Val Gardena Winter Finals: from 1 to 6 April, the ski season in Val Gardena will come to an end with music, skiing, fun and a touch of madness.
Val Gardena Winter Finals is an exclusive event packed with adrenaline, culinary delights and music. For six days, Selva di Val Gardena will become an open-air stage celebrating the perfect “Alpine Lifestyle” under the spring sunshine.
Every day, the most exclusive mountain huts in Val Gardena will turn into elegant lounges set against the stunning peaks of the Dolomites (UNESCO World Heritage Site), where guests can enjoy local cuisine while listening to great music ranging from relaxing sounds to energetic beats.
The venues will be: on 1 April at Dantercepies Mountain Lounge, followed by Baita Salei on 2 April and Piz Seteur on 3 April.
On 4 April, tradition will take centre stage with the classic white sausage festival at Baita Salei, alongside the lively “Lockenfest” in Plan de Gralba, followed by an electrifying evening at the Après Ski Snowbar.
The highlight will take place on 5 April with the Gran Finale. The centre of Selva di Val Gardena will transform into a grand stage where music, lights and atmosphere blend into a truly spectacular experience. National and international DJs will lead the evening, bringing the season to a stylish and engaging close.
In addition to Val Gardena Winter Finals, the month of March will also offer plenty of entertainment, combined with excellent cuisine and lots of sport.
First of all, with the concerts of Rock the Dolomites, from Thursday 19 to Saturday 28 March, when rock music will once again take centre stage on the sunny terraces of mountain huts and lodges along the legendary slopes of Selva di Val Gardena. Enthusiasts will be able to dance and have fun surrounded by the most beautiful mountains in the world. Now in its twelfth edition, this event has become one of the most evocative music festivals in the Alpine region, set among the iconic peaks of the Dolomites. This year as well, Rock the Dolomites will bring concerts and performances to exceptional locations, transforming mountain huts and natural spaces into open-air stages. An event that goes beyond the traditional concept of a festival, offering the public the chance to experience music immersed in nature, surrounded by spectacular scenery and fresh mountain air.
The Spring Race Party, on 21 March, will be a true celebration of madness and eccentricity: an unconventional race featuring 50 teams plus one “Charity” team, each made up of six participants accompanied by a ski instructor. They will ski down La Longia, the longest slope in the Dolomites, dressed in fun and quirky outfits. The teams will not only compete to arrive first, as the race includes several stops at different mountain huts where mini-games and small challenges must be completed to achieve the highest overall score.
In addition, the team with the most extravagant costume will be selected and voted for by the public and will secure a place at the Spring Race Party 2027, while the overall winning team will receive a prize worth €1,000.
At the end of March, on the weekend of 28 and 29 March, the 28th edition of the Südtirol Gardenissima will take place, an iconic ski competition with around 700 participants who will have the honour and challenge of tackling the longest giant slalom course in the world, measuring 6 kilometres. One of the race’s special features is that, among the various categories, there will once again be Ski World Cup athletes and former champions (Old Stars), giving all participants the opportunity to compare their times with their lifelong idols. The following day, as tradition dictates, the Südtirol Gardenissima Kids will be held, dedicated to the next generation of ski champions and increasingly popular among ski clubs: 300 young athletes from all over the world will compete in a challenging slalom on a spectacular 2-kilometre course with a vertical drop of 463 metres.
Furthermore, from 14 March 2026, with the Dolomiti Springdays offer, visitors will benefit from exclusive promotions on accommodation, ski passes and rentals for the final days of the ski season.
Sustainability Strategy 2023–26 Several years ago, Val Gardena launched the RESPECT THE DOLOMITES initiative: a working group that develops events, awareness-raising activities and initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability in Val Gardena.
The project includes sporting events such as the Sellaronda Bike Day, the promotion of local craftsmanship through the label “Made in – DOLOMITES Val Gardena – with LOVE”, waste management initiatives, spring water protection through the “Ega dla Dolomites” project, the care of alpine pastures, hiking trails and grazing livestock, the use of clean energy from hydroelectric sources, and, more generally, sustainable mobility through the Val Gardena Mobile Card, electric vehicle charging stations and the use of e-bikes.
