DOLOMITES Val Gardena: Val Gardena and the Dolomite classics:

The best conditions for a perfect skiing holiday

Sellaronda

Skiing and pure enjoyment. This is Sella Ronda, the world-famous skiing and snowboarding circuit all around the Sella massif. A skiing tour with breathtaking views of the Dolomites, with 26 kilometers of slopes, romantic huts and spectacular viewpoints – all with a single Skipass. The Sellaronda is accessible via Selva, S.Cristina and Ortisei, and the circuit can be completed in half a day. The Cir peaks, the Sella massif and the Sassolungo are just some of the spectacular highlights awaiting you on this tour.

Saslong

The Saslong is one of the great legends of alpine skiing. Each year, a few days before Christmas (2012, December 14 and 15), it provides the setting of one of the world's most important and spectacular downhill ski events. Starting point is the mountain station of Ciampioni above Selva. Wide, well-groomed slopes invite you to follow the tracks of all-time skiing greats like Bernhard Russi, Hermann Maier and Bode Miller, down across the famous "camel humps" and the Ciaslat, ending at the valley station of S. Christina. With a total of 3.4 kilometers and an altitude difference of 839 meters this one is a must – and thanks to well-groomed pistes not just for expert skiers.

Col Raiser & Seceda

The mountain viewpoint of Val Gardena. The marvelous broad southern slope with wide, open pistes is reached by cableway from Ortisei or S. Cristina. Pure skiing enjoyment awaits on the sunny side of Val Gardena. Seceda (2518m) and Col Raiser's special attraction is the almost omnipresent panoramic view of Val Gardena, Sassolungo, Sassopiatto and Sella. And if you just cannot get enough of these spectacular views, why not stay at Hotel Col Raiser, a luxury wellness hotel situated directely at the cableway mountain station. You will be right next to the pistes and experience spectacular sunsets high above the valley.

Passo Gardena & Dantercepies

The journey on the Dantercepies cableway up from Selva to Passo Gardena (at 2,121 meters) is not just part of the Sellronda experience, it is also one of the most beautiful locations of the entire valley. Here, embedded between Sella in the south with its bizarre rock faces and the Cir peaks in the north, you can enjoy spectacular views across the valley, with Sassolungo opposite. The run leading back to Selva has historic connotations. Over 100 years ago, this was the venue for the first skiing event in the Dolomites. Right from the start, this Dolomite valley has led the way with its ski lifts, slopes and winter sport attractions.

Gardena Ski Tour, World Cup 1970

Follow the tracks of skiing aces Rosi Mittermaier (Ger) and Gustav Thöni (Ita). Over 30 years ago history was made in Gardena, at the Skiing World Cup. In a day tour, starting off at either Ortisei, S. Cristina or Selva, you can follow the tracks of the 1970 World Cup competitors and feel like one of the stars of the skiing world.

Sporting highlights

From 6 December, the first day of the season, right through to late spring, Val Gardena offers top-level events and attractions, from the Downhill World Cup on 14/15 December to the snow and ice sculpture competitions in Selva (Dec. 27-30) and Ortisei (Jan. 8-11), the slopestyle tour (freestyle competition) on Piz Sella on January 20, the Moonlight mountainbike downhill race on Dantercepies slope on January 27, the Skikjöring in Vallunga (Selva) on February 27 leading up to the grand season finale – the “Südtirol Gardenissima”, the longest giant slalom race in the world (6km), on April 6.