Ortisei
Ortisei is situated at 1200m altitude on the slopes of the of ‘Alpe di Siusi’, under the woods of Rasciesa. This chief town of Val Gardena has remained unchanged over time, and you can still smell the distinct traditional aromas that come from the bakers’ ovens and the wine cellars where you can taste aromatic wines of the highest quality. Doing the ‘Sella Ronda’, on skis, i.e. skiing the full circuit of the Sella Group of mountains is an experience you can’t miss: twenty kilometres of tracks to cover in one day in the midst of an unforgettable scenery. Ortisei definitely deserves its label as a major location for winter sports because of its wide-range of ski slopes (from beginner to advanced), cross-country tracks, snowboard facilities, carving, telemark and freestyle skiing, and other facilities such as ice-skating, ice climbing, indoor artificial rock-climbing, and a shooting range. Another must is to relax like a king or queen in a regenerating session at a health spa. Remember that Val Gardena is just as much a paradise in summer, with its itineraries among the fields and valleys, inviting you to discover an alpine paradise. The charismatic village of Ortisei and its nearby small villages San Giacomo and Bulla are the very essence of the ancient Ladino culture, represented for example by the numerous wood-carving workshops.