The first official step towards sustainability was the GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) Destination Certification, obtained in 2023. Preserving our extraordinary natural environment for animals, plants and people is our mission. Our task is to develop verifiable climate concepts and put them into practice.
Consequently, with even greater conviction, we design all our initiatives and events with full awareness of their economic, ecological and social impact, in line with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Here are some basic guidelines for a more sustainable experience in Val Gardena:
Stay longer and immerse yourself more deeply
Spending more time in a holiday destination not only allows for a deeper, more relaxing experience, but also leads to a significant reduction in emissions, as it reduces arrival and departure traffic (without using a car during the stay).
Low-impact, simple and efficient mobility
Free use of all buses in Val Gardena, for a traffic-free valley.
In Val Gardena, your car can stay in the garage. The digital Val Gardena Guest Pass, reserved exclusively for guests staying at accommodation facilities that are members of a local tourism association, allows free use of all buses. The card is provided at no extra cost upon arrival at the selected accommodation (if it is part of a Val Gardena Tourism Association).
Electric charging stations
Fast charging stations for electric vehicles are available in every village; charging is also possible at many rental facilities.
Val Gardena places a strong focus on eco-sustainable mobility. For this reason, ten hybrid buses of the Mercedes Citaro Hybrid model have been introduced.
Moonlight cross-country skiing, night sledding, snowshoe tours after sunset and many other evening activities let you enjoy every moment of your holiday in Val Gardena (Italy). A winter day in Val Gardena starts early, but who says it has to end early as well? To keep the fun going until late in the evening – or even deep into the night – there are the Special Nights, unique moments to spend with friends, as a couple or with the family, enjoying that magical light that only the moon reflecting on the snow can offer.
The Special Nights are open to everyone and include many different sports and non-sport activities. You can find all details – prices, schedules and booking info – on the dedicated website.
Here are the most fascinating and exciting activities offered by the various associations.
Let’s start withMoonlight Cross-Country Skiing, held at the Monte Pana Nordic Center in S. Cristina on 03.01.2026, 03.02.2026 and 03.03.2026 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Free entry and free equipment rental.
Also in S. Cristina, you can spend an evening on e-bikes, accompanied by a guide, discovering Monte Pana and Alpe di Siusi while riding on snow. The tour ends in a mountain hut where you can enjoy traditional local dishes. This activity is available every Thursday at 5:00 PM. Price: €45.00 for Val Gardena Active guests, €70.00 for guests staying in Dolomites Val Gardena member accommodations, and €90.00 for guests staying elsewhere. E-bike rental included; dinner not included.
For snowshoe lovers, every Wednesday there is aNight Snowshoe Hike with Dinner in a Mountain Hut. Meeting point is at 5:30 PM at the Active & Events office in Piazza Nives – Selva Val Gardena. Cost: €30.00 for Val Gardena Active guests, €63.00 for guests of Dolomites Val Gardena member accommodations, and €78.00 for other guests. Snowshoe rental and drinks not included.
Looking for a sledding adventure?
Every Tuesday you can join the Night Sledding on Resciesa. Meet at 6:20 PM at the bottom station of the Seceda cable car. The funicular brings you up to the Resciesa plateau in the Puez–Odle Nature Park, where a delicious dinner is served, followed by an unforgettable sled ride back down to the valley. Price: €94.00 for Val Gardena Active partner accommodation guests, €99.00 for guests of Dolomites Val Gardena member accommodations or guests staying elsewhere. Included: guide, dinner (drinks excluded), sled, torch and lift ride.
Magic Sunset Skiing on Seceda lets you admire a stunning Dolomite sunset with an aperitivo, followed by a 10 km torchlit descent along the “La Longia” slope down to Ortisei. Meeting point: Seceda top station – Ortisei. Price: €36.00 for Val Gardena Active partner accommodation guests; €39.00 for Dolomites Val Gardena member accommodation guests or others.
The iconic Rifugio Comici hosts special themed dinners with transport by snowcat or snowmobile. Themes include Burning Flowers, Sweet Sparkles, Vintage Vibes, Cocktail Avalanche, Mission Dolomites and Lemon Squeeze.
