The main town of Val Gardena, home of Ladin woodcarving and the gateway to Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi.
A short history
Ortisei, Urtijëi in Ladin, is the main town of Val Gardena and its liveliest centre. It sits at 1,236 metres, where the valley widens, and it's a Ladin-speaking place with a history that weaves together farmers, craftsmen and, for over a century, tourism.
Its worldwide fame comes from wood. From the seventeenth century the Gardena families carved sacred statues, crucifixes and toys that travelling sellers took across half of Europe: the tradition of the Herrgottschnitzer made Ortisei a capital of woodcarving, and you still find it in the workshops and the town museum.
With the arrival of alpine tourism, between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the town became one of the most elegant destinations in the Dolomites: a pedestrian centre, lifts up to Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi, a calendar full of events. But under the tourist gloss the Ladin identity holds on, in the language, the festivals and the farmsteads on the slopes.
What to see
- Seceda, the plateau with the spires of the Odle, a few minutes from the centre by gondola and funicular.
- The Alpe di Siusi, the largest high-altitude plateau in Europe, served by the gondola that leaves from the town.
- The pedestrian old town with its painted houses, the church of St Ulrich and the Gherdëina Museum, devoted to woodcarving and the valley's archaeology.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see in Ortisei?
The landmark spots are Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi, both reached by lift from the centre, the pedestrian town with the church of St Ulrich and the Gherdëina Museum, and the woodcarving workshops, the historic craft of Val Gardena.
How do you get to Ortisei?
By car you leave the A22 Brenner motorway at Chiusa/Val Gardena and drive up the valley. By train you arrive at Chiusa or Bolzano and continue with the line buses that climb to Ortisei.