Sella Ronda Ski Area

Selva /Val Gardena

Generally regarded by many in the Ski industry as one of the Worlds most beautiful ski areas with its dramatic scenery of the surrounding Italian Dolomites. Selva Val Gardena enjoys the best of Italian and Austrian tradition and is a world-renowned ski and Snowboard area, set in the spectacular Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy. The Dolomite Mountains have an amazing and spectacular character all of their own, with dramatic high-rise pinnacles often glowing a soft pink in the early morning and a fierce red at sunset. The scenery is awe-inspiring, with incredible views from every vantage point. For its sheer beauty and a vast ski area, with guaranteed snow on the Marmolada Glacier coupled with the resorts many other attractions such as Heli Skiing, Sleigh Rides, Ice Hockey games, and a sports centre. Selva ski resort also has top class snow-making for extra cover and snow security in the off seasons. Born2ski can recommend Selva and the surrounding Sella Ronda ski area as a great destination for all levels of skiers and Snowboarders. Val Gardena includes the ski areas Selva, Castel- rotto, S.Cristina, Ortisei and Siusi. The area is connected with the Dolomiti Superski area and the nearby Alpe di Siusi. There are slopes etc to appeal to all abilities here. Selva – Val Gardena with its connection to Dolomiti Superski, the world’s largest ski carousel and the nearby Alpe di Siusi, Val Gardena is a top Ski destination. With the Skipass Dolomiti Superski you have access to all lift facilities in the Dolomites with 500km interconnected slopes surrounding the Sella Group and a total of 1.220 km slopes in 12 zones. It has easy and steep pistes, Beginner, Intermediate, easy and extreme downhill runs. Also modern lift facilities and with romantic alpine hut experiences.

Accommodation & Après Ski

Selva has an excellent après ski scene – Après ski starts on the mountain with many great bars to choose from, in the main resort après ski is lively with plenty of fun to be experienced.

Example bars are Lauren Keller and La Bula with its live music and also a Nightclub – Dali.

There’s a great choice of restaurants as you would expect offering both Italian and Austrian specialities, giving plenty of choice in all price ranges for dining out.

There is also night skiing on the Alpe di Siusi at least three nights a week and sleigh-rides, snowshoeing and ice-skating to keep everyone including non skiers happy.

With a fantastic variety of great Ski accommodation to choose from – Born2ski can help you choose from the many excellent de luxe ski Hotels such Hotel Tyrol, Hotel Oswald, Hotel Antares and Hotel Aaritz. Plus great value ski Hotels such as the Hotel Pralong and Hotel Linder.

Arabba

Arabba is a small, attractive relatively underdeveloped village which is almost lost in the surrounding mountainscape. Access lifts into the Sella Ronda are handy and it very much more the destination for hard core skiers and boarders with some more challenging terrain available. Slopes are high, snowsure and north facing, and the resort is one of the more convenient stopping off points for the Marmolada glacier.

Accommodation & Après Ski

Accommodation is a mix of apartments, chalets and hotels. The 4 star Sport hotel comes highly recommended as does the newer 5 star Grifone, but one of the best options is the 3 star Porta Vescovo which has a pool. There are one or two decent one and two star hotels. Bars and restaurants are in short supply.

Canazei

A picturesque decent sized village with good links into the Sella Ronda at the heart of the 650 mile Dolomiti Superski circuit. It is a typical bigger mountain village with a friendly ambience and bustling, unsophisticated apres ski scene, a few good shops and authentic style hotels. It is situated off a busy main road. Once again the lack of English spoken may be a problem for beginners seeking instruction.

Accommodation & Après Ski

Accommodation can be something of a problem when it is busy, but so too Canazei is probably the best choice for visitors to the Val di Fassa who want to do more than ski or board, or who don’t do either. There is a pool, Turkish baths and sauna plus skating all in nearby Alba. Helicopter rides, bowing and paragliding are also available locally. Otherwise the choice of accommodation is varied: the 3 star Croce Bianca is reckoned to be one of the best in the area. The Campagnola is handily placed for the gondola station. At the upper end of the scale the grand Palace Dolomiti has its own evening entertainment programme and pizzeria and a choice of several dining rooms.

Campitello

A small quiet village resort described as fair for beginners with one or two resort level beginner’s runs, but they can be snowless early and late season. Otherwise the Col Rodella gondola links neatly into the Sella Ronda circuit in either direction. Also you can finish your day’s sliding in Canazei and return by a short bus hop. There is a fair choice of accommodation such as the three star Rododendro which is 400m from the Funiva lift, the four star Rubino executive which is right by the cable car station and there are one or two cheap and cheerful bed and breakfast nearby. The apres ski can be quite lively at busy times, particularly early evening. Not a great English speaking region at all.

Cortina

Set in the heart of the Dolomites Cortina needs little introduction as Italy’s most fashionable snowsports town. Breathtakingly picturesque, the dramatic pink tinged craggy peaks are the stunning backdrop to a chic all encompassing winter destination where many of Milan and Rome’s well heeled entrepreneurs and professionals retain a winter home. By reputation around seventy percent of Cortina visitors come for the clear alpine air, the shopping, eating and up market apres ski as actually strapping on skis or a board and taking to the slopes and by late afternoon the universal apres ski uniform is fur and glittering jewellery. The main focal point is the Piazza Venzia and the pedestrianised cobbled Corso Italia with its picture postcard green and white bell tower. By comparison with the major European resorts Cortina is by no means prohibitively expensive, and if people watching and perfectly manicured gentle beginners and flattering intermediate trails are your bag, then Cortina can be done on a budget. Lifts to the two main base stations to serve their respective ski areas are at opposite ends of town from each other, and other lifts are a short bus trip from the centre. As well as a public swimming pool, there is the Olympic ice stadium -which hosts an ice disco, there’s ice hockey to watch, dog sledding and a ski jump. There’s a riding school and of course the Olympic bobsleigh run. The sun terrace of the Hotel de La Poste is where the beautiful people sip martinis and top up their tans, and Cortina has a number of galleries and museums. Venice is just two hours by road.

Accommodation & Après Ski

There are many smaller family run hotels to chose from, and some self catering apartments, but most are near the outskirts of the town. The town offers a good level of facilities: from tea rooms, to cafes, bars, restaurants and an extensive choice of good night clubs.

Corvara

A lovely part of the stunningly beautiful Sella Ronda ski area, Corvara and Colfosco are quiet towns with little going on for the party animal, however it is a quiet resort, ideal for those not wanting to be up partying until the small hours.

Families will love Corvara and Colfosco as they are quiet, with ideal beginner skiing, and lots for the intermediates. It’s not an area for expert skiers or those lookng for lively apres or all-night dancing. There are a few bars that are lively at the end of the ski day. The resort has an ice rink, indoor tennis courts and a climbing wall

A very picturesque resort which is ideal for families, beginners and intermediates.