Ortisei, italy
Living like a local goes hand-in-hand with hiking like a local in this Alpine town in Northern Italy’s
Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site of stunning sawtooth limestone peaks and beautiful meadows.
Ortisei (pronounced OR-tee-zay) is the largest of three villages nestled in the Val Gardena region of the Dolomites, not far from the Austrian border. It offers plenty of interesting shops, restaurants, cultural sites and apartment rentals, along with a unique German/Italian vibe.
A funicular and several ski lifts provide access to spectacular mountain trails suitable for hikers of all abilities, while another lift whisks hikers across the valley to explore Europe’s largest high Alpine meadow.
After the snow melts, this ski destination transforms into a welcoming place for peaceful strolls, breathtaking hikes and pleasant outdoor cafes, with the enchanting Dolomite landscape at your doorstep
From Milan’s main station (Milano Centrale), you can take a minute train ride to the town of Varenna, then a
15-minute ferry across the lake to Menaggio. With ferries and public busses, a car is not needed nor recommended during your stay.
For an optional day trip you can take a public bus for a scenic ride to the lake town of Lugano across the border in Switzerland, where Italian is widely spoken.
A home Base
After WWI, parts of Austria and their German-speaking inhabitants came under control of Italy. Although towns and mountains were then given Italian names, the original German/Austrian names are still recognized. Ortisei, for example, is known as St. Ulrich to German speakers, and is located in Italy’s South Tyrol province (Sudtirol in German and Alto Adige in Italian).
Both Italian and German are official languages of the area, with some residents speaking Ladin, the local dialect. You will therefore see some signs in three languages, but will happily encounter both pizza and German beer, along with gelato and apple strudel!
Plenty of Hiking Throughout the Area
After the collision of the African and European tectonic plates, volcanic eruptions and the erosive forces of ice, wind and rain sculpted mountains of limestone and sedimentary rock into the characteristic rock faces, spires, towers and pinnacles of the Dolomites.
A gondola or ski lift will conveniently drop you at one of the numerous trailheads in the Puez-Geisler Nature Park, where you will soon discover why the area was chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Once on the trail, look for modern huts called refugios (“refuges”) which are placed at strategic locations. They offer food, drinks, and a great place to take a break and enjoy the scenery.
An Awesome Meadow Known by Three Names
At 22 square miles, the Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm in German or Mont Seuc in Ladin) is the largest high Alpine meadow in Europe. The rolling terrain features an abundance of hiking and biking trails, is relatively car free, and comes with Sound of Music views in every direction.
Our Experience
- We were fortunate to find an apartment with a large terrace overlooking the lake (see the two yellow awnings at left center in the photo at the top of the page). Because of the beautiful May weather, we ate all our home-cooked meals on the terrace, and sat out each evening watching the lights from the opposite shore.
- Most mornings we had coffee outdoors at our favorite café on the piazza. We would then return in late afternoon and join the locals for an aperitivo before dinner.
- We did one of the many hikes in the hills above Menaggio, although the trail we took was much steeper than anticipated. But our picnic at the summit and the awesome views of the lake made it worth the effort.
- We took advantage of the ferry service to visit other towns along the lake. On the trip to Como for its weekly market, the boat captain made sure we didn’t miss George Clooney’s villa as we passed the town of Laglio.
- We toured one of the main villas on the lake in the nearby town of Tremezzo, but we always looked forward to our return to Menaggio where we enjoyed walking through the lake-level and hillside neighborhoods, striking up conversations with residents, and eating at a favorite pizzeria a local recommended. Each time we visited that off-the-beaten-path pizza shop we seemed to be the only out-of-towners eating there, and the owner we befriended wanted a photo with us on our last visit.
- One evening during an after-dinner stroll we happened upon a group of grade school children performing on a stage in the piazza, singing Italian songs. We happily stood among proud parents and grandparents as part of the audience, and watched the performance even though we had no clue what they were singing.
Our Live-Like-a-Local Criteria Rating:
We hope one day you get to “live like a local” in this town or another one like it.
For more on Ortisei, go here.