Hotel Grones, Ortisei

The picturesque old town of Ortisei (1236m) is the principal community and cultural centre of Selva/Val Gardena, of one Italy's most prominent ski areas. It has its own small ski area and is linked with Selva and the famous Sella Ronda circuit, by a free 'ski-express' bus service. The Sella Ronda – a day's outing along a 50km ski circuit through dozens of villages and hamlets and four regions – is itself part of a vast region accessed with the Dolomiti Superski pass, covering an astonishing 1200km of pistes and served by 460 ski lifts. Apart from its outstanding scenery, skiing and local cuisine, Val Gardena is world famous for its wood carving.