Cidade Turismo
Italy

Before you go

Your trip to Ortisei.

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

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Ortisei – Trentino-Alto Ádige Destination Dolomites

How to get there

  • Aeroporto di Verona Villafranca Valerio Catullo (VRN) Verona · 190 km
  • Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo (VCE) Veneza · 270 km
  • Ponte Gardena-Laion/Waidbruck-Lajen Ponte Gardena · 18 km
  • Bolzano/Bozen Bolzano · 35 km

Approximate road distances. Check flights and bus schedules before you travel.

Check before you buy. You can reach Bolzano by train from Verona, and from there take bus line 350, which also stops at the Ponte Gardena station, 18 km away. By car, Ortisei is about 35 km from Bolzano.

How many days

Two days is the minimum: one for Seceda and another for Alpe di Siusi. With three or four days you can include Passo Sella and the Sassolungo and have leeway for rainy days, when cable cars may stop.

When to go

In summer, cable cars usually operate from May or June until the end of October or the beginning of November, and trails are drier from mid-June to mid-October. Ski slopes typically open from December to March or April. Between those windows, many cable cars and mountain huts close.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

Do you need a car?

No. The cable cars for Seceda and Alpe di Siusi depart from the center, and buses connect Ortisei with Santa Cristina, Selva and Passo Sella. Village parking is limited and fills up in summer. The road to the Alpe di Siusi is closed to private traffic during the day in high season.

Suggested itinerary

An order that works

Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.

One day in Ortisei
  1. Morning
    Cable car to Seceda

    Go up early to Seceda: take the moving walkway from the center to the station, the gondola to Furnes and the cable car to the summit at about 2,500 meters. Walk along the ridge to see the Odle up close.

  2. Afternoon
    Lunch at a mountain hut and descent

    Have lunch at one of Seceda's mountain huts and walk down to Furnes, or return by cable car. In Ortisei, stroll along the pedestrian street in the center, with woodcarving shops.

  3. Late afternoon
    Museum Gherdëina

    Visit the Museum Gherdëina to see Val Gardena woodcarving, old toys and Dolomites fossils. Opening hours change with the season: check in advance.

  4. Evening
    Ladin and Tyrolean dinner

    Dine in the center of Ortisei. The cuisine mixes Tyrolean and Italian: knödel (bread dumplings), speck (smoked ham) and apple strudel.

2 days in Ortisei

Day 1

  1. Morning
    Seceda early

    Take the first cable car to Seceda when there are fewer people, and walk the ridge with views of the Odle and, to the south, the Sassolungo and Sella.

  2. Afternoon
    Trail to Col Raiser

    Have lunch in a refuge and follow the pasture trail to Col Raiser, from where a gondola descends to Santa Cristina. Return to Ortisei by bus.

  3. Late afternoon
    Ortisei center

    Visit the Museum Gherdëina and the parish church of Sant'Ulrico, which gave the village its German name. Notice the woodcarving workshops around the center.

  4. Evening
    Dinner in the village

    Dine in the center. After a day in the mountains, restaurants tend to fill early: book in high season.

Day 2

  1. Morning
    Gondola to the Alpe di Siusi

    Take the gondola that leaves Ortisei's center for the Alpe di Siusi and walk through the meadows, with the Sciliar and Sassolungo in the background.

  2. Afternoon
    Meadows and huts

    Have lunch at one of the plateau huts and follow one of the flat trails toward Compaccio or Saltria. Plateau buses shorten the return route.

  3. Late afternoon
    Return to the valley

    Descend by gondola before the last scheduled time, which varies by season. In Ortisei, walk along the banks of the river Gardena.

  4. Evening
    Last night in Val Gardena

    Finish with a dinner in the village. Try a wine from Alto Adige, such as Lagrein or Gewürztraminer.

Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

Why does Ortisei have three names?

Because Val Gardena is trilingual. Ortisei is the Italian name, St. Ulrich the German one—named after the patron Saint Ulric—and Urtijëi the Ladin name, the local Romance language spoken by most residents.

How to get from Bolzano to Ortisei?

By bus line 350, which links Bolzano to Val Gardena and also stops at the Ponte Gardena train station. By car it's about 35 km.

Do the cable cars operate in October?

Some do. In Val Gardena, the Seceda and Alpe di Siusi cable cars usually run until the end of October or early November, while others close earlier, in September or October. Check the yearly schedule before your trip.

Is Ortisei a good base for skiing?

Yes. Val Gardena is part of Dolomiti Superski, and the season usually runs from December to March or April. You can reach the Seceda and Alpe di Siusi slopes from the center.

Is there a tourist tax in Ortisei?

Yes. It is charged per person per night and paid at the accommodation.

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