Characteristics
The tour of the Gardena valley features the three main towns of the valley in a diversified tour that is ideal for those starting mountain biking. Its course runs almost completely away from the more busy main road. The ascent on sections of the former railway line in the second part of the tour on the way back to Wolkenstein is especially pleasant. The gentle, steady incline that was necessary then for trains is very relaxing for bikers.
The tour begins at the tourism association in Wolkenstein. The route out of the valley mainly follows the left bank of rio (brook) Gardena. It begins on beautiful woodland and meadow paths directly along the brook and later between St. Christina and St. Ulrich on tarmac secondary roads with hardly any traffic. In this way you arrive at the promenade in St. Ulrich with almost no increase in altitude difference.
At the valley station of the Seiser Alm cable car you turn right, cross the main road via the pedestrian bridge and reach the centre of the village. From now on it is only uphill. Altogether, it is a good 450 metres difference in altitude to Wolkenstein, but the incline is very moderate and makes for a fantastic ride.
Shortly before St. Christina you come across La Pozza, a small village behind St. Christina, on the section you already know from the way there and that you now take in the opposite direction. The route changes there again to the other side of the valley and follows the old, abandoned railway line, that has been converted to a cycle path, back to Wolkenstein.

Variations
1. Alternative starting points: you can start the tour from any place in the valley, for example, even from St. Christina or Ortisei.

2. Short tour: already at waymarker 10 you can greatly shorten the tour by not bearing left here but going right to La Pozza. You continue the tour by a direct route at waymarker 57 (-13.6 km, -373 m altitude difference).

3. The way back via Anna valley (Annatal), St. Jakob and the valley station Col Raiser: the tour is decidedly more demanding, but also much more beautiful if you follow the signposts in St. Ulrich for the valley station Seceda and further on in the direction of the Annatal. Either you take the short detour to this stunningly located stop for refreshments, or at the Pauli mountain cabin turn immediately right in the direction of St. Jakob's church. The route continues via Insom to the Col Raiser valley station. A short descent takes you down to La Pozza, where you join the tour described here again at waymarker 59.

4. Extension into the Langental: Whoever, on the way back and just before Wolkenstein, has not yet had enough should not continue straight ahead on the old railway line at waymarker 61, but bear left for a short distance on the road. Turn left at the next traffic roundabout and from there on follow the road into the Langental. On the way back keep left at the car park at the mouth of the valley and go back to Wolkenstein again via the valley station Dantercepies.

Physical condition Overall condition 2,1 Total height variation 2,0 Total distance 2,0 Maximum altitude 3,0

Riding technique Overall riding technique 2,2 Surface 2,5 Average climb gradient Ø 2,0 Average descent gradient Ø 2,0

Getting there
Take Brenner motorway A22, coming from the north via Innsbruck-Brenner, or from the south via Verona-Bozen.
The best motorway exit is Klausen/Gröden. From there in about 20 minutes you can reach St Ulrich and a few kilometres further on St. Christina and Wolkenstein on a clearly signposted mountain road.

Starting point
The tourism association is located on the left about 500 m after you enter the village of Wolkenstein.
Parking is available at the the beginning of the village centre of Wolkenstein. Turn left before Nives Platz and then immediately left again into the Nives car park.
The tour begins at the tourism association Wolkenstein.

