What could be nicer, on returning from an excursion, than to find a tasty meal awaiting us: a delight to the eyes and the palate, with the power to restore our strength? And what about a colourful and mouth-watering buffet, first thing in the morning, to liven our mood and set us up for the day ahead? Good food in the mountains is not just an optional of secondary importance but a priority that each visitor savours and confronts on a daily basis.

Ortisei, Santa Cristina, Selva: these places really have it all – mountains, ski slopes, woods, pastures, picturesque little towns with narrow streets, romantic spots, hospitality, mild climate. So speaking of gourmet food and wine might almost seem superfluous, but this is not the case, especially nowadays. If, at one time, after a walk in the woods or a snowshoeing trip, tourists were content to sit down to a plate of polenta and roe deer, or of surfleisch (salt meat) with sauerkraut, today things have changed considerably and Val Gardena itself sensed that change was in the air and moved with the times. So it upgraded its offer, as regards facilities, hospitality and catering, thereby extending its clientele which is now both wide and all-embracing, ready to welcome, not only families and demanding winter sports lovers, but also singles, couples, groups of friends and “wellness” enthusiasts. In the world of culinary pleasures and specialities, tradition has not been neglected and now returns to claim pride of place with revisitations of time-honoured recipes handed down from generation to generation, alongside more modern dishes in line with the flavours demanded by today’s refined palates. Thus, the great typical recipes and regional specialities are reinterpreted in the large luxury hotels, but also offered in simpler restaurants, in mountain chalets and in inns. Genuine dishes that encapsulate all the flavour of a territory which has so much to offer its guests, always in a context characterised by close contact with the breathtaking beauty of the natural surroundings and respect for the same.

This guide is important because, for the first time, it gathers together and focuses on all that is “good” (in the real sense of the word) in this magnificent valley.