Val Gardena, General Information

Location,

When talking about Val Gardena one usually refers to the Val Gardena Valley (germ: Gröden, Italian: Val Gardena, Ladinian: Gherdëina). This valley is nearly 30 km long and forks off close to the south of Klausen (near bridge Gardena / Waidbruck) east of the Eisack / valle Isarco Valley. The most significant towns of the valley are Ortisei, S. Cristina, and Selva Gardena. Val Gardena is the quintessence of the scenic beauty of the Dolomites defined by the mighty Langkofel (3.181 m) and the monumental Sella mountain range; hence it is a destination for hiking and mountaineering. The valley continues at its end as roads lead over the Grödner Joch and also past the Sellajoch and take you further into the fascinating center of the Dolomites where one finds oneself among most unusual and intriguing rock formations, walls, niches, and towers. Today the Val Gardena Valley is a world-renowned winter sports center, appreciated and frequented by, but not only, the most demanding skiers.

Ladinian, the third official language,

As a result of the once remote location of the Val Gardena Valley, a proprietary language, Ladinian, still exists; a Ret Romanesque language which evolved after Romanization of the area from the commonly used Latin and the regional language. It is a pleasant sounding but for the non-Ladinian hardly understandable language, rich in unique sounds and sound combinations. At Pontives (approx. 7 km east of Waidbruck) begins the Ladinian section of Southern Tyrol. Ladinian is also spoken in the adjacent Gader Valley, and the Fassa Valley of Trientino, as well as around Ampezzo and the Swiss region of Graubünden. The Ladinians, which make up approx. 4% the smallest ethnical group in South Tyrol, adhere very strongly to their traditions, orally passing on their Ret Romanesque language from generation to generation, preserving it in school classrooms, in continuous publications, and through TV and radio broadcasts.

Relic language of Europe,

The Ladinian language is greatly endangered due to foreign influences and globalization. In spite of that it is proven that the ability to sense, think and feel as Ladinian is still alive in the majority of the population. The anthem of the ethnic group, at least for the Ladinians of Val Gardena, the song “Gherdëina, Gherdëina” is still in use and its last phrase is as follows: