Where We Be
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| Selva -- Dolomites, Italy |
Selva is the town furthest away from Ortisei but
still in Val Gardena. We drove there in just ten
minutes and parked near the Dantercepies
gondola. At the top, we were greeted by a 360-
degree panorama of the Sella Massif and the
jagged Piz da Cir peaks. After strolling along the
"Cir Promenade," we enjoyed food and drinks at
the Dantercepies Mountain Lodge with its large
glass windows and outdoor terrace.
From the Dantercepies base station, we walked
down steeply to the second gondola in town,
Funivie Ciampinoi, and rode it to the top. The
summit featured sweeping views of Selva and
the entire Gardena valley. People were tandem
paragliding, sunning in lounge chairs, playing
foosball, and noshing on snacks. We enjoyed
the excellent views before heading back down.
Finally we drove to Vallunga Valley, a gorgeous
U-shaped glacial valley that branches off from
the main valley (Val Gardena). Here we hiked up
to the ruins of a castle, then returned to the
valley floor and hiked up the valley itself. All
told, this "side valley" is about two miles long
and is famous for its towering limestone cliffs,
alpine meadows, and leisurely walking paths.
still in Val Gardena. We drove there in just ten
minutes and parked near the Dantercepies
gondola. At the top, we were greeted by a 360-
degree panorama of the Sella Massif and the
jagged Piz da Cir peaks. After strolling along the
"Cir Promenade," we enjoyed food and drinks at
the Dantercepies Mountain Lodge with its large
glass windows and outdoor terrace.
From the Dantercepies base station, we walked
down steeply to the second gondola in town,
Funivie Ciampinoi, and rode it to the top. The
summit featured sweeping views of Selva and
the entire Gardena valley. People were tandem
paragliding, sunning in lounge chairs, playing
foosball, and noshing on snacks. We enjoyed
the excellent views before heading back down.
Finally we drove to Vallunga Valley, a gorgeous
U-shaped glacial valley that branches off from
the main valley (Val Gardena). Here we hiked up
to the ruins of a castle, then returned to the
valley floor and hiked up the valley itself. All
told, this "side valley" is about two miles long
and is famous for its towering limestone cliffs,
alpine meadows, and leisurely walking paths.
| The views from Cir Promenade are lovely and require no strenuous effort on your part |
| View looking down on Baita Jimmi Hut at the far end of our walk. In the distance is Plans Frara Gondola (which we didn't take). |
| We enjoyed food and drinks at Dantercepies Mountain Lodge. The outdoor terrace was packed, so we settled for views through the large glass windows. |
| As we took the gondola down, we could see another popular refuge called Panorama Hut. This one is especially accessible during ski season. |
| The views at the base of Dantercepies gondola are pretty dramatic in their own right |
| We walked steeply down from Dantercepies base station to Selva's second gondola, Funivie Ciampinoi, which Robin dubbed “Chia Panini” |
| The two-stage gondola takes you up to 7,500 feet for sweeping views |
| The Gardena Card includes lifts in Selva, so we figured why not take every possible gondola to the top? |
| One of Selva's main attractions is Vallunga Valley, a side valley that branches off from Val Gardena |
| The Cir Promenade offers easy walking and leads directly to the Baita Jimmi Hut |
| Many locals bring their bikes up the gondola and ride down the winding bike paths seen here |
| At the top -- more fine views from the expansive terrace |
| This summit offers beautiful views of Val Gardena, including the towns of Santa Cristina and Ortisei. It's also a popular paragliding spot. |
| In this image you can see the town of Selva itself |
| We walked back from the "Chia Panini" gondola to our car at the Dantercepies parking lot. When the view is this good from a parking lot, you know you're in for a good day! |
| Our final stop in Selva was Vallunga Valley (the side valley), which turned out to be one of our favorite parts of the day |
| This is a beautiful place. Many locals were relaxing on the grass or playing soccer. |
| No gondola is required for this hike since it starts at ground level |
| After exploring the valley floor, we climbed up to the ruins of Castello Wolkenstein |
| The castle is built into the Vallunga Valley's cliff face and dates back to the 13th century |
| The views of the Vallunga Valley from here were tremendous |