For those who enjoy walking at night, there are the Torchlight Walks on Monte Pana (Art meets nature). Gardenese sculpture art, breathtaking natural scenery and a touch of romance come together during this evening walk along the “Troi UNIKA” themed path, with mountain guide and artist Diego Deiana explaining the local craftsmanship and the displayed artworks. Meeting point: every Wednesday at 8:30 PM, Hotel Cendevaves Monte Pana – S. Cristina Price: €5.00 for Val Gardena Active partner accommodation guests, €32.00 for Dolomites Val Gardena member accommodation guests, €42.00 for others.
Discover the universe: planets and galaxies observation
Among the Val Gardena Special Nights, there is also an event dedicated to the starry sky. Through various telescopes, you can admire planets, stars and distant galaxies up close. Astrophile Lukas will guide you in exploring celestial bodies and their fascinating secrets. A relaxing evening filled with wonder, knowledge and new perspectives on the universe. Meeting point: 29.12.2025, 27.01.2026, 24.02.2026 and 24.03.2026 at 8:30 PM – Hotel Interski, S. Cristina Price: free for Val Gardena Active partner accommodation guests; €15.00 for Dolomites Val Gardena member accommodation guests; €20.00 for others.
Finally, there is the Excursion to Mont Sëura to admire the enchantment of the “enrosadira” (alpenglow). A chairlift brings you up to the Mont Sëura plateau at the foot of the Sassolungo for a sunset hike. Every Thursday around 3:00 PM. Price: free for Val Gardena Active partner accommodation guests; €27.00 for Dolomites Val Gardena member accommodation guests; €35.00 for others.
If you are an expert hiker and you want to live an extraordinary experience in a wild landscape, sleeping in mountain huts and enjoying part of the Alta Via Nr.2, you shouldn’t miss the Park2Trek Dolomites. The trekking takes you from Feltre to the Valles Pass through the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park and the Paneveggio Pale di San Martino Natural Park, from the Vette Feltrine to the Palagroup.
During the trekking, you will enjoy magical landscape and uncontaminated nature, exploring two Natural Parks, which are well known for their flora, geology and forests. You will hike in the wild Vette Feltrine and the Palagroup, which is the widest group of the Dolomites with an area of more than 200 km2 and you will share with other hikers the experience of sleeping in a mountain hut, listening to stories of mountaineering and climbing.
Have you ever tried the exciting experience of a trekking from hut to hut in the Dolomites? The Dolomiti Palaronda gives you the chance to discover the Pala-Plateau, 50 km2 of bare rock at 2600m that inspired mountaineers and writers, and its mountain huts. You can choose between the Dolomiti Palaronda Trek (trekking without via ferratas) and the Dolomiti Palaronda Ferrata (tour of the via ferratas of the Palagroup).
With Dolomiti Palaronda Ferrata (from 2 to 7 nights) you will discover the via ferratas of the Palagroup, like the famous Bolver Lugli al Cimon della Pala, spending the night in the mountain huts of the Palagroup (UNESCO – World Heritage Site). Starting from the summer 2021 you can book the Dolomiti Palaronda Ferrata with the alpine guides Aquile di San Martino e Primiero and live the experience accompanied by an expert guide, who will take you to the ferratas under safe condition, telling you stories about mountaineering in the Palagroup and giving you interesting information about the Pala-Plateau in the Natural Park Paneveggio Pale di San Martino and the area of San Martino di Castrozza, Passo Rolle, Primiero and Vanoi.
You can find the four different Dolomiti Palaronda Ferrata options and choose the one you prefer visiting www.sanmatino.com
The Marathon, with its two routes (42 or 26 Km) goes through some of the most beautiful places of the area of San Martino di Castrozza, Primiero and Vanoi and allows to enjoy amazing panoramas while running. The event attracts every year both athletes and mountain lovers, both expert runners and newcomers, who have the chance to run in the beautiful Val Canali, “home” of the Natural Park Paneveggio Pale di San Martino, in San Martino di Castrozza and its meadows just under the Palagroup, to pass by the Calaita Lake and to enjoy the last part of the marathon in Fiera di Primiero.
The Area of San Martino di Castrozza, Passo Rolle, Primiero and Vanoi is a real Eldorado for sport and outdoor lovers. Runners can find lots of trails, mountain paths and forest roads of different level of difficulty and surrounded by different types of natural environment: From majestic Dolomites’ peaks, to green meadows, from alpine lakes to pastures and beautiful mountain villages.
