Comfortably nested within the Dolomites, Selva is part of the largest and arguably most beautiful ski area in Europe. The little mountain village will do little to dissuade you from the dreamy Italian promise of sun, snow and leisure, with excellent intermediate skiing, personable restaurants and lots to do throughout the valley.
Selva is the best known and highest of Val Gardena’s close-set group of villages, which also include Ortisei and Santa Cristina. Val Gardena is part of the expansive Dolomiti Superski area and topping the list of reasons to visit the Dolomites, or ‘Pale Mountains’, is its status as a UNESCO world heritage site - Selva has some striking views of the Sassolungo massif and Puez mountains on either side.
Named “Sëlva” by its Ladin speaking locals (the name apparently comes from the Ladin word for wood) or “Selva di Val Gardena” if you’re Italian, the resort existed as “Wolkenstein in Groden” before WW1 when it was Austrian territory. It’s retained lots of Tirolean charisma, dotting a mixture of alpine buildings along the centrally running road and you’ll still hear all three languages spoken around the resort today.
The village itself is lovely and friendly with a touch of old fashioned tradition. It has several sweet churches and chapels and the kind of shopping where you can mooch around and pick up a thing or two in the gift shops to take home. Where ski in, ski out is not an option you are only ever a few minutes from the nearest lift.
Local coach and taxi services run fairly reliably from the main train stations (the nearest are Bressanone and Bolzano). Bolzano airport is also the closest airport with an estimated travel time of 1 hour.
The skiing is where things get serious - the 1970 World Championships really established this as a world class skiing area and a number of international events have been hosted here ever since, including the men’s and women’s super-giant slalom and FIS world cup.
The local ski pass includes the area between Alpe di Siusi and Val Gardena and covers a sufficient 175km of piste with 83 lifts. However, if you can resist the Dolomiti Superski Pass, you deserve a medal. A 460 part lift system links Val Gardena with 11 other valleys providing access to a good 1220km of piste. This also includes routes up to the 11000 ft Marmolada glacier, the well-known Sella Ronda trail and the Saslong World Cup Downhill for a bit of a challenge.
The nearest airport to Selva is Verona at ? km or about 2 hours 20 minutes by car
The nearest ski resorts to Selva include Ortisei, Santa Cristina, Arabba, Corvara, Val Gardena, Dolomiti Superski, Sella Ronda.
We also like Café Mozart for a more family friendly atmosphere (it’s worth popping in purely for the hot chocolate!).
There are some superb dining-out options with Hotel Friena, Chalet Gerard and Hotel Sun Valley topping the list, all easy to get to from the town centre. La Bula does fantastic pizza and pasta and Nives, just off the main square, is the place to go for the traditional South Tyrolean factor with a cosy, homely atmosphere. Fine Mediterranean and international dishes, as well as traditional South Tyrolean specialities, are served in the excellent restaurants located in Selva Gardena.
Nives Nives is a perfect option for a real alpine dining experience that combines comfort with authenticity. The dishes are beautifully presented, sensually tempting and complimented with a well-thought out wine menu. Make sure you try their famous fondue which will give you a real taste of the traditional cuisine made from local ingredients. The restaurant is really easy to find as it is within the Nives square within the centre of Selva.
Italian resorts don’t tend to be overly wild when it comes to après ski but with 20 bars, 45 restaurants and 2 main clubs Selva does rather well... If you’ve never had the iconic Bombardino beverage, this is a good place to sample one! Bar Saltos is a good foodie spot with a sometimes themed menu and music scene for later on. La Stua, near the Costabella ski lift, is great for après ski with a sunny terrace and live music. By the Dantercepies, Panorama does some hearty dishes, perfect before the final run back to Selva. Hotel Piz Seteur, at the foot of the Sassolungo, is notorious for its GoGo girls, taking the word fun quite literally. For a calmer cocktail and appertif, Yello’s Music Lounge Bar in the centre of Selva is open to a good hour. Dali-Disco Dance and the Heustadl (in the Hotel Wolkenstein) make up the late night dancing scene, with quite a youthful crowd.
