Selva di Val Gardena — Sëlva in Ladin, Wolkenstein in Gröden in German — is a village and comune of about 2,600 people at the head of Val Gardena in South Tyrol, 1,563 m up and roughly 30 km east of Bolzano. It is best known as one of the starting points of the Sella Ronda, the ski tour that circles the Sella massif, and its municipal boundary runs over the passes to Corvara, Canazei and Badia. The climate is Alpine: winters long, cold and dry, summers short and wet.
Selva di Val Gardena
- Currency
- Euro (EUR, €). ATMs are widespread in cities and towns and accept major international credit and debit cards. Credit cards are accepted in urban and tourist areas; cash is essential in rural regions and small towns.
- Language
- Ladin is the everyday language here, and by a wide margin: the 2011 census recorded 89.74% of residents with Ladin as their first language, against 5.15% Italian and 5.11% German. Italian and German are the official languages of the province. English is understood in hotels and around the lifts.
- Power plug
- Europlug (Type C), Schuko (Type F) and Type L (Italian three-round-pin) sockets are in use. Voltage is 230V, 50Hz.
- Visa
- Schengen visa-free for 90 days (non-EU/EEA citizens). EU, EEA and Swiss citizens may stay indefinitely. All non-EU/EEA/Swiss visitors must declare their presence within 8 days of arrival. Stays longer than 90 days require an appropriate visa and residence permit.
- Time zone
- Central European Time (CET): UTC+01:00. Central European Summer Time (CEST): UTC+02:00 (last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
- Tap water
- Safe to drink. Tap water is well maintained throughout Italy and perfectly drinkable. In some peninsular areas it may be cloudy with a slight taste; most Italians prefer bottled water. Public fountains marked 'Acqua potabile' are safe to refill from. Avoid fountains marked 'Acqua non potabile'. Southern coastal areas may have an unusual taste due to desalination but water is always safe.
- Tipping
- Not customary. Restaurants include a service charge (coperto); waiters do not expect tips. Leaving loose change in bars and cafés is common. Tips cannot be added to credit card bills—bring cash if you wish to tip.
- Emergency
- 112 (Carabinieri, general emergency); 113 (Polizia di Stato); 115 (Fire Department); 118 (Medical Rescue).
When to go
High season
Dec – Mar
Ski season, and the village works as one of the Sella Ronda gates, so the lifts are busy. Winter days average 0 to 2 °C and nights drop to between −6 and −9 °C; the sun leaves the valley floor while the peaks are still lit.
Low season
Apr – May
Between the seasons. The village empties out and the mountains above it are neither one thing nor the other.
High season
Jun – Sep
Walking weather: days of 18 to 21 °C, nights of 6 to 9 °C. Summers here are short and wet, August is the wettest month of the year, and cloud builds over the Sella through the afternoon.
Low season
Oct – Nov
Quiet months between the two crowds, with the sun low over the ridges and the valley floor in shadow.
How long to stay
Three or four days is a fair length for a stay: one for the Sella Ronda circuit, the rest for the slopes and paths on the village's own side of the valley. Add a day if you mean to cross the passes into Alta Badia or Val di Fassa rather than look at them from the lifts.
Getting around
One road runs the length of Val Gardena, through Santa Cristina and Ortisei and on down towards Bolzano, about 30 km west; there is no railway into the valley, so everything arrives on that road. Two passes lead out over the top from Selva di Val Gardena: Passo Gardena east to Corvara, Passo Sella south-west towards Canazei. In winter the lifts do most of the moving. The village is one of the starting points of the Sella Ronda, the circuit that runs on pistes and cable cars around the Sella massif, and it puts the neighbouring valleys within reach on skis.
What to see
Destinations in Selva di Val Gardena
Frequently asked questions
Why does Selva di Val Gardena have three names?
The village is Sëlva in Ladin, Selva di Val Gardena in Italian and Wolkenstein in Gröden in German. The Ladin and Italian names come from the Latin silva, meaning wood. The German name belongs to the Lords of Wolkenstein, who built the local castle in 1291; their insignia is still in the municipal arms, adopted in 1968.How far is Selva di Val Gardena from Bolzano?
About 30 km (19 mi) east of the city, up the Val Gardena. There is no railway into the valley, so the approach is by road.What is Selva di Val Gardena known for?
Skiing. It is one of the starting points of the Sella Ronda, the tour that circles the Sella massif, and the place has sent skiers to the Winter Olympics across seven decades — from the cross-country racer Ferdinando Glück in 1928 to the downhill and super-G specialists Werner Perathoner and Peter Runggaldier in 1994 and 1998.How big is the village, and how high?
2,602 residents in a comune of 56.24 km², at 1,563 m. It borders Badia, Campitello di Fassa, Canazei, Corvara, San Martin de Tor and Santa Cristina Gherdëina.How wet does it get?
Winter is the dry half of the year and late summer the wet one: February brings 21 mm of precipitation, August 142 mm. Figures come from the weather station at Plan, 1,594 m, for 1991 to 2020.