Ortisei (St. Ulrich, Urtijëi in Ladin) is the largest town in [Val Gardena](/localita/val-gardena) and its beating heart. The old center is closed to traffic, so you explore it on foot without a worry. The main street is Via Rezia: cobblestones, shop windows, pastry shops and traditional restaurants. It links the square with the little Sant'Antonio church (late 1600s) to the larger parish church of St. Ulrich, built in the late 1700s. It's an easy walk you can do in half an hour, stopping wherever you like.
Here woodcarving isn't postcard folklore, it's a real craft handed down over centuries. In many shops you can watch the carvers at work and find handmade statues, nativity scenes and toys. To understand where it all comes from, head to the Museum de Gherdëina in the center: sculptures, paintings, archaeological finds and a section on Dolomite fossils, including an Ichthyosaurus found on Seceda itself. Keep an ear out for the Ladin language too, which you'll hear all around among the locals.
Above all, Ortisei is the gateway to two of the finest high plateaus in the Dolomites. From the center, a tunnel with escalators starting at Piazza Sant'Antonio leads you to the lifts for [the Seceda plateau](/cosa-vedere/altopiano-del-seceda): first the Ortisei-Furnes gondola, then the Furnes-Seceda cable car up to 2,500 metres, facing the jagged ridges of the Odle. On the other side of town, the Alpe di Siusi gondola takes you in about fifteen minutes up to the largest high-altitude meadow in Europe. Two different worlds, both a short walk from the car park.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see in Ortisei in one day?
Start in the pedestrian center and walk down Via Rezia, among the woodcarvers' workshops. Visit the parish church of St. Ulrich and the small Sant'Antonio church, then the Museum de Gherdëina. In the afternoon take the gondola up to the Alpe di Siusi or the Seceda lifts to see the Dolomites from above.
How do you get to Seceda from Ortisei?
From the center you reach the lifts through the tunnel with escalators that starts at Piazza Sant'Antonio. Take the Ortisei-Furnes gondola and then the Furnes-Seceda cable car, which brings you up to around 2,500 metres. The combined return ticket costs about 52 euros.
Is the center of Ortisei pedestrian?
Yes, the old center is a pedestrian zone. The main street, Via Rezia, is closed to traffic and you can stroll it easily on foot among shops, cafés and restaurants.
Where do you park in Ortisei?
There are car parks in the lower part of town, just after the tunnel, near the lift stations. From there you reach the pedestrian center and the lifts for Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi in a few minutes on foot.