July 2009
Plenty of options, but where to stay?
We knew we wanted to have one base for a week so that we could unpack, settle in,
and enjoy. There are certainly many choices across the region, and after some reading
we felt that the Val Gardena could offer a wealth of activities without ever having to leave
the valley. But, if we were so inclined, we could get to other parts such as
Bolzano/Merano or Cortina d’Ampezzo with little difficulty.
So, within the Val Gardena area, itself, where to stay?? We investigated all the obvious
choices, but in the end chose Selva di Val Gardena (aka Wolkenstein)—primarily
because we felt its location at the far end of the valley would offer the best views. It also
seemed to be a nice middle ground between the larger Ortisei (aka St. Ulrich) and the
smaller Santa Cristina. Although Castelrotto appeared to be a charming smaller town
(and our visit there confirmed that), we felt it might not be as convenient—given the extra
driving time to get there and the lack of lifts in town.
In the end, we were very happy with our choice, and would have been equally happy in
Santa Cristina. Ortisei, while attractive and pleasant, seemed bustling and busy; we
even got caught in a bit of “stau” there on our way out of the valley. It also had a bit of a
different vibe; while just about everyone walking around Selva during the day appeared
to be dressed for a day of hiking or biking, the crowd in Ortisei seemed a bit more
diverse—engaged in shopping, sunbathing at the pools, etc.
Selva is just big enough to offer a diverse choice of restaurants, some shops, and
various services, including a couple of supermarkets, a bakery, banks/ATMs, etc., but
small enough that you can pretty much walk end to end in about 15 minutes.
Residence Carin
For our week’s stay, we wanted a self-catering apartment versus a hotel so that we’d
have some room to spread out and not have to go out for every meal. Our priorities
included two bedrooms, parking, high-speed Internet, and a balcony with nice view. We
also wanted a place that was in walking distance to restaurants, shops, lifts and bus
transportation—but we didn't want to be right in the center of town.
When selecting hotels, we usually seek out and read a lot of reviews as part of our
research, but we found that a little difficult here. There are literally hundreds of
apartment options in the area...and hundreds of websites to peruse, but there just aren't
a lot of personal reviews and feedback--TripAdvisor, Slowtrav, anywhere. In the end, we
basically just went with gut feel.
After reviewing a lot of garni/residence sites, we sent out some inquiries. We were
impressed by the very fast (as in, about 10 minutes) response from Residence Carin. It
was a newer building, had everything we were looking for, and even had one positive
review on TripAdvisor (albeit three years old).
We could not have been happier with our choice.
Residence Carin consists of eight apartments in a building set just back from the road.
The proprietors own a sport/ski shop on the main road and also operate a couple of
apartments in that building. It is about 500 meters from the center of Selva, to the east—
so, on the “far” side of town. We found the location to be very convenient, but just out of
the center enough to be quiet. The building has an indoor parking garage, although we
often found it pretty full. Given the good transportation infrastructure in the valley, we
really only used the car when taking trips further afield.
We chose apartment Stevia—a two bedroom, two bath unit on the third floor (the
building does have an elevator). It is a corner unit with balconies on both sides, as well
as a unique octagonal dining area in the “turret” at the corner. The space was great;
rooms were nicely sized, and there is lots of storage space. Although the apartments
were mostly full during our stay, we rarely heard any noise from our neighbors. Being a
newer building (built in 2004), everything was in very good condition, and very clean.
The kitchen has all major appliances except an oven (there is a microwave), and is well
stocked with dishes, glassware, pots and pans. We frequented Despar in the center of
Selva and cooked in several times during our stay. About the only thing we missed
having was a toaster. There’s also a communal washing machine on the top floor
(drying racks provided on each balcony), but we did not need to use it.
Oh, and did we mention the view?
All in all, this was a very nice and comfortable place to stay. We found everything very
much as represented on the residence’s web site. The owners have just about thought
of everything. Highly recommended!
826,00 € for the week, all inclusive; no security deposit
http://www.residencecarin.it/en/index.html
Next: Overview-Hiking in the Val Gardena
All of our trip photos
Home
We knew we wanted to have one base for a week so that we could unpack, settle in,
and enjoy. There are certainly many choices across the region, and after some reading
we felt that the Val Gardena could offer a wealth of activities without ever having to leave
the valley. But, if we were so inclined, we could get to other parts such as
Bolzano/Merano or Cortina d’Ampezzo with little difficulty.
