In the centre of Ortisei, the main village of the Val Gardena, the “most beautiful shopping street in the Dolomites” awaits you
Ortisei (St. Ulrich in Gröden) stretches from the Val Gardena valley floor to the Rasciesa Alp. This high plateau, located in the Puez-Odle Nature Park, is a popular hiking area in summer and features a kilometre-long toboggan run in winter.
The main village of Ortisei and the hamlet of San Giacomo are part of the municipality. Bulla, Roncadizza, and Oltretorrente belong to Ortisei in terms of church, language, and geography, but are otherwise part of Castelrotto: A mountain road leads from Ortisei to the Passo Pinei and onwards to Castelrotto.
Ortisei, or Urtijëi - its Ladin name -, is renowned far beyond its borders for its wood carving artistry and finely crafted nativity figures. The centre features traditional houses, small shops, long-established hotels, and a pedestrian zone considered the most beautiful in the Dolomites. This zone connects the Parish Church of St. Ulrich with the small Renaissance-style Church of St. Anthony.
There stands the Cësa di Ladins, the Ladin House, which houses the Museum Gherdëina - Val Gardena Museum, telling the story of the valley and its long history. The range of activities is defined by the surrounding landscape. The mountain scenery around the Rasciesa, the Seceda, and Mont Sëuc - also known as the Alpe di Siusi - provides numerous opportunities for hikers and mountain bikers in summer, as well as for skiers, winter hikers, and cross-country skiers in winter.
The Val Gardena Skiing Area, annual host of the FIS Ski World Cup Val Gardena, is connected to the Sellaronda around the Sella Massif, the Alpe di Siusi Ski Resort, and the extensive Dolomiti Superski carousel. On the outskirts of the village, in Oltretorrente, the "Mar Dolomit" provides an indoor swimming pool and sauna complex for relaxing hours to revitalise tired muscles.