The Goalies' Pub Open daily from 9,00 am to 2,00 am The Goalies’ Pub is an Irish Pub with an icehockey-goalies theme, because it’s owner and his 2 sons are former hockey goalies, and still big fans of this great sport! The pub has been opened in 1999 and it distinguishes itself from the other bars of the valley basically for the music (Rock, Blues, Country and Irish from the 50’s till now), for the wide selection of draught beers (Guinness, Heineken, Goalies’Beer, Golden Fire, Murphy’s Irish Red and Kuchlbauer Weissbier) and for the whiskys. And it’s also famous to have the best cocktails in town! It’s got a typically irish furnishement enriched with tons of hockey pictures and memorabilia from all over the world. A highlight is the smoking area at bar; one of the last pubs where you can smoke drinking a fresh draught Guinness! The partys at The Goalies’ Pub have become a “must”: St. Paddy’s Day (17/03), the Oktoberfest (September) and the Halloween-Night (31/10) are on the schedule every year. During the winter season you can also have Aprés Ski in here, but you won’t get to hear any DJ Ötzi.. only the best Rock Classics and Oldies!
Yello's Bar Yello’s is a cool and collected little Music Lounge Bar that you can find within the centre of Selva, next to the Tourist office and Ski School 2000. After a full day on the slopes, a cocktail and a bite to eat on one of their comfy sofas will end your day and start your evening nicely. With a rich music program, from chill-out tunes to DJ produced tracks, you can enjoy the atmosphere whether there’s a crowd of you or it’s just the two.
Bar La Stua Bar La Stua is ‘the’ place to be when you come off the slopes in Selva Gardena. Whether you’re popping in for a pit stop snack and drink, stopping for lunch or ending the day with the live music and après ski, this is the bar everyone loves going to. They do live music 3 times a week (usually Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) and rumour has it the warming bombardino and goulash are the best you’ll find!
The 6km toboggan run is definitely worth doing as is a visit to the Pranives ice rink in the sports centre. There are skating and curling activities here as well and it’s worth looking out for acclaimed figure skater performances, disco evenings and lessons. You can book dog sleigh excursions with Siberian Huskies across the Puez-Odle Nature Park and for a real appreciation of this World Heritage Site, hire a winter walking guide. For those who can’t wait until morning, night skiing is usually possible on Alpe di Siusi. Over at Orisei (a bus ride away) little ones can use the swimming pool while grownups head to the glazed Turkish baths in the same building.
Pranives Ice Rink This indoor ice rink is usually open from December to April over the winter months and is a good way to round off a day in the mountains. When it is not being used as a meeting point by the hockey teams you can have a go on the ice, book in for a lesson or join in one of ice-disco events. It is a good way to have some fun with the whole family and located not too far from the centre of Selva.
Dolomiti Adventures Dolomiti Adventures is a new 300m2 shop in the centre of Selva Gardena, 100m from the Ciampinoi gondola. During the summer months, this is the place to go for mountain and city bike hire. They also do bike tours like the MTB Sellaronda tour. Summer opening hours (as of 2014) Monday - Sunday: 8 am - 12.30 pm | 2.30 pm - 7.00 pm
Dolomiti Adventures Snowshoe & Snow Walk Dolomiti Adventures is based in a large shop near the Ciampinoi gondola. As well as offering all sorts of hire and selling fashion clothing and equipment, they also organize some brilliant tours of the local area. On their snowshoe and snow walk excursions, an expert guide will take you on a gentle but beautiful walk through woods and past huts. Half day, full day and evening tours are available and prices include your equipment and guide.
Golf Club St Vigil If you like a scenic fairway, this 18 holer in the middle of the Dolomites is hard to beat. With a golf school, pro shop, driving range and restaurant, Golf Club S. Vigilio Siusi covers all bases for a wonderful golfing experience.