1

0,00

0,05

1557

Tourist information office in Wolkenstein/Selva

Straight on downhill

A -6%

00:00

00:00

2

0,05

0,05

1554

Café Mozart

Sharp left onto permanent hiking trail

R -8%

00:00

00:00

3

0,10

0,06

1550

Casa Elisabetha

Sharp right downhill

R -4%

00:00

00:00

4

0,17

0,20

1548

End of tarmac

Straight on

S -3%

00:00

00:00

5

0,37

0,08

1543

Fire station

Straight on

00:01

00:02

6

0,45

0,43

1540

House of Culture

Bear left

R 0%

00:01

00:02

7

0,88

0,18

1541

Junction at signpost 30

Straight on

R -3%

00:02

00:05

8

1,06

0,19

1535

Junction with hiking trail

Bear right to 22a

W-16%

00:02

00:06

9

1,24

0,24

1501

Beginning of tarmac

Straight on

R -5%

00:03

00:07

10

1,48

0,35

1487

Haus Paladina

Bear left to Fischburg 22a

W -3%

00:04

00:08

11

1,83

0,43

1471

Junction with hiking trail

Straight on

W -8%

00:04

00:10

12

2,25

0,11

1438

Crossroads

Straight on downhill

R -8%

00:06

00:13

13

2,36

0,08

1430

Wooden bridge

Bear left along stream

R 1%

00:06

00:14

14

2,44

0,29

1432

Junction before subway

Bear left along stream

S -8%

00:06

00:14

15

2,74

0,13

1409

Intersection with bottom of Sasslong lift

Bear left along stream

S -3%

00:07

00:16

16

2,86

0,13

1405

Junction

Bear left over the Rio Gardena stream

R -4%

00:07

00:17

17

3,00

0,04

1399

Bridge (towards Val Gardena Marketing in S. Cristina)

Straight on through subway

S 0%

00:08

00:17

18

3,04

0,29

1399

Junction after subway under main road

Straight on

00:08

00:18

19

3,32

0,77

1389

Bottom of Monte Pana chairlift

Straight on along stream

S -5%

00:09

00:19

20

4,10

0,06

1349

Bridge over stream (towards waterfall)

Straight on uphill

R 10%

00:11

00:24

21

4,16

0,26

1355

Hofer Group

Bear left

R 1%

00:11

00:24

22

4,42

0,21

1356

Crossing with main road

Bear left onto main road

A -5%

00:12

00:26

23

4,63

0,32

1346

Junction

Left into Via Mulin d’Odum

R -10%

00:12

00:27

24

4,95

0,79

1312

Transformer station

Right over St. Ulrich/Ortisei bridge

R 1%

00:13

00:29

25

5,74

0,95

1321

Intersection with Via Jender

Bear right downhill

R -3%

00:15

00:34

26

6,69

0,29

1278

Junction with hiking trail 19 towards Pedroc-Hartl

Right downhill

R -7%

00:18

00:40

27

6,98

0,54

1257

Junction with Streda Furdenan

Straight on

R -6%

00:19

00:41

28

7,52

0,47

1224

St. Ulrich/Ortisei playground

Bear left on path along stream

R -2%

00:20

00:45

29

7,99

0,12

1214

Raiffeisenkasse Kastelruth (bank)

Straight on along stream

R 0%

00:21

00:47

30

8,11

0,08

1214

Residence Oswald

Straight on uphill to Alpe di Siusi cable car

R 8%

00:22

00:48

31

8,19

0,15

1220

Bottom of Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi cable car, St. Ulrich/Ortisei

Sharp left to centre over footbridge

00:22

00:49

32

8,34

0,04

1224

Hotel Adler

Bear left into pedestrian area

R 12%

00:22

00:50

33

8,38

0,03

1229

Landesberufschule (Vocational Training Institute)

Straight on

R 7%

00:22

00:50

34

8,41

0,08

1231

Tourist information office in St. Ulrich/Ortisei

Right to St. Jakob/San Giacomo

R 6%

00:22

00:50

35

8,49

0,04

1236

Church of St. Ulrich/Ortisei

Bear right after church

R 7%

00:23

00:50

36

8,54

0,60

1239

Pana car park

Straight on (left past the car park entrance)

R 6%

00:23

00:51

37

9,14

0,20

1273

Junction streda Paul Grohmann

Straight on downhill

R -10%

00:24

00:54

38

9,33

0,20

1253

Otco Sculptures

Bear left to S. Cristina

A 7%

00:25

00:55

39

9,53

1,15

1270

Zebra crossing

Bear right to S. Cristina

S 4%

00:25

00:57

40

10,68

0,22

1314

End of gravel path

Straight on

R 8%

00:29

01:04

41

10,89

0,22

1330

Intersection in front of Hotel Diamant

Bear right along zebra crossing

R -1%

00:29

01:5

42

11,12

0,57

1327

Crossing with main road

Bear left to S. Cristina

S 3%

00:30

01:06

43

11,69

0,21

1340

Haus Alba

Straight on over the zebra crossing

S 2%

00:31

01:10

44

11,90

0,28

1343

Spar

Bear left to S. Cristina

00:32

01:11

45

12,18

0,26

1356

Crossing with main road

Straight on to Strada Plan dala Sia

R -1%

00:33

01:13

46

12,44

0,06

1355

Hofer Group

Bear right downhill

R-10%

00:33

01:14

47

12,50

0,77

1349

Bridge over stream (towards waterfall)

