Val Gardena Ronda

On the Val Gardena Ronda you have the opportunity to explore the valley and some of the best slopes of the ski resort Val Gardena.
Early in the morning you can enjoy the slope from Col Raiser down into the valley.
Early in the morning you can enjoy the slope from Col Raiser down into the valley.
Klaus KasererSport & entertainment
Table of Contents

Introduction

The Val Gardena Ronda will take you through the interconnected skiing areas of Ciampinoi, Col Raiser, Seceda, Alpe di Siusi and Monte Pana - all in a single day!

The Val Gardena Ronda can be completed by taking as little as a dozen lifts, or extended into an intense daytrip - the options to add slopes, stops and detours along the way are endless. Whether you prefer putting together the perfect itinerary or figuring it out as you go, don't miss this ski excursion - it's one of the best in Val Gardena.

Notes

  • All lifts included in the Val Gardena Ronda are covered by the Val Gardena/Alpe di Siusi Skipass - no need to get a Dolomiti Superski-Pass!
  • Note: Completing the Val Gardena Ronda requires taking a five-minute walk through the pedestrian area of Ortisei, as well as a ten-minute bus ride from Saltria to Monte Pana.
  • Download a map of the Val Gardena Ronda here!

The Tour

The Val Gardena Ronda can be tackled from all three villages of Val Gardena. The itinerary proposed in this article starts in Ruacia, at the bottom of the Saslong slope in Santa Cristina.

  • Selva: If you're staying in Selva, taking the Ciampinoi (#29) lift and descending the Saslong slope will quickly get you there.
  • Santa Cristina: Depending on where your accommodation in S. Cristina is located, you choose Ruacia as starting point or take the ski bus directly to the valley station of the Col Raiser cable car (# 14).
  • Ortisei: If you want to start from Ortisei, skip ahead a couple of paragraphs and read this part later!

From Ruacia, take the Val Gardena Ronda Express. The short subterranean train ride will soon get you to the Col Raiser (#14) gondola, which will take you into the Seceda skiing area.

Insider-Tip: The "Pela" or "Pista Nera" (black slope) is one of the steepest slopes in Val Gardena. If that sounds just like your thing, keep right as you exit the Col Raiser mountain station and push your way to the mountain station of the Cisles (#12) chairlift. You'll quickly reach the start of the slope. After the thrilling run, we recommend continuing your descent and taking the Col Raiser gondola a second time. But if you want to keep it short, take the chairlift back to the top.

From the Col Raiser mountain station, head towards the Seceda ski area on your left. The Fermeda (#8) chairlift will soon take you to an altitude of over 2,500m (8,200 ft.)!

Zoom
Once at the top of the Seceda ski area, the Geisler peaks show their most beautiful side.
Zoom
If you have enough time, you shouldn't miss the descent from Seceda to S. Cristina.
photo

Insider-Tip: While the Fermeda chairlift is the only one you have to take here, we highly recommend spending some time in this area, exploring the lifts and slopes on the sunny side of Val Gardena. And why not grab a snack or aperitif in one of Seceda's excellent mountain huts?

From the top of Seceda, Val Gardena's longest descent lies ahead of you. Covering a distance of over 10km (6 miles), "La Longia" will take you all the way to Ortisei through dense forests and giant boulders. Enjoy the ride! And if you want to repeat it, the Ortisei-Furnes (#2) and Furnes-Seceda (#3) lifts will take you back to the top in a heartbeat.

Zoom
Short break at the Sofie Hut: e.g. Espresso and cake with sun and mountain panorama.
Zoom
The slope "La Longia" to Ortisei is 10 km long and one of the most beautiful slopes in Val Gardena.
photo

From the bottom of Seceda, an underground connection of escalators called "La Curta" leads straight into the heart of Ortisei - follow the tunnel all the way. As you exit, keep walking straight until you reach the little church, then turn right and walk along the beautiful pedestrian area of Ortisei. After a few minutes, you'll reach an intersection at the pink Hotel Cavallino Bianco - turn left. After crossing a short pedestrian bridge, you'll reach the Alpe di Siusi valley station. That's it - that's all the walking required to complete the Val Gardena Ronda!

Starting from Ortisei

The Alpe di Siusi (#1) gondola will take you to, you guessed it, Alpe di Siusi - Europe's largest plateau. From the top, you'll enjoy a breathtaking view of the Sassolungo and Sciliar. Take a nice photo before moving on!

Your next destination is the settlement of Saltria. To reach it, you'll have to cross the entire Alpe di Siusi plateau via a series of easygoing lifts and slopes. The chairlifts that'll get you to Saltria are Mezdì (#69), Sanon (#68), Steger Dellai (#61), Panorama (#62) and Paradfiso (#74). Read our separate article Alpe di Siusi Ronda for details, detours and recommendations concerning this part of the itinerary!

From Saltria, you'll have to take a short bus ride to Monte Pana. But don't worry - ski buses run frequently and the ride only takes about ten minutes! Once you get to Monte Pana, you're back in Santa Cristina territory (Note: this could be another starting point for the Val Gardena Ronda). Next, take the Monte Sëura chairlift (#23), then continue towards Tramans (#21).

Zoom
On the Alpe di Siusi you get closer and closer to the Sciliar. Countless opportunities for a photo.
Zoom
From Mont de Sëura you can look over the entire Alpe di Siusi circuit before continuing.
Zoom
If you have enough time, you can ski down the slope from Mont de Sëura back to Monte Pana.
photo

Insider-Tip: Consider adding a detour to the Piz Sella ski area if you have the time. Ski past the Vallongia hut to Plan de Gralba and take the Piz Sella (#44) or Piz Seteur (#45 + #46) lifts to access it. Since this is part of the Sellaronda, expect more people on the slopes here!

The Piza Pranseies (#22) chairlift will finally take you to the top of Ciampinoi - the last peak of the day if you're staying in Selva or Santa Cristina.

Zoom
If your destination is Selva or S. Cristina, you can stop off at the Saslonch Hut before the last descent.
photo

If Selva is your final destination, you can get back to town by following the 3 slope (keep to the right of the Saslonch hut). If you're staying in Santa Cristina or Ortisei, on the other hand, take the Saslong slope and ski all the way to the starting point - Ruacia in Santa Cristina. That's it! You have completed the Val Gardena Ronda!

If you started in Ortisei, go back to the beginning of the article to find out how to complete the tour.

We're sure that you're going to have a lot of fun exploring ski resort Val Gardena. Don't miss this iconic excursion! And if you're up for having a few drinks before calling it a day, check out our article on Val Gardena’s Best Après-Ski destinations!