Ortisei Skiing Holidays

• Ortisei Resort Statistics+

  Slope Direction	N S
  Very Easy Runs	0
  Easy Runs	32
  Medium Runs	23
  Difficult Runs	4
  Toughest Run Name	Nogler
  Skiable Vertical	1088m
  Number Of Lifts	81
  Top Lift Height	2518m
  Night Skiing	N
  Snowboarding Parks	0
  Half Pipes	0
  Swimming Pools	0
  Night Clubs	2
  Mountain Restaurants	31

• Ortisei Transfer Times+

  Milan:	4 hours
  Munich / München:	4 hours

One of three neighbouring Villages in Val Gardena, Ortisei is an ancient and attractive village that has grown up, and more recently purposefully designed, to blend harmoniously in to the landscape.

Also known to some by its German name St Ulrich, and in the local Ladin dialect as Urtijei, it is the largest and lowest of the three villages and regarded as the 'capital' of the valley.

The resort centre is pedestrianised, making it a very pleasant place for après-ski shopping or for relaxing in a bar or restaurant.

The Ladin connection is very important to the locals, who regard Ortisei as the traditional heart of the Ladina culture, with roughly eighty percent of the population speaking Ladin as a first language, followed by Italian or German and then English.

The large village is linked on either side of the valley to the ski areas of Seceda and of Alpe di Siusi. It is possible to reach the other Val Gardena ski areas above Selva (the best known resort in the valley, six kilometres/four miles away) and Santa Christina (three kilometres/two miles away) and from there link in to the giant Sella Ronda network which connects resorts like Corvara, Arabba and those of the Fassa Valley in one of the world's largest circuits of some 500km (313 miles) of linked pistes.

These are in turn all included on the Dolomiti Superski ticket which covers a still larger area of more than 1200km (750 miles) of ski runs at ski resorts in a dozen valleys around the Dolomites. The latest version of this ticket is a convenient hands-free version.

A free ski bus service for those holding a week or longer ski pass means you can start and finish your ski day at any point in the valley, and be confident you can get home without needing to make the last lift connection or pay for a taxi.

A final point to note is that the Gardena Valley is spectacularly beautiful with massive pink Dolomite cliffs dominating the skyline. The area is currently being considered as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

• Beginners+

  There are nursery slopes on the wide meadows right next to the village. A cable car can also take first timers up to the sunny Alpe di Suisi plateau where there are many more easy runs on which to learn.
  
  The ski school usually offers beginner packages including rentals, lift tickets and three hours tuition per day, for five days, for an all-inclusive price.

• Intermediates+

  There are pretty-well endless opportunities for intermediate skiers in one of the world's largest ski areas with 176km (110 miles) of piste in Val Gardena and much more on the Sella Ronda and Dolomiti Superski passes.
  
  To get a feel for the area, the resort has a self-guiding ski tour available that takes you around the area's many ski runs. For added novelty this 'Witches Tour' is themed on events in the early 1600s when the local Castle Prösels was the setting for various witches' trials.
  
  The supernatural events were said to take place on Alpe di Siusi. The route leaves Ortisei and takes in seven stops. The area's funpark, the witches' humpback run, a witches' chimney tunnel made out of snow and witches' park with life sized figures are just a few of the attractions.

• Advanced+

  Val Gardena has many attractions for advanced skiers and is the annual host of World Cup racing. There are 18 black runs in the area, the longest being the 10.5km (seven mile) Nogler descent. Ski touring is also very popular throughout the region and off piste courses are led by the local ski school.
  
  One way to get a feel for the more advanced level terrain in the Val Gardena is to try out the marked "1970 World Championship Skiing Tour" which begins in the village.
  
  Starting in Ortisei you pass from the Seceda high plateau via Santa Cristina, on to Mount de Seura and, after a thrilling run down, you continue via Ciampinoi, Plan de Gralba and Piz Seteur in the excellent ski arena between the Sella massif and Sasso Lungo.
  
  The way to Selva Gardena leads over the World Cup giant slalom run and then on to Dantercepies, which takes in the great Saslong run, another World Cup piste. The tour continues to Col Raiser and ends with a nine kilometre (six mile) romantic run back down to Ortisei.

• Snowboarding+

  The Gardena Valley once again does not disappoint with a whole range of prepared terrain features for boarders. There are two boarder cross courses at Passo Sella (served by the chair lift Grohmann-Cavazes) and in the Comici/Piz Sella region (this opens from mid-January).
  
  There's also a choice of half pipes with a natural pipe served by the Sotsaslong lift and a specially created one on Alpe di Siusi accessed by the Laurin chair lift.

• Other Activities And Facilities+

  Cross-country skiing is centred on the Vallunga region at the foot of the "Stevia" in the Puez-Odle National Park, which has a network of routes for beginners and experts including a 12km loop that leads to "Pra da ri". Mount Pana also has altitude loops and there is the "panoramic" route for the most demanding, covering a total of 30km of routes.
  
  Winter hiking is popular in the area and a good route is to follow the path of the long-closed Chiusa-Val Gardena railway line, built around World War 1 and unfortunately closed in the 1960s, which links Ortisei with Santa Cristina.
  
  For those interested in the traditions of the area, as well as the Ladina culture, Ortisei has a number of craft shops linked to an age old tradition of wood sculpture.
  
  From the top station of the Rasciesa chair lift in Ortisei, a well-prepared toboggan run (six kilometres/four miles long) takes you down into the valley and there are more toboggan runs on Alpe di Siusi. Snowshoeing, winter climbing and paragliding are also available.
  
  Selva has a sports centre with ice rink, Santa Cristina has a natural ice rink and a climbing wall. Other options in the valley include indoor tennis.

• Apres Ski And Dining Out+

  Wide ranging après ski choices include cool wine bars, lively night spots and traditional Alpine wood-lined bars; the resort has a great selection.
  
  There are dozens of places to eat in Ortesei ranging from basic pizzeria to gourmet establishments such as the Michelin starred Anna Stuben. Orlo del Bosco offers all natural cuisine, Vedl Mulin is a cool pizzeria and Antica Osteria Traube is the oldest restaurant in the valley, dating from 1779.
  
  The Val Gardena night bus means you can get back to Ortisei in the evening if you wish to enjoy après ski in one of the neighbouring villages.

• Families+

  Skiing for children is free to age eight, one of the most generous offers for the youngest children.
  
  Once children are age eight however prices are not so good compared to many resorts in Austria and Switzerland, as the resort follows the French and Italian model of asking children to pay two thirds of the adult cost.
  
  Children aged from four months to eight years can be cared from in Santa Cristina (three kilometres/two miles away) at the Casa Bimbo nursery.
  
  The ski school offers children's ski kingergarten and ski school from age four and up. There's a fun Park for children on Alpe di Siusi served by the Euro chair lift.