Holidays in Ortisei

There are plenty of things to do to keep you busy in Ortisei town. The pedestrianised centre is a sweep of arcaded shops, restaurants, churches and cafés, all bundled up in a colourful alpine palette. Friday evenings are when the streets really come alive, with diners digging into all manner of food and drink from pizzas and gröstl dumplings to Michelin-starred menus late into the night, while bands get toes tapping in the summer. Most of the residents speak Ladin as their first language, so it’s a great idea to learn a few words… and to call Ortisei by its Ladin name of Urtijëi.

If you think your summer holiday is a strange time to stock up on Nativity sets, then think again. Master woodcarvers have been chipping away in Ortisei since the 15^th century, passing on skills through the generations. It’s a revered and sacred art in this neck of the woods (pine woods, to be exact), filling churches with decadent altar pieces and shop shelves with souvenir Nativity sets. Go to Gherdëina museum for a whistle-stop tour through the history of woodcarving.

Buses connect the villages of the Alto Adige. Drop by the neighbouring town of Selva, the high-rise rose gardens of Rosarium Uhrerhof, and Puez-Geisler Nature Park, with its lovely hiking loops and mountain huts with iconic Dolomite views. Buses also head to Bolzano, the provincial capital of South Tyrol. It’s a university city with a cathedral, galleries, squares and parks, all topped off with a lively mountain spirit.

Lifts

There are 18 lifts open in Val Gardena during the summer, normally from the beginning of June until early October. If you're planning to make good use of the lifts in the Val Gardena the Gardena Card is really useful and may even save you some money or if you want to explore further afield then the Dolomiti Supersummer pass gives you access to 120 lifts in 15 regions.

For more information on the cards mentioned above check out the 'Cards & Passes' section of this page.

Public transport

For Inghams guests the public buses in the Val Gardena are free. All you have to do is take you Val Gardena Mobil Card with you and you'll easily be able to hop from town to town within the area. This opens up even more areas for you to explore!

You'll get a free Digital Guest Pass when you stay at any of our hotels in the Val Gardena. It gives you unlimited travel on all public transport in South Tyrol.

The card is digital. When checking in to your hotel, you'll be asked to provide a valid email address to which the digital guest pass will be sent.

For more information about what's included with the pass, visit the official website.

The Gardena Card is very useful if you're planning to use the lifts in the Val Gardena a lot. Round trips start from about €24 so it may be worth buying the card, which will give you unlimited access for:

• €103 per adult for three consecutive days
• €135 per adult for six consecutive days

The Dolomiti SuperSummer card is useful if you’re looking to really take advantage of the walking trails and use several ski lifts throughout the Dolomite area. It gives you access to 120 lifts in the region. We'd recommend booking your Supersummer pass in resort with the help of your rep. For more information visit the Dolomiti Supersummer official website.

The card includes access to:

• 120 lifts in the Dolomites area
• Included bike transport on lifts

For a 3 day card the cost is:

• €120 per adult
• €84 for children under 16 years

For a 5 day card the cost is:

• €160 per adult
• €112 for children under 16 years

Concessions:

Children under 8 years can access the card for free if accompanied by an adult who has purchased the pass

Prices are accurate at the time of publishing, for up to date pricings visit the Dolomiti Supersummer official website.