Alpe di Siusi Ronda

Alpe di Siusi is Europe's highest plateau and offers spectacular views of the Sassolungo and Sciliar mountains. In winter, the snow-covered pastures turn into a wonderland for skiers and cross-country skiers alike.

Tip: Alpe di Siusi is a popular skiing area amongst families with kids - for two reasons. First, the slopes are less steep and challenging than in other areas of Val Gardena. Second, there are only ski lifts and chairlifts on Alpe di Siusi - you'll never have to take off and carry your skis anywhere! Except for lunch, of course.

Note: All lifts included in the Alpe di Siusi Ronda are covered by the Val Gardena/Alpe di Siusi Skipass - no need to get a Dolomiti Superski-Pass!

The Alpe di Siusi Ronda, also known as "Witches Tour"," starts and ends at the top of the Alpe di Siusi (#1) gondola, accessed from Ortisei. Visit our Val Gardena Ronda page if you don't know how to get here on skis from Selva and Santa Cristina! The goal of the day is to ski all the way to the small settlement of Saltria and back, while taking different lifts and slopes each way.

From the Alpe di Siusi mountain station, start skiing and follow the slopes all the way to the bottom. From there, take the Mezdì (#69) chairlift. Once you get to the top, immediately keep right and follow the long, narrow slope. This way, you'll quickly reach the Sanon hut and nearby Sanon (#68) chairlift.

Take the chairlift, keep left at the mountain station, and descend to Monte Piz, where you'll take the next one - Steger Dellai (#61). It's not far from there to the Kompatsch skiing area. You can continue on your Alpe di Siusi Ronda by taking the Panorama (#62) chairlift, or spend some time exploring the surrounding slopes.

Tip: Taking the Bullacia/Puflatsch (#63) lift will take you to one of the highest points on Alpe di Siusi. The view from the top is breathtaking!

From Panorama mountain station, a flat descent will take you to the Paradiso (#74) chairlift. Make sure to get some speed at the beginning to avoid having to push excessively! Take the chairlift and descend all the way to Saltria. There you go, you're halfway!

Tip: Not mandatory but highly recommended, the Florian (#65) chairlift will take you close to the Sassolungo mountain group, offering a fantastic view. Additionally, three of Alpe di Siusi's best mountain huts are found here: Williams, Zallinger, and Tirler. So if it's lunch time, you know where to go! And just so you know: this is an excellent tobogganing area as well.

Once you're ready to head back, start by taking the Floralpina (#70) chairlift from Saltria, followed by Punta d'Oro/Goldknopf (#71).

Tip: The speed run at Punta d'Oro is the ultimate place to test your courage and speed if you're an expert skier. From the top of the chairlift, one person at a time may tackle a very steep slope, and their velocity is measured at the bottom. Can you break 100 kph (60 mph)?

The next lifts to take will be Bamby (#75), followed my Monte Piz/Icaro (#60). Then, keep left and ski to the Leo Demetz (#67) chairlift. You've almost made it! All that's left to do is descend to the Mezdì lift - the same one you took when you started the tour. From the top of the chairlift, you'll easily reach the Alpe di Siusi mountain station. Here you can ski back to Ortisei via the Pilat slope.

That's it - you've completed the Alpe di Siusi Ronda! As you can see, the itinerary is not particularly long and demanding, and rest assured - kids frequently complete it with ease.

From Ortisei you can ski to Santa Cristina (and Selva) by connecting to the Seceda (and Ciampinoi) skiing areas - check out our Val Gardena Ronda article for detailed directions. Alternatively, you can always take the ski bus, call a taxi or have your hotel's shuttle service pick you up.

We're sure that you're going to have a lot of fun exploring the Alpe di Siusi skiing area of Val Gardena. And if you're up for having a few drinks before heading home for the day, don't forget to check out our article on Val Gardena’s Best Après-Ski destinations. Cheers to a great day!