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Alpe di Siusi Ski Resort
The Val Gardena isn’t short on ski resorts, and the hills above traditional, pastel-coloured Ortisei are home to two separate ones. Climb up inside the onion dome of the St Ulrich church, look heavenward and south and you’ll spot Alpe di Siusi, glittering in the sun. A lofty spot, consisting of a smattering of well-equipped hotels and a handful of mountain huts, this unfussy resort is not yet connected by lifts to the other resorts in the Val Gardena (just a short shuttle ride), and, take it from us, that’s a good thing. The more there is to keep the crowds at bay, the better.
The Dolomite resorts have made a name for their pretty mountain faces, and Alpe’s views are up there with the best of them. The ski area splays across the largest high-altitude plateau in Europe, and most of the actual sports takes place above the trees, which cluster like bristly blankets above centuries-old towns down in the valley. Just as you fill your memory card with shots of sun-capped Piz Sella peak, you turn and face iconic Sciliar mountain. And there are few fellow skiers to photo bomb the perfect shot.
Don’t be confused if someone insists this is in fact not Alpe di Siusi you’re standing in but the “Seiser Alm”. That’s Alpe’s German name and you’ll soon notice (and love) that this valley is a melting pot of all things Germanic and Italian. All the traditional villages have two names, like Siusi (Seis to the Deutsch) and Castelrotto (Kastelruth). The food is likewise a blend of Alpine and Mediterranean yums and the ski slopes are crammed with huts which will serve you “Kaiserschmarren” pancakes and “canederli” dumplings alongside delicious antipasti, grappa and pastas. Better still, prices are low and Italian more than they are Alpine.
While you scoff to your hearts content, share what you learn about all the local lore. This is a valley of castles, ruins and sorcery, where you’ll ski past Franciscan churches and pop into renaissance fortresses in the afternoons – and can we just say, Prösels Castle in Fié is not your average resort find. Even Sciliar mountain has a tale or two to tell, known as the place witches gather and get up to mischief. In short, for the skier who likes to wine, dine and unwind – Alpe couldn’t be better.
Stats & FAQ
Location: Val Gardena, Italy
Established: 1938
Open: December - April
Downhill: 60km / 30 runs
View our detailed Alpe di Siusi snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Alpe di Siusi snow history.
| Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
| Innsbruck (INN) | 103km, 1.5 hours |
| Verona Villafranca (VRN) | 176km, 2 hours |
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| Top Altitude: | 2200m / 7218ft |
| Bottom Altitude: | 1231m |
| Resort Altitude: | 2000m |
| Longest run: | 2.5km |
| Slope Orientation: | S N NW |
| Vertical Drop: | 970m |
| Skiable Vertical: | |
| Night Skiing: | No |
| Glacier: | No |
Snow Report
Web Cam
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| Downhill Runs: | 60km / 30 runs |
| Beginner slopes: | 23% |
| Intermediate: | 75% |
| Advanced slopes: | 2% |
| Lift Pass Price: | €42–52 (adult single day pass) |
| Nearby resorts: Selva, Corvara, Ortisei, Val Gardena, Sella Ronda | |
Skiing/BoardingSkiing in Alpe di Siusi
This place is often outshone by the other connected ski areas in the Val Gardena and the nearby Sella Ronda resorts, but that’s because the masses haven’t realised it’s a haven of gentle slopes and beautiful off-piste possibilities. There’s always the upgrade to a Dolomiti Superski ticket, covering more than 12 skiing areas, 1200km of trails and nearly 500 lifts, if you think you’ll get bored.
Alpe di Siusi is the place to be for a beginner in the big Val Gardena, where excellent nursery slopes join perfect next-step beginner pistes, a safe environment, and fabulous mountain scenery (with very few trees to collide with)... Choose from two nursery areas – one above Ortisei and one at the gondola station of the lift from Siusi, then move up to tame blues like Panorama 14, which wind about the resort like spaghetti strands…
75% of the piste map is rated intermediate, excellent news if you sit somewhere in the middle of the skiing ladder. It’s always a joy to be able let loose and know you’re unlikely to stumble across a run that’s out of your depth. Themed tours are a special feature of Dolomiti Superski resorts, and here the theme’s all about those local sorceresses. The Witches Tour passes a “witches' humpback run”, the “witches' chimney” tunnel and life-sized figures in the witches' park. If the well of blue and red trails here starts to run dry, take a day trip to the Sella Ronda tour further down the valley, a famous 50km circuit which takes you through dozens of villages and hamlets and four different regions.
Apart from one short black run on the Puflatsch, there’s little in the way of expert trails here, and veteran skiers rarely stray to this side of the Val Gardena – except for sightseeing. If you’re here accompanying a less accomplished skier, test out the awesome auto-timed speed-ski track from the top of the Punta d'Oro (Goldknopf) lift – a time under 55mph means you should try again... Speed also counts on the three resort slalom courses. Impress your intermediate mates on these, then part ways to tick the Sella Ronda tour off your bucket list.
