Culture & Sights in the Dolomites Region Val Gardena

The castle was built between 1622 and 1641 by Engelhard Dietrich von Wolkenstein-Trostburg. It is located between Selva and S.Cristina and was used as a summer and hunting lodge. In 1863, Count Leopold von Wolkenstein-Trostburg granted the castle to S.Cristina municipality to transform it into a almshouse. The castle has been owned by the Franchetti Barons since 1926, and it is currently closed to the public.

The monument is near the parish church square in Ortisei. It was built in memory of Johann Baptist Purger (1805-1872), the mayor who fought for the construction of the Val Gardena Road from Ponte Gardena to Ortisei.

The chapel was built by the local "Alpini" groups and it is dedicated to their patron saint, St.Maurice. It was inaugurated in Spring 2004. Open from mid of May till mid of October.

Since 2000, the world's largest nativity scene has been displayed in the Iman Sports Centre in S. Cristina. The project is beeing carried out by a group of 18 sculptors. It was initiated in 1998 with the first statue being that of the Holy Mary with Baby Jesus. Creativity, sensibility, sense of art and skill fostered the idea: St. Joseph, the Magi, a shepherd, a donkey, three sheep, an Angel and a camel are now part of the scene, and the family continues to grow year after year.

The beautiful Romanesque church, dedicated to St. Leonard, was built around the 13th century. Its main altar dates back to the 18th century.

The residential complex is almost cube shaped with a low, pitched roof. It is situated on a through-road, next to a hotel. Due to the noise of the traffic and the lack of privacy a different design was called for: the concrete frame shields the south side from the road, the west facing side is mainly closed due to the proximity to the hotel and only the most necessary windows can be found on the north side. It is on the east facade that large, regularly spaced windows look out over an open space, as do the terrace areas of the roof top flats. These different, rhythmically placed windows leave a lively impression of the house.

A cable car always means an intrusion into the mountains. For the fragile high-mountain landscape above Selva/Wolkenstein, an architect was commissioned for a suitable design. For the 2.2-km cable car, which has the capacity to transport 3,000 people per hour, three structures were to be designed: the base, intermediate and summit stations. The equipment rooms were to be situated underground to the extent possible, allowing passengers to step into spacious, glazed entrance areas that are covered by protective, undulating concrete shells. The smooth lines of the base station integrates into the terrain with smooth lines. The steel structure of the open intermediate station has a glassy, transparent look, and passengers are greeted at the summit station by the welcoming gesture of a concrete shell above the glazed hall.

The school is situated in the immediate vicinity of the parish church and the House of the Teutonic Order, and was built outside the old town in what was formerly a bog. Here the water table is only about one meter below the surface of the ground. In order to avoid a dangerous rise of groundwater in the area and thus circumvent repercussions in the historical buildings as a result of building the school, the structure was built on a “raft” 80 inches above the ground. Likewise because of the historical neighboring building, a long, single-story structure was planned that would not create competition from a design viewpoint but would, however. have its own distinct character. Under the wide, projecting flat roof and on the perimetric base plate a “forest” of tree trunks was placed in front of the façades, which allows for enough illumination but creates a solid impression in the oblique view. Depending on the viewing angle and light, the building differs distinctly in appearance.

10 years Christmas village Ortisei - The picturesque capital of the Val Gardena, has been enchanting its visitors during the Christmas season since 2014. It has become a beautiful tradition: Ortisei's pedestrian area transforms into a true fairy-tale landscape adorned with Christmas decorations that captivate visitors of all ages. Along the pedestrian zone, typical wooden huts welcome visitors. In an impressive manner, the Christmas village Ortisei combines the deeply rooted traditions of the Val Gardena with the elegance and exclusivity of the offerings of the hut operators.

The festive atmosphere is accompanied by the Christmas tunes of local musicians, spreading joy and serenity in the air. Visitors can stroll through the Christmas village, admire local craftsmanship, discover regional delicacies, and find original gift items among the Christmas huts.

The Christmas village is an experience that engages all the senses and offers moments of joy and sharing in an enchanting environment. It is a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the tradition and culture of the mountains and fully experience the spirit of Christmas in a magical atmosphere.

Opening times Christmas Village Ortisei:
30.11.2024 - 01.12.2024
16.00h - 19.00h - gastronomy till 20.00h

05.12.2024 until 05.01.2025
From Monday to Friday: 16.00 - 19.00h
Weekend: 11.00h - 19.00h
Gastronomy: till 20.00h

Special opening hours: 
24.12.2024: 11.00h - 17.00h
25.12.2024: only gastronomy 11.00h - 20.00h

On the trail to San Giacomo there is a monument in memory of the Austrian mountaineer Paul Grohmann (1838-1908), who managed several first ascents in the Dolomites, including the Sassolungo (1869), the Marmolada (1864), the Cima Grande (1869) and the Tofana di Roze (1864). In 1875, the peak Punta Grohmann in the Sassolungo Group was named after him.