Pozzamanigoni Riding School Val Gardena’s only riding school is run from the Pozzamanigoni horse barn, where you can take riding lessons or head off on the hack of a lifetime. The Senoner family are known for running a tight ship with expert instructors and beautiful horses.
Gardena Guides Selva’s Gardena Guides branch is based at the indoor climbing hall, where qualified mountain guides provide some spectacular tours of the surrounding area. Join their climbing school, go glacier hiking, experience the local via ferrata or set off for some good old-fashioned hiking. Contact the Gardena Guides directly for more information on their summer programme.
Selva offers quite a large selection of shops besides the usual convenience stores and ski rental sport shops. Whilst wondering through this beautiful village, you will find boutiques with fashion, shoes and leather products on sale. You will also find shops specialising in wood carving, something the area is known for.
SKI RENTAL SELVA The Selva Ski School's ski rental shop will get you sufficiently kitted out in no time. From skis and poles to snowboards and helmets you’ll get everything you need to start nailing those sleek and sharp turns.
Dolomiti Adventures Dolomiti Adventures is a huge new shop in the middle of Selva, 100m from the Ciampinoi gondola, offering ski and snowboard hire and equipment and fashion for sale. Often deals are available, such as discounts for online or week long bookings. They can also arrange off piste ski trips, safety lessons etc. Winter opening hours (as of 2014) Weekend: 8 am - 7.00 pm Week days: 8 am - 12.30 pm | 2.30 pm -7.00 pm
View our detailed Selva snow report to see skiing confitions now. Our Selva snow history shows you what snow depths have been in recent years month-by-month. If you're visiting soon, use the Selva snow forecast to see predicted snowfall over the coming days.
We have 4202 ski holidays in Selva. Search all Selva ski deals or pick your preferred accommodation type below:
Maximum and minimum adult Selva lift pass prices ranged from £181 to £? for 6 days access to the Selva ski lift system at the start of the 2025 winter season. Our lift passes are part of a packaged Selva holiday with accommodation, so prices vary depending on chalet or hotel suppliers. Confirm price for the lift ticket before booking your holiday.
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Most of our ski holidays to Selva packaged with flights include airport transfers. We can also arrange private transfers to Selva from nearby airports
Flights from London take about 2 hours to Turin, Milan Malpensa, Geneva, Innsbruck. This table shows approximate transfer times to Selva from the nearest airports, smaller airports can be more prone to delays.
Airport | Distance | Transfer Time |
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Verona | ? km | 2 hours 20 minutes |
Malpensa International Airport | ? km | 3 hours 50 minutes |
Browse our self-drive ski holidays which include your car channel crossing, or go choose accom-only and book your car ferry or tunnel later.
The transfer time from alpine train stations are generally shorter than from airports, Call us for details of Selva transfers.
Station | Distance | Transfer Time |
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? | ? km | ? |
Emergency Medical Service for Visitors The clinic can deal with medical examinations, treatments and prescriptions for visitors to the area. Opening times: WINTER 20th Dec to 07 Apr Hours: 09h00-12h00 and 16h00-19h00 Daily except Wed SUMMER 05 Jun to 08 Sep Hours: 09h00-12h00 and 16h00-19h00 Daily except Wed
Selva Gardena Tourist Office Selva is a great base for all types of outdoor activities. It is a picturesque paradise. Selva has wonderful slopes that reach the middle of town and it is surrounded by natural parks and its wonderful heritage at its doorstep. The resort is easily accessible and full of charm and wonderful hospitality. The tourism office has a team of knowledgeable staff that are happy to help with all your queries and provide you with the best information about the area and its surrounds. Services provided by tourism office: - Webcams and weather information - News and information about the slopes, ski runs and lift passes - Free Wifi - Pet friendly Opening Times: Winter Weekly 08:00 - 12:00 and then between 14:00 - 18:00 Saturday & Sunday 09:00 - 12:00 and then between 16:00 - 18:00
Need help choose your Selva ski holiday? Call us on 020 7770 6888 or click Enquire - we love to help!