Straight on (no through road)

S 5%

00:34

01:15

48

13,27

0,29

1389

Bottom of Monte Pana chairlift

Straight on along stream

R 3%

00:36

01:19

49

13,56

0,04

1399

Junction before subway under main road

Straight on through subway

S 0%

00:36

01:21

50

13,60

0,13

1399

Bridge (towards Val Gardena Marketing in S. Cristina)

Straight on

R 4%

00:34

01:21

51

13,73

0,13

1405

Intersection

Bear right towards bottom of lift

S 3%

00:37

01:22

52

13,86

0,29

1409

Junction with bottom of Sasslong lift

Bear right towards subway

S 8%

00:37

1:23

53

14,16

0,08

1432

Intersection

Bear right along stream

S -1%

00:38

01:24

54

14,24

0,11

1430

Wooden bridge

Bear right over bridge (residents access)

R 8%

00:38

01:25

55

14,35

0,43

1438

Crossroads

Straight on along stream

W 8%

00:39

01:26

56

14,77

0,35

1471

Junction with hiking trail

Straight on to Wolkenstein/Selva

00:40

01:28

57

15,12

0,12

1487

Haus Paladina

Left towards main road

R 2%

00:41

01:30

58

15,24

0,15

1489

Bar Adelaide, Crossing with main road

Straight on Strada La Poza

R 7%

00:41

01:31

59

15,39

0,15

1500

Crossing with course of old railway

Right

R 4%

00:41

01:32

60

15,55

0,28

1505

Crossing at Haus Lambolt

Straight on over the zebra crossing

R 5%

00:42

01:33

61

15,83

0,58

1518

Crossing at Hotel Welponer

Straight on to Wolkenstein/Selva

R 4%

00:43

01:34

62

16,41

0,48

1542

Hotel Sporting

Straight on over road and follow cycle path

R 4%

00:44

01:38

63

16,89

0,08

1561

End of cycle path

Straight on

R 1%

00:46

01:41

64

16,97

0,10

1562

Villa Gran Baita

Straight on

A -1%

00:46

01:41

65

17,08

0,29

1561

Wolkenstein/Selva primary school

Straight on strada Nives

A 3%

00:46

01:42

66

17,36

0,11

1569

Pizzaealtro

Bear right onto main road

00:47

1:44

67

17,47

0,09

1566

Hotel Krone

Sharp right

A 0%

00:47

01:44

68

17,56

0,17

1566

Bottom of Ciampinoi lift

Straight on

A -5%

00:47

01:45

69

17,72

0,00

1557

Tourist information office in Wolkenstein/Selva

End of tour

A 0%

00:48

01:46

Explanation of evaluation factors
• Overall difficulty based on climb difficulty (60%) and descent difficulty (40%)
• Climb difficulty based on total distance uphill (30%), overall height variation uphill (30%), surface uphill (10%), average slope   uphill (25%), highest altitude reached (5%).
• Descent difficulty consists of total distance downhill (10%), overall height variation downhill (10%), surface downhill (50%),   average slope downhill (30%).
• Physical condition based on total distance (40%), with overall height variation (50%) and highest altitude reached (10%).
• Riding technique based on surface (50%), with average slope uphill (30%) and average slope downhill (20%).
• Writer’s subjective evaluation of panorama and riding fun.

Explanation of surface and slope
A = Tarmac road		steep uphill	from + 15%
R = Tarmac cycle path		uphill	up to + 14%
S = Gravel		level	ca. +/- 4%
W = Hiking trail		downhill	up to - 19%
P = Path, Single Trail		steep downhill	from - 20%
T = Carrying / pushing
X = Cable car / transfer

Route: the percentages indicate the average climb (+) or the average descent (-) to the next waymarker.