The Resciesa Alp is part of the Dolomites - UNESCO World Heritage and a popular excursion destination for everyone. Hikers, families, hobby photographers, bikers and connoisseurs are taking advantage of this unique space in the middle of Nature park Puez - Odle. The natural park with an area of ​​over 10,000 ha is bordered in the north by Passo delle Erbe and in the south by Passo Gardena; in the east the area reaches Val Badia, in the west into Val di Funes up to  Val Gardena. The northern part of the area is dominated by the Aferer and the Funes Odle and the Sas de Pütia, the southern the plateau of Gherdenacia, Sassongher, Puez with Vallunga and the Cir Group.

 

The 19th century neo-Gothic nave was demolished in 1988 and replaced by a modern octagonal structure. The beautiful chancel dating back to 1670, however, was preserved, complete with the painting of the Madonna with Child by Lukas Cranach on the high altar (now a copy). In 1503 Wilhelm von Wolkenstein had a chapel dedicated to the Virgin built here, which subsequently had to be enlarged several times to cope with the large numbers of people who came to this popular place of pilgrimage as they still do today. On the outside wall of the sacristy there is a stone painted with the coat of arms of the Counts of Wolkenstein.

The 19th century Neo-Gothic nave was dismantled in 1988 and replaced by an 8-sided building. This remarkable church is decorated with several paintings, carvings, statues and images (among which a statue of St. Ulrich by Ludwig Moroder and the altar painting depicting the Adoration of the Magi by Josef Moroder-Lusenberg).

A musical clock is set into the facade of the "Sarteur" house in Selva. Every day at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. (5 p.m.), fourteen valuable bells play different tunes. Four wood-carved medieval statues appear as the music starts. The paintings on the wall depict the craftsmen who used to work in the area, which was once called "Ghetun".

St. Anthony’s Chapel built in 1673 and situated on the main square in Ortisei/St. Ulrich is a popular photo motif thanks to its simple and unadorned style and roof turret.

It features an altar painting depicting St. Anthony from Padua, by the Swiss painter Melchior Deschwanden.

According to crochronologic analysis the Paratoni farm was first built in 1232. Despite the various expansions and maintenance works over the centuries the original foundations have remained intact. You can reach the farm with the Ladin farm crawl, where you pass by many mountain farms in S. Cristina, offering you a glimpse of a farmer's life in Val Gadena. This listed farmhouse has been refurbished to a high standard and made accessible to the public as an inn both historical dining rooms invite guests to enjoy typical Ladin specialities. Prior reservation required.

The sundial created by the artist Roland Moroder is located on the Alpe Juac on a huge meadow and counts as usual all the serne hours. From Selva Gardena one reaches the sundial about the cozy walk no. 3 from the "Daunëi" fraction. Walking time: 30 min.

The building complex, comprising the old hotel and the new residence apartments, is located at the entrance of the valley-side entrance to Selva/Wolkenstein, and is easily accessible both by car and by public transport. Based upon the modern mountain architecture of the 1920s, an elongated wing was designed on the constricted plot that adapts to the natural lay of the land and adjoins itself to the scale of the existing hotel to which it is attached. The reinforced-concrete support structure was built with materials that suit the surrounding landscape: dark impregnated larch wood in the outdoor area, bright spruce wood in the interiors, oak floors, quartzite, white stucco, black steel, leather and natural-colored materials. The ventilated horizontal wooden slats in front of the wooden-clad facade and balconies form as a "second skin”, so to speak, a sort of filter between the interior and exterior spaces.

Josef Runggaldier commissioned this parish in 1900 to honour St. Joseph as a sign of his gratitude after having survived an accident whilst working in the woods. A painting inside the church depicts the episode. The extension project was stopped in 1979. However, a new church was started in 1981 and consecrated in 1984.

The Stone City is located on Passo Sella under the famous Sassolungo, it is a "city" with a lot of stones of different sizes which you can climb or walk around. Along the path you have an amazing view of the city and its surroundings.

On Wednesdays you can find our weekly market on the Town Hall Square in S. Cristina where they offer fresh fruits and vegetables, cloths and other. The market is smaller in winter.

A chapel dedicated to Santa Cristina existed here probably at the end of the 12th century. A Romanesque church was mentioned in a papal document in 1342. The bell tower walls, up to the roof eaves, date back to that period. The church was extensively altered and enlarged: the choir is in the Gothic style, and a polygonal ossuary was added in the 16th century. The main altar (1690, Vinazer dynasty of sculptors) is worth a visit. The bronze statue of St. Philomena by Dominik Mahlknecht, once in the ossuary, is now in the main sqare of S. Cristina.

