Culture & Sights in the Dolomites Region Val Gardena

The eponymous bronze statue were built on the "Raida dl luech" walk in S. Cristina. The project is the result of a competition backed by the partnership between S. Cristina, the Tourist Association and the S. Cristina Art Sculpture Association to embellish the "Raida dl luech" and to o emphasize the importance and value of artistic activity in Val Gardena. The bronze statue freerider was built in 2012 near the Cisles Street in S. Cristina.

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

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 Tervela waterfall is situated at the opposite of the centre of S. Cristina. The creek has its source at the Sassolungo and after crossing Monte Pana, it falls 50 m and flows into the Rio Gardena.

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 Sëurasas below the Picberg (2,119 m) is one of the most popular vantage points in Val Gardena. The viewpoint not only offers a marvellous view, but the interesting nature of the path also makes this area a special feature. The starting point is the Cristauta car park above S. Cristina. The destination is the beautiful large hand-carved summit cross of Sëurasas.
In winter, you can reach the "Crujeta" summit cross on snowshoes.

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.

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.

Due to its exposed position, Mont Pic is a wonderful panoramic mountain with views of the Sella, Sassolungo and Alpe di Siusi.

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.

From 1917 until 1960, the Val Gardena Railway drove through this Railway tunnel near the parish church of S. Cristina Val Gardena. In 2017, after works of restauration, the tunnel has been made accessible to history enthusiasts and people who walk along the Val Gardena Railway Trail.

On the interactive panels inside the tunnel, you can listen to the famous Ladin song "La ferata" or discover interesting facts, technical details and stories related to the Val Gardena Railway.

The Seceda area is located on the sunny side of Val Gardena, at the foot of the Natural Park Puez –Odle.

From the Seceda summit you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Dolomites and of all the mountains in South Tyrol.

Our area offers a great number of mountain huts and refuges where you can stop, refresh yourself and have a nice time.

Every single hut on Seceda has its very special charm and boasts a really distinctive atmosphere. An original wooden bench, a comfortable deck chair, a sunbathing terrace or a cosy "stube" - Seceda offers something for everyone. Skiers, snowboarders, hikers, paragliders but also families with children ... everybody meets on Seceda!

The idyllic Lech Sant (Ladin for ‘Holy Lake’) is the largest mountain lake on the Mastlé Alm. The meadow at the edge of the lake with a magnificent view on the Odle peaks invites you to linger and relax.

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 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.

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.

In 1917, the mudslide at Insom below the Pic mountain broke loose for the first time.  Two buildings and a barn were buried under the mass of loose rock, mud and snow. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. 24 years later, in the spring of 1951, the Insom mudslide threatened the village of St. Christina for the second time. The mudslide followed in the footsteps of the 1917 mudslide and at the Insom farmstead, where it dug deep into the ground, beams, floorboards and foundation walls (remains of the buildings buried in 1917) were visible again for some time. It was only thanks to the energetic efforts of the fire brigade that a major catastrophe was prevented.

The Seiser Alm is the largest high plateau in Europe (56 km²). It is located in the South Tyrolean Dolomites in Italy, north-east of Bolzano above the well-known tourist destinations Ortisei and Castelrotto. The Mount Sciliar and the Denti di Terrarossa bound the Seiser Alm to the southwest. To the southeast follows the striking mountain massif of the Sassolungo Group. To the north, Bullaccia borders with Val Gardena.

During summer, as well as in winter, the Seiser Alm is a famous destination for numerous guests. In early summer, you can admire the beautiful flowers that transform the plateau into a sea of colour. The Seiser Alm owes its uniqueness to the farmers, who annually mow the great meadows during the summer months with much diligence and effort.

Even during the winter months you can enjoy numerous activities, such as skiing, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

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.

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.

An unique botanical attraction, the highest rosary of Europe waits for you at the Hotel Uhrerhof in Bulla. Discover the variety of 6.000 roses of more than 150 various species. A steep mountain hillside was transformed into a garden park filled with flowers and perfume. Enjoy the beauty of nature! From July to September every day from 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. along the hillside at the Hotel Uhrerhof in Bulla. Dogs are not admitted.

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.

Museum Gherdëina

The heritage of an entire valley

Geology and wooden toys, artistic tradition and Luis Trenker: the Gherdëina Museum offers an overview of everything that makes Val Gardena special. The journey through time begins there 250 million years ago with unique fossils and minerals. And if you feel like it, you can experience the large ichtyosaur from the Secëda mountain in its habitat in virtual reality.

Another attraction is the wooden toy from Val Gardena that has conquered children's rooms all over the world. From December 2025, a new exhibition will show the3 evolution of toys, with pieces from the collection of the toy manufacturer Sevi, which comprises 8,000 samples from seven decades.

The museum also houses secular and sacred wood carvings from the 18th and 19th centuries as well as a pictorial Lenten cloth and sculptures from the church of San Giacomo. Late medieval red chalk drawings from a farmhouse are presented in multimedia form and are not the only insight into local rural architecture.

Finally, there ist the cult figure of the mountaineer, film and television star Luis Trenker, whose film requirements, posters, books and awards are on display in the museum.

 

Guided tours in Italian, German and English (upon request)

For current opening hours, admission prices and events visit: www.museumgherdeina.it

St. Jacob’s Church San Giacomo’s Church, dedicated to the patron saint of pilgrims and travellers, is traditionally known as the oldest church in Val Gardena: its origins date back to the 12th century. | It is located right above Ortisei, along the ancient path, “Troi Paian”. From Ortisei you can reach the idyllic , sunny hamlet comfortably by ski- or summer bus or by car. Here you are surrounded by nature and you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view. After a 15-minute walk (slightly uphill) you will arrive to the San Giacomo Church. Alternatively, you can start from Ortisei and take a slightly sloping trail (Path of Dialogue), which takes you to the San Giacomo Church in about an hour. Another beautiful circular walk connects S. Cristina (Plesdinaz) with the church. The current overall appearance is Gothic, and the inside is part Gothic and part Baroque. The church features remarkable frescoes (late 15th century) in the presbytery. Wall paintings from the 16th century, illustrating the legend of San Giacomo (St. James), decorate the area near the pulpit. The local wood-carving tradition is represented in the main altar. Around 1750 the Vinazer-Pescosta brothers decorated it with spiral columns, gilded images of ancient church leaders, apostles and angels. The current sculptures and artwork on the main altar are replicas made by local carvers. The originals are on display at the Val Gardena Museum in Ortisei.

GUIDED TOURS to the church weekly in Winter and Summer. Reservation and more details at the Tourist Office Ortisei.

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)

Along the 1.5 km trail, you will find a beautiful viewpoint with a detailed description of the mountains to be seen.

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.

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.

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).

One of the most beautiful viewpoints in Val Gardena is definitely the Seceda . At an altitude of 2,500 metres, you can admire the Odle, Sassolungo and Sassopiatto and the Sella massif. The numerous mountain huts invite you to enjoy a delicious lunch.