In San Martino di Castrozza you can also find the Ces Trail, the first running park of the Dolomites with 16 trails dedicated to running but also trekking, in an amazing natural landscape.
A reminder for trail runners: don’t forget to get registered for the Rosetta Verticale Trail Run (19.th September), with start in San Martino di Castrozza (1450m) and the finish line on the Pala Plateau (2700m), on the Rosetta Peak.
2021 is the year of Mythos Primiero Dolomiti, a new bike marathon in the wonderful landscape of the Pale di San Martino, which can be considered among the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the world.
The Pale di San Martino, one of the most iconic skylines of the Dolomites, have always been the perfect arena for outdoor and sport activities. It is not difficult to understand why Pedali di Marca association, which organized the Italian Championship 5 times, the European Championship in 2010 and the World Championship in 2011 and 2018 accepted the challenge to organize Mythos Primiero Dolomiti with Massimo Debertolis, world champion of the marathon in 2004 who lives in Primiero Valley.
Mythos Primiero Dolomiti will take place on Saturday, September11 in some of the most beautiful areas of Primiero and Vanoi Valley. Participants will have the opportunity to choose between two races: a 86 km marathon (3200m difference in altitude) with start in San Martino di Castrozza and finish in Fiera di Primiero and a granfondo classic of 57 km (1700m difference in altitude) with start and finish in Fiera di Primiero.
Before the great marathon of September 11, some other events connected to the bike world will take place in the territory of San Martino di Castrozza, Passo Rolle, Primiero and Vanoi: the Adventure Gravel will take place in June between San Martino di Castrozza and Primiero Villages. Then in July there willl be the E-bike Explore Ghost Bike with participants riding an e-bike in the moonlight.
Last but not least, young riders will have a chance to perform too: Kids Bike Contest and Primiero Family Gourmet will take place during the Mythos Primiero Dolomiti weekend (10-12 September 2021).
San Martino di Castrozza is one of the most beautiful destinations in the Alps, a piece of jewellery set at the foot of the Palagroup. There, the mountain has character, style and elegance and the beauty of the Dolomites is so strong, that you feel like you can touch it. Like high fashion clothes or precious jewellery, San Martino di Castrozza is the result of the careful work made by a skillful artisan, the nature, which silently worked to create unique panoramas kept by crystal peaks. “Are they stones or clouds? Are they real or is it a dream?” these are the words Dino Buzzati pronounced in front of the majestic beauty of these timeless peaks.
On the 19th September, runners will perform in one of the most beautiful and thrilling vertical run taking place in the Dolomites: The Rosetta Verticale Trail Run.
The run starts from the center of San Martino di Castrozza, at the foot of the stunning Palagroup, part of the Dolomites,a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Runners will then take the path N°701 to Colverde Hut and then they will reach the Pala Plateau through a stunning path in the wood, in the first part, and on the rocks, in the second one. Once on the Pala Plateau, they will reach the Rosetta Peak enjoying the breath-taking view on the surroundings and the Plateau itself. The difference in altitude to complete the run is 1279m, but it is definitely worth it! The Pala Plateau, in the Natural Park Paneveggio Pale di San Martino, is one of the most beautiful and particular part of the area of San Martino di Castrozza. A 50 km2 Plateau of naked rock at an altitude of 2600m that inspired mountaineers and writers with its unique, fascinating and mysterious landscape.
Special guest: the Swiss National Ski Mountaineering Team, that chose Primiero – San Martino di Castrozza for their physical training and the Rosetta Verticale Trail Run as a test to prove the physical condition.
OUTDOOR STARS are places where the outdoor sports you love are all available in the most beautiful settings you could wish for to take a day trip, spend a weekend, or even better, a week’s holiday.
From winter ski slopes to summer trekking, from free riding and snowboarding in fresh snow to mountain biking and canyoning: you’ll never be bored and the awesome beauty of nature will amaze you.
A unique environment for your outdoor activities also offers hotels, transport and services, territory and tradition and real people to share your adventures and relaxing moments with.
Choose your OUTDOOR STARS from the opportunities MountainBlog has selected for you, in the mountains and elsewhere!
