Ortisei

From 1860 to 1914 Ortisei experienced rapid economic growth due to the opening of a major road connecting Val Gardena to the main railroad; as a result the local woodcarving industry flourished. International tourism developed through the discovery of the Dolomites as a tourist destination by English visitors and then by others from other parts of Austria-Hungary and the German Empire. In 1935, the first cable car in the Val Gardena areas was established here (to the Seiser Alm). In 1970, the Alpine World Ski Championship was hosted in this area.
The center of town is at the valley floor and extends north to the foothills of Mount Raschötz (Italian: Rasciesa). The Gardena river (German: Grödner Bach, Italian: Rio Gardena), which is a tributary of the Eisack river, runs east-west towards the southern side of the town.

By bus

Buses operated by SAD run from Bolzano, Brixen, Klausen, and Ponte Gardena. Information in English is available here. During the day bus 170 will get you into town from Bolzano, but in the evenings, the same bus route gets truncated and ends in Kastelruth.

By train

Take the train to Ponte Gardena/Waidbruck, then take bus line 350 to Ortisei. The bus leaves from right outside the train station.

• Walk. The town is easily walkable, and there are marked footpaths to neighboring towns.
• A funicular is available to the top of Raschötz Mountain. €13 one-way, €18 round-trip.
• A cable car runs from Ortisei to the nearby alpine meadow - Seiser Alm. The mountaintop has a restaurant, hiking trails in the summer, and skiing in the winter.

Several historic churches are in and around Ortisei:

• Skiing and Snowboarding. The area supports winter sports in a major way. There are 79 ski lifts with 175 kilometers of slopes, including the Sella Pass and the Gardena Pass. The Dolmiti Superski and the Sella Ronda ski circuits are in the area.
• Hiking. The trails surrounding Ortisei are well marked. For a scenic 1-2 hour hike, take the cable car up and walk back down to the town.
• Take in the views: Ortisei looks like a village out of a fairy tale. Especially on a clear day, it's well worth taking time to admire the scenery. The Seiser Alm can be reached directly from Ortisei by the Seiser Alm cable car.

Many restaurants, bars and cafes can be found along the Strada Rezia, which is a major street in town. The Val Gardena area tourism website also has links to many restaurants in the area.

• Hotel Angelo Engel

  phone: +390471796336
  address: Via Petlin n. 35, I-39046 Ortisei (Valgardena), Dolomites, Italy
  Family-run hotel in the centre of Ortisei, featuring a large private garden with an indoor and outdoor pool (both heated all year round), saunas, gym and a spa and beauty farm. The extensive outdoor activity program includes daily guided hikes and mountain bike tours in summer and, in winter, ski guiding and guided snowshoe hikes.