St. Anna’s Chapel | A small church built at the beginning of the 15th century in the Ortisei’s graveyard. It features a noteworthy portal and several ancient gravestones and memorials.

The church will be open only for special occasions.

This tiny, charming place of silence and meditation was dedicated to the patron saint of cattle. 300 year-old frescoes illustrating the history of Jesus' life were uncovered during restoration work in 1993.

One of the South Tyrols most magnificent fortress complexes, Castle Trostburg was built at the end of the 12th century and then enlarged and fortified in the 16th century. It has a stupendous late-Renaissance hall in addition to a vaulted Gothic Stube. This is where the famous medieval poet Oswald von Wolkenstein lived.
The castle houses exhibitions and works of art from a variety of epochs. It is also home to a collection of around 80 models of South Tyrolean castles, the work of Ludwig Mitterdorfer (1885-1963).

Information and reservation for groups, tel. 0471 654 401. 

The Holy Cross Chapel, built in 1755 in Rasciesa di Fuori (over 2200 m) is also worth a visit. The chapel was restored in summer 2012.
The chapel is located at Resciesa and can only be reached on foot in about 45 minutes, starting from the top station of the Resciesa funicular. It is a flat and easily walkable trail suitable for the whole family.

Monpiër - from "mo n pier", the typical Ladin phrase pronounced by those who want "another beer" - is the name of the first craft brewery in Val Gardena.Founded in Ortisei in 2016, born from the desire to get involved by Carmelo, Diego, Jan and Tobia: four people from Val Gardena who have found a common denominator in beer. Monpiër beers take their name from the surrounding mountains and their respective heights and are a dedication and hymn to the beauty of the Dolomites.Our 1000 liter manual batch system allows our brewer a lot of flexibility in the construction of the recipes and styles to be produced. In our laboratory, low fermentation beers are born, high beers and exploiting the local microflora we carry out a wooden project of spontaneous fermentations. Selected malts and a skilful dosage of hops combined with pure high mountain water from the Cunfin spring located at the foot of the Sassolungo are a guarantee of high quality. Monpiër is proof that craft beer can be simple, drinkable, immediate - and at the same time incredibly seductive.In addition to the beers produced by our brewery, we offer a vast assortment of over 70 national and international craft beers in our Labetula brew pub.

The old Nives barn, in the middle of a sprawling tourist village structure, was to be preserved as a reminder of the farming past and used for exhibiting purposes. Through the renovation, surfaces were created in the section made of stone and in the solid wood construction of the barn. The interior spaces below were plastered, and those above were paneled with larch. In order to enlarge the exhibition space the barn was connected through a short passageway to a new structure, forming an elegant architectural contrast. A visually light pavilion, the structural steelwork, was surrounded on all sides by a glass facade. As a result, the building allows insight into what is happening inside and develops a dialogue with passers-by, who are encouraged by its transparency to visit.

Ortisei is the capital of Val Gardena, famous for its picturesque pedestrian area with great shops and cafés and its ornate woodcarvings.

This idyllic part of Val Gardena offers the possibility to enjoy the magic pedestrian area during your holiday with the breath-taking view to Sassolungo.

Shopping in Val Gardena is a fun experience. From ski suits to haute couture: you have a great choice. After strolling round the shops there are plenty of restaurants and cafés where you can indulge your palate.

The monument is located along the path named after him. It is dedicated to "Bera Luis", the famous local actor, director, writer and passionate mountaineer who successfully conveyed his love for the mountains to his vast audience.

Luis Trenker was born in Ortisei on October 4th 1892, and died in Bolzano on April 12th 1990, at the age of 97. He was buried in the family tomb in the cemetery of Ortisei.
During his school days he worked as a mountain guide and ski instructor. He studied architecture in Vienna and Graz and opened an architectural office in Bolzano, which he had to close shortly after because his degree was not recognized in Italy.
For this he worked as an artist and lived in Berlin from 1927 to 1940.

His first contact with film came in 1921, when he was hired as a mountain guide for the film "Berg des Schicksals" (Mountain of Destiny). When the director realized that the lead actor was unable to climb, Trenker took on the lead role. Other films followed in quick succession, initially as an actor, then also as director and screenwriter. Not only mountain films, but also adventure films, comedies, thrillers, and historical films.
In addition to his films, Luis Trenker also published a number of novels, articles and accounts of his experiences.
In the last years of his life, Trenker also fought for environmental protection and nature conservation.

The most known films:
Struggle for the Matterhorn (1928)
Mountains on fire (1931)
The Rebel (1932)
The prodigal son (1934)
The mountain calls (1938)
Monte Miracolo (1943)