Val Gardena, Italy
A vast area of connected ski slopes with stunning Dolomiti scenery.

· Skiing Val Gardena from $1,465 · Italian Ski Trips from $929 · Photo Gallery

This is an area unlike any other. The Sella Ronda is an amazing circular network of lifts and trails taking you around the spectacular Gruppo Sella- a mighty limestone massif with villages scattered around it, the biggest of them being Selva (or Selva Val Gardena / Wolkenstein, to give the resort its Sunday name and alternative German form). As well as this impressive main circuit, there are major lift systems leading off it at four main points. In overall scale, the network rivals the famed Trois Vallées in France. And the Superski lift ticket covers dozens of other resorts reachable by road. So there's plenty to keep you busy.

The scenery is fabulous - almost a match for nearby Cortina. But the Dolomiti landscape that provides the visual drama also dictates the nature off the slopes. Sheer limestone cliffs rise out of gentle pastureland; you send your time on the latter, gazing at the former. There is scarcely a black run to be seen, and runs of more than 500m/1600ft vertical are rare, Runs of under 300m/1000ft vertical are not.

Trail map	Town map
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What's Great	What's Not-So-Great
+ Vast network of connected slopes - suits intermediates particularly well + Stunning, unique Dolomite scenery + Superb snowmaking and grooming + lively mountain huts with good food + Many new lifts with only a few bad Sella Ronda circuit bottlenecks left now + Good beginner slopes + Excellent value	– Small proportion of tough runs – Lifts and slopes can be crowded, especially on Sella Ronda circuit – High proportion of short runs, not so many long ones- Rather unattractive, straggly village, with little 'ski-in, ski-out' convenience – Erratic snow record; slopes vulnerable to warm weather – Main language is German, which detracts from lively Italian feel