So, within the Val Gardena area, itself, where to stay?? We investigated all the obvious
choices, but in the end chose Selva di Val Gardena (aka Wolkenstein)—primarily
because we felt its location at the far end of the valley would offer the best views. It also
seemed to be a nice middle ground between the larger Ortisei (aka St. Ulrich) and the
smaller Santa Cristina. Although Castelrotto appeared to be a charming smaller town
(and our visit there confirmed that), we felt it might not be as convenient—given the extra
driving time to get there and the lack of lifts in town.
In the end, we were very happy with our choice, and would have been equally happy in
Santa Cristina. Ortisei, while attractive and pleasant, seemed bustling and busy; we
even got caught in a bit of “stau” there on our way out of the valley. It also had a bit of a
different vibe; while just about everyone walking around Selva during the day appeared
to be dressed for a day of hiking or biking, the crowd in Ortisei seemed a bit more
diverse—engaged in shopping, sunbathing at the pools, etc.
Selva is just big enough to offer a diverse choice of restaurants, some shops, and
various services, including a couple of supermarkets, a bakery, banks/ATMs, etc., but
small enough that you can pretty much walk end to end in about 15 minutes.
Residence Carin
For our week’s stay, we wanted a self-catering apartment versus a hotel so that we’d
have some room to spread out and not have to go out for every meal. Our priorities
included two bedrooms, parking, high-speed Internet, and a balcony with nice view. We
also wanted a place that was in walking distance to restaurants, shops, lifts and bus
transportation—but we didn't want to be right in the center of town.
When selecting hotels, we usually seek out and read a lot of reviews as part of our
research, but we found that a little difficult here. There are literally hundreds of
apartment options in the area...and hundreds of websites to peruse, but there just aren't
a lot of personal reviews and feedback--TripAdvisor, Slowtrav, anywhere. In the end, we
basically just went with gut feel.
After reviewing a lot of garni/residence sites, we sent out some inquiries. We were
impressed by the very fast (as in, about 10 minutes) response from Residence Carin. It
was a newer building, had everything we were looking for, and even had one positive
review on TripAdvisor (albeit three years old).
We could not have been happier with our choice.
Residence Carin consists of eight apartments in a building set just back from the road.
The proprietors own a sport/ski shop on the main road and also operate a couple of
apartments in that building. It is about 500 meters from the center of Selva, to the east—
so, on the “far” side of town. We found the location to be very convenient, but just out of
the center enough to be quiet. The building has an indoor parking garage, although we
often found it pretty full. Given the good transportation infrastructure in the valley, we
really only used the car when taking trips further afield.
We chose apartment Stevia—a two bedroom, two bath unit on the third floor (the
building does have an elevator). It is a corner unit with balconies on both sides, as well
as a unique octagonal dining area in the “turret” at the corner. The space was great;
rooms were nicely sized, and there is lots of storage space. Although the apartments
were mostly full during our stay, we rarely heard any noise from our neighbors. Being a
newer building (built in 2004), everything was in very good condition, and very clean.
The kitchen has all major appliances except an oven (there is a microwave), and is well
stocked with dishes, glassware, pots and pans. We frequented Despar in the center of
Selva and cooked in several times during our stay. About the only thing we missed
having was a toaster. There’s also a communal washing machine on the top floor
(drying racks provided on each balcony), but we did not need to use it.
Oh, and did we mention the view?
All in all, this was a very nice and comfortable place to stay. We found everything very
much as represented on the residence’s web site. The owners have just about thought
of everything. Highly recommended!
826,00 € for the week, all inclusive; no security deposit
http://www.residencecarin.it/en/index.html
Next: Overview-Hiking in the Val Gardena
All of our trip photos
Home
Climb Every Mountain:
Our long-awaited trip to the
Dolomites...and Munich
Our long-awaited trip to the
Dolomites...and Munich
Overview: Plenty of options, but where to stay?
Overview: Hiking in the Val Gardena
Day 1: Stau!
Day 2: This is why we wanted to visit!
Day 3: Sprechen zie...speck?
Day 4: Bolzano, Merano and a date with Ötzi
Day 5: The flying telephone booths
Day 6: I love a parade
Day 7: One little victory
Days 8-9: Munich
Wrap up: Weather, packing; useful resources
Wrap up: Food, language and final thoughts
Home
Overview: Hiking in the Val Gardena
Day 1: Stau!
Day 2: This is why we wanted to visit!
Day 3: Sprechen zie...speck?
Day 4: Bolzano, Merano and a date with Ötzi
Day 5: The flying telephone booths
Day 6: I love a parade
Day 7: One little victory
Days 8-9: Munich
Wrap up: Weather, packing; useful resources
Wrap up: Food, language and final thoughts
Home
