St. Christina in Val Gardena: Trails, Dolomites and Sellaronda

Landscape and winter sports

St. Christina in Val Gardena lies at the foot of the Sassolungo. Santa Cristina is surrounded by flower-filled meadows and unusual rock formations. Santa Cristina offers direct access to the legendary Sellaronda in the Dolomiti Superski area. The “Val Scura” cross-country ski trail is 7.5 km long.

Trails from Santa Cristina

Hiking trails begin directly in Santa Cristina and lead into the Dolomites. The PanaRaida adventure trail begins on Monte Pana in Santa Cristina; from the town center, the adventure trail can be reached by chairlift or on foot in about 40 minutes. The “Troi UNIKA” art and nature trail is dedicated to art, nature and the carving tradition deeply rooted in Val Gardena. The Troi UNIKA art and nature trail begins on Monte Pana in Santa Cristina. The Troi UNIKA circular trail begins near Hotel Cendevaves and is also accessible with a stroller in summer. The Legend Trail begins behind the parish church of Santa Cristina.

Art, church and Ladin identity

The parish church of Santa Cristina preserves the lower part of a Romanesque bell tower belonging to a church mentioned in a papal bull from 1342. The main altar of the parish church of Santa Cristina was created around 1690 by the Vinazer dynasty of artists. The Stations of the Cross in Santa Cristina comprise 14 stations with bronze sculptures by local sculptors. The Via Crucis circular trail begins in the church square. The world's largest nativity scene was created by 18 sculptors from Santa Cristina and has been on display at the Centro Sportivo Iman since 2000. Castel Gardena lies between Selva Gardena and Santa Cristina and is a Renaissance-style hunting lodge and summer residence. The wood-carving tradition is part of Santa Cristina's Ladin cultural identity. Local associations in Santa Cristina organize numerous festivals throughout the year.

Traces of history

The restored tunnel of the former Val Gardena railway near the parish church of Santa Cristina was opened to history enthusiasts in 2017. Interactive panels in the tunnel of the former Val Gardena railway convey historical facts, technical details and stories about the former railway. Historical panels and pictures along the route of the former Val Gardena railway explain the history of this former railway. The present-day Val Gardena railway route follows the well-preserved former railway line for 12 km from Roncadizza via Ortisei and Santa Cristina to Selva.

Traditional farms and getting there

The traditional farms trail begins in the church square in Santa Cristina and leads to several mountain farms connected with the village's farming culture. Along the traditional farms trail, information panels with old photographs explain the history of the individual alpine farms. The Giro del Paese circular trail begins at the parking lot below the gymnasium near the parish church of Santa Cristina. Bus route 350 runs every half hour from Ponte Gardena or Chiusa to Santa Cristina.

Further destinations: San Genesio, Collalbo, Nova Ponente, Meltina, Nova Levante, Cornedo all'Isarco, Fiè allo Sciliar, Nova Ponente

To the higher-level travel overview: Salten-Schlern.