Alpe’s wide open air runs are ideal for boarders, and Alpe di Siusi just so happens to have one of the best terrain parks in Italy, frequent host to FIS championships. That makes this one of the best places for boarders to ski in Tyrolean style for low Italian prices.
Alpe di Siusi Apres Ski
The villages arrived in the valley long before the ski resorts did, and that means there’s plenty to do here besides sharpen your schuss. A tour of Prösels Castle is a must, as is a trip to one of the area’s many hotel spas. Besides a mean massage, “hay-baths” are a local specialty that turn you into a human haybale and infuse you with detoxifying essential oils.
The woods around and below Alpe are all part of the Sciliar-Caterniccio nature reserve and there are miles of prepared hiking routes, plus snowshoeing, sleigh rides and paragliding for a stunning bird’s eye of it all. Cover the most gorgeous ground by renting a sledge from one of the mountain huts and ploughing your way down the resort’s six different toboggan runs, which range from 1.4 to 4.7 km in length. These are a thrill in themselves for the kids, and for the adults there are plenty of cabins along the way to refuel with proper mountain food. We could’ve spent all week in the Rungger Schwaige, but were glad we didn’t when we tasted the spinach dumplings at Zallinger. Burn off the inevitable kcals on the ice rink or ice climbing in the Rio Freddo gorge.
For a traditional après ski ale and argey-bargey session, head to the inn at the base of the Paradiso cable car, which remains up and running until 1am.
Best time to go
Best time to ski Alpe di Siusi
Best time to visit & ski Alpe di Siusi
A soaring 7,000+ ft high, by virtue of its altitude, Alpe is pretty set throughout the season in the snow department. Meanwhile, an equally impressive sun record of 300 days of rays a year means weather is as friendly as the slopes here. If you’re prone to jitters over snow conditions, come in March, when the plateau has historically seen the most snow (an average depth of 136cm at the top of the slopes and 69cm at the bottom).
Fun like Alphorn concerts and village markets crop up weekly, but the most exciting event on the calendar also takes place in March, when the meadows and ski huts host the Swing on Snow festival of traditional folk music and jazz.
Peak Dates
Traditional mountain towns put on one heck of a Christmas, there’s no denying that as you browse festive markets in historic Castelrotto, sip mulled wine beneath the church at Fié, and settle in for a folk concert from local legends, the Kastelruther Spatzen. Up on the plateau Christmas in Alpe Di Siusi is relaxing, productive and pure magic throughout.
New Year’s menus throughout the valley are joined by a big bash in the Castelrotto square for New Year in Alpe di Siusi, where skiing with some of the best views Italy has to offer will start the new year off on the right ski boot…
Fewer families set their caps for Italy for the February holiday, making Half Term in Alpe di Siusi a very good idea. Stock up on stories for the school diaries touring Prösels castle, squealing down a 4.7km toboggan run, or fondueing in one of a million mountain huts.
Skiing high up on the Alpe plateau in the day and later strolling through a sea of flowers down in the valley is a wonderful combo for Easter in Alpe di Siusi, and longer days mean more time to drink in the stunning views of Sciliar. While your heart sings, so do the local bands, which fill the village squares with music and entertainment.
Families in Alpe di Siusi
The fact that witches are said to dance on Sciliar mountain may tickle or terrify your tots, but there’s Nix the witch, this ski area’s mascot, to convince them witches aren’t half bad. A ski area that never really moves beyond moderately difficult is always ideal for younger, wobblier skiers, and the lack of any major crowds at Alpe make it a winner all round. Top this off with excellent, child-safety fitted cable cars, frequent Kids’ Special deals and two ski schools, and it’s time to get excited. Alongside courses for all ages, the schools offer a ski kindergarten and childcare for ages three and up which, apart from skiing, organise snowman building, sledging, snowball fights and thrilling trips out on the snow train.
Alpe isn’t afraid to do things a little differently and kids will adore the “witches ski tour”, through caves and a snowpark with life-sized figures. For your older offspring, the King Laurin snow park, one of the best in Italy, won’t disappoint, nor the resort’s frequent family adventure programs, where you can pick up skills like building and surviving in an igloo and fun facts about the animals which roam the nature park around you. If there’s any time to spare, whether you’re six or 60, completing the resort’s six different toboggan runs (ranging from 1.4km to 4.7km) makes for a fun challenge for the week.
GroupsGroup Holidays Alpe di Siusi
Groups have got to love the versatility of the Val Gardena, where you can ski one resort in the morning and another in the afternoon. In fact, with a Dolomiti Superski pass in your pocket, you could ski 12 (if there were enough hours in the day). This means groups of mixed ability can see to everyone’s needs - and while beginners and intermediates revel in Alpe’s quiet, relaxing runs, super skiers can head off to the tougher stuff on the famed Sella Ronda, not missing a chance to strut their stuff on Alpe’s timed speed-ski track.
Connected by cable car to several Val Gardena resorts, Ortisei makes a great base camp, with after-dinner bars like tavern-style Vinoteque La Cercia or the Siglu Bar, a disco inside a glass igloo. Alternatively, pick some of Alpe’s ski-in/ski-out accommodation to be the first out on the plateau in the mornings.
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