Where We Be
Ortisei -- Dolomites, Italy
Ortisei in Val Gardena is less than an hour away
from Val di Funes, where we spent the first five
days of our Dolomites trip. It's essentially "just
around the bend" -- facing the same jagged
mountains but from the other side.

That said, Ortisei feels completely different --
it's in the heart of the action, so to speak, with
gondolas and funiculars and endless hiking
trails to explore -- some of which have gone
viral, like the famous Seceda ridgeline hike
covered on the next page. Ortisei also shares
its valley with two other notable towns -- Santa
Cristina and Selva -- which offer their own lifts
and worthwhile hikes. Bottom line: you don't
come here to relax, you come here to explore.

If you do come (and you should), be sure to get
the Gardena Card, which gives you unlimited
access to the multitude of lifts throughout the
valley -- not just in Ortisei but also in Santa
Cristina and Selva. At €160 for six consecutive
days, it may sound expensive -- but it's better
than paying on a per-lift basis. For example, the
Seceda lift alone costs €74 round-trip. We used
our Gardena Card every single day to explore
all the lifts and hikes Val Gardena has to offer.
The onion dome atop Ortisei's church isn't Russian Orthodox --
it's a Tyrolean architectural feature you'll see all across the Dolomites
This was like an eggy french toast with tart berries
and apple sauce on the side. Robin was in heaven.
At Schgaguler Hut we ordered their special -- the famous
"Kaiserschmarren" -- a sugared pancake served in the pan
It’s a classic loop hike that takes you through rolling green countryside
We chose the popular “Monte Piz – Schgaguler Hut" hike,
a 4.8-mile hike with about 800 feet of elevation gain
The plateau is dotted with refugios where you can get a bite to eat.
This is the first one we saw -- Malga Contrin -- but we didn't stop.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is famous for its rolling
green pastures, colorful wildflowers, and stunning peaks
At 8:30 am, just as it opened, we took the Alpe di Siusi
(aka Mont Sëuc) Gondola up to the Alpe di Siusi Plateau
We were all stuffed from lunch, so dinner was a simple affair --
a "picnic feast" (plus some tasty cooked brats courtesy of Alan)
No hike in Italy is complete without a stop for pizza and pasta afterwards!
It was close to noon, so we grabbed a
table on Cesa da Four's outdoor patio
Eventually the narrow loop trail turned back
towards the funicular, which we rode down to town
We followed the ridgeline for some time -- you can
see the Summit Cross in the distance behind us
Resciesa is considered a peaceful alternative
to the more popular (and crowded) Seceda hike
Speaking of the Resciesa lift -- this is the Resciesa Funicular
It offers fine views of Ortisei as it whisks you upwards at surprising speed
The funicular takes you up to the high-alpine plateau
of Alpe Resciesa (aka Raschötz) at 7,218 feet
We hiked steeply up to the Holy Cross Chapel -- but there was still more uphill to go
This decorative stone fountain sits in Ortisei's central square. We were surprised
to see locals splashing their faces and drinking from the fountain on a hot day.
We enjoyed strolling through town while eating
gelato. The alpine architecture is quite beautiful.
This is the charming, vehicle-free village center of Ortisei
Note: This page covers the town of Ortisei and two hikes that begin in Ortisei --
Resciesa and Alpe di Siusi. The next page covers the famous Seceda hike.
The two pages after that cover hikes and sights in Santa Cristina and Selva.
All through town you'll find distinctive alpine architecture.
The house on the right is the locally well-known Casa Blu.
Our Airbnb -- "Apartment Vera" (Streda Grohmann 14) --
was about a ten-minute walk from the town center
It was one of the rare Airbnb's in Ortisei that offered free parking. It was also
within easy walking distance of the Seceda, Resciesa, and Alpe di Siusi lifts.
At the very top is the Summit Cross of Resciesa di Fuori. As you can see, it's not a symbolic cross
but an actual carved wooden statue of Christ. The area is justifiably famous for its woodcarving.
The hiking got easier after reaching the summit. Now we were at a
ridgeline looking down into the adjacent valley -- Val di Funes.
Resciesa Funicular & Hike
We could actually identify our previous Val di Funes Airbnb, based on its expansive lawn
and cell phone tower. We could also easily see St. Peter’s church (the smaller red circle).
Alpe di Siusi
Public statues grace many
quiet corners of the town
The Alpe di Siusi is Europe’s largest
high-altitude alpine meadow (~25 sq mi)
We saw autumn crocus (purple) and yarrow (white) in abundance
From Schgaguler Hut, the trail was mostly
downhill or flat, with beautiful views in all directions
The terrain reminded us somewhat of Appenzell in Switzerland,
with rolling green pastures dotted with small cabins
We kept the party going at Vedl Mulin restaurant in the heart of Ortisei,
where we splurged on pizzas and pastas and sliced pineapple with chocolate
At the end of our hike, things were supposed to turn steep, but we
discovered a "bonus" gondola -- the Alpe Sole gondola (included with
the Gardena Card) -- that whisked us back to our hike's starting point. Yea!
Mont Seuc gondola dropped us off near the swanky Cavallino
Bianco Grand Hotel -- just a short walk from the town center
Before taking the Mont Seuc gondola back down to Ortisei, we stopped at Mont Seuc Refugio
for some refreshments. I also tried (and failed) to cross these springy balancing platforms.