unlocked. Here, young "riders" and also experienced ski-mountaineers choose the best routes to the ski slopes outside the diverse natural beauty of the Dolomites to explore up close.

Under weather and webcams, there is the weather forecast for each area, using modern weather satellite image or cam and of course in winter, the updated snow conditions.


Activities for non-skiers in Val Gardena

Fun for non-skiers is readily available in Val Gardena. For lovers of the outdoors, there are 50km of well-prepared winter walking paths and trails, as well as facilities for show-shoeing, ice-climbing, out-door (and in-) ice-skating, horse-riding, sleigh riding, paragliding, curling and sledging; the 6km Ortisei toboggan run on Rasciesa is one of the most thrilling in the Alps. Art in the area and Ladin culture is a joy to discover as is the impressive and diverse gastronomy ranging from Michelin-star rated gourmet restaurants to cosy Alpine refugio serving simple Ladin cuisine. Spa and wellness facilities are extensive and the wide-range of accommodation options from every category of hotel to B&Bs, self catering apartments or remote mountain refuges equates to something for everyone.


Tour operators in Val Gardena

A wide variety of reputable tour operators offer fully-inclusive winter holiday packages to Val Gardena including Ski Esprit (new this year), Crystal, Thomson, Inghams and Neilson. Specialist operators such as Momentum and Ski Solutions also tailormake holidays to the region.


Independent travellers

Book an accommodation/ski package online at www.valgardena.it. Fly to Verona, Bergamo, Brescia, Munich or Innsbruck (British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair, Myair). Italy offers bus transfers from most airports, for details visit: www.flytovalgardena.com. For full ski/accommodation packages book online via the Val Gardena website: www.valgardena.it.


Val Gardena background

Val Gardena is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Dolomites which owe their name to French 18th century geologist Déodat de Dolomieu who was the first to study their limestone structure. Locals often referred to this exquisite range as the Pale Mountains and other ranges pale beside the beauty of this unique mountain landscape, designated a UNESCO World Natural Heritage zone in 2009. In the words of mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner, “they may not be the highest, but are certainly the world’s most beautiful mountains.”


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