Has anyone stayed in La Villa in the Dolomites? We are looking at Al Pigher chalet/hotel for a week at the end of January. We've stayed in Selva several times before so we are familiar with the area.
I'm specifically wondering:
- what's the town of La Villa like?
- does anyone know Al Pigher?
- is La Villa reasonably convenient for accessing the main ski areas (it seems like you need to get a gondola)
Thanks,
Lesley
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
dippdydoodogg, We have stayed in Pedraces which is linked to La Villa by a horizontal chair lift.
La Villa had a new chair installed a couple of seasons ago that crosses the road to almost link one side of the valley to the gondola side. There is some limited skiing an the side away from the gondola but some lovely runs. We transited la Villa almost everyday and it looked a great place to stay. Up the gondola and loads of skiing off the top to all parts of Alta Badia and easy links onto the Sella Ronda. The runs from the top of the gondola back down to the town are 2 of the best in the Dolomites. The black "Gran Risa" and red of the same name are PROPER red and black and bring all the traffic back to La Villa and Pedraces and can get a bit scraped by the end of the day. Some fabulous cruisy blues in Alta Badia but the nervous may want to download on the gondola.
All I know of the town is that it is quite smart but like many of the Dolomite ski towns it has the valley roadf running through.
Very Italian and very nice.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Frosty the Snowman, thanks a million for that. I couldn't work out what sort of place it was. It sounds just perfect and it will be great to get a different aspect on the Sella Ronda. We went over that way once - going to Santa Croce (sp?) and I remember that was a lovely run - a fairly antiquated lift though. I think we did the horizontal chair then too.
I'm really pleased it's more Italian, that's one of the great pleasures of skiiing in the Dolomites for me.
I suspect our prospective accommodation may be on the budget end for a smart town!
One further question - did you fly to Innsbruck? What was the transfer time?
I think the accommodation you are looking at is Inghams only (one of their club chalet hotels I think). I looked at it and I'm sure they say that it's a new property. Whether that means brand new, or new to Inghams I have no idea.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
hammerite, yes, that's the one. It looks like it might actually be a new build. What's a chalet/hotel? Does that mean an 18 year old with a brand new cookbook is in charge of the kitchen? It's good value for that area (we are flying from Ireland which always limits the choice and raises the cost. Actually Inghams are no longer flying from ROI, just Belfast this year).
Freddie Paellahead, Thanks, it should be about the same for La Villa.
Frosty the Snowman, good news on the new chair. We'll make a pioint of going up there for lunch. Isn't that where the little Church is (probably the 'croce' bit).
After all it is free
After all it is free
dippdydoodogg wrote:
What's a chalet/hotel? Does that mean an 18 year old with a brand new cookbook is in charge of the kitchen?
I worked for Esprit last year (same company as Inghams now) in a chalet hotel and as far as I could tell it's pretty much arbitrary; it was just a (very nice) hotel.
None of these places always have the same chef year on year, our chef last year was on his first season (incredible chef though - just wanted to spend time out of London), and I would imagine it will be the same at others. UK seasonal staff tend to have a massive turnover anyway, lots of people only do one season or do seasons in different resorts every year.
In our kitchen the only person out of 12 who had worked in the same hotel before was the head kitchen porter...
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bobmcstuff, thanks - fingers crossed for an incredible chef in our case too
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We've stayed in a chalet hotel a couple of times, I always thought it was just a hotel that put on afternoon tea. Can't tell any other other difference with a normal hotel really.
I don't drink tea or coffee and all the cake has usually gone by the time we get back from skiing!
This Al Pigher particularly stood out to us because they have free child places during school holidays.
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Frosty the Snowman wrote:
dippdydoodogg,
Santa Croce at Pedraces has a new covered 4 man high speed chair Well worth a mid am trip to have lunch on the hill there.
Is there just one place for lunch or several - which do you recommend? We will be staying just 'up the road' in San Martino in Badia in February so good lunch stops are already being considered
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
We had some good lunches in La Fraina mountain restaurant, just off the summit of Piz la Ila above La Villa, great mountain views and a stunning sun deck, nicely tucked out of the way so not too busy, and some nice blues to get you back into the swing after a long lunch
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
CP, 3. One at the base, one at the middle station and one at the top. All decent although the top.one .is an uphill walk.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Frosty the Snowman wrote:
CP, 3. One at the base, one at the middle station and one at the top. All decent although the top.one .is an uphill walk.
The top one is worth the walk though.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
CP, best pasta I ever had in Dolomites (in fact best pasta I have ever had) was at the restaurant of Hotel Lech da Sompunt, towards bottom of the run heading towards Santa Croche (ie underneath the Sponata lift). Ie v close to Pedraces. Think they offer outside tables later in season but in Jan all tables were indoors. Can't recall exact directions but it is about 50 yards off the piste, to the left, just before you go over a wooden bridge, about 2/3 down that Sponata run. Well worth finding it - all others were local Italians in the know - two years back six of us had shared meats/cheeses, fresh pasta each, wine, coffees all for 72e Truly wonderful fresh pasta...
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Poster: A snowHead
DoubleBombardino, Cheers - I will find it
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
DoubleBombardino, And so will I!
hammerite, Thanks, that's really helpful. Sadly we are most unlikely to get back in time for anything but cake crumbs either! I think we'll book for the end of January/beginning of February.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
One more question - does anyone have a recommendation for ski hire at La Villa? A quick Google suggests there are 4 options:
Alta Badia Ski Rental
Break Out Sports
Scuola Sci La Villa/Rent the Trent
Ski Service Costa Renato
creedgearoid, The only place for the craic is in Selva! All resorts are beautiful (with the possible exception of Arabba) but not a lively place when compared to Austrian resorts! Good choice of area though!
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Freddie Paellahead, Bottom right of map, come down red 27, just above where it says BADIA 1324 m on the map. There is a bridge over a road and the hotel is just before the bridge on the left. Some great runs on that side to really rip up. We hit the Sella Ronda at lunchtime one day and were running out of time to make the horizontal lift back to Pedraces. We flew down that last run, 4 adults and about 8 very quick kids. We finished all 4 hip flasks on the horizontal lift as the man pulled the orange netting behind us after we passed through the entrance gates.
When skiing down to La Vila take the red Gran Risa option as the black involves a walk to the lift that takes you accross the road.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Thanks Frosty the Snowman.
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If you run it to the end then you can see the Pedraces horizontal lift right next to the return lift.
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Thanks Frosty the Snowman, great video, think I should be able to find it, but perhaps not at that speed! I assume that wasn't you talking German?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Nien
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Frosty the Snowman, I have done that run flat out a few times to enable me to catch the last chair to Pedraces which from memory was at 5.00 pm. Otherwise it was a long walk alongside the river or asking Colletts very nicely if they would come and pick you up.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Roy Hockley, thanks for that. we did selva a few years ago and if its quiter than that we will prob look elsewhere as yes there were a few lively bars but not exactly a lot goin on. really loved the dolomites do and were hoping to go back some time but would need some place with a pulse.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Creedgearold - Re pulse I thought the Luiskeller in Selva had this bigtime
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Freddie Paellahead, Nb if you are looking for rustic refugio this particular place is not that althoughly charmingly situated. I do hope the buonissimo expectations get met...the other spot which is also not woody, rustic etc is another hotel based restaurant in the Belvedere bowl above Canazei. Will try to recall its name and post better directions but on far right hand side of bowl as you ski down, in arabba-selva direction. V nice sun terrac incl a neat windscreen, sun loungers (complete with lethal stalactites lurking above) but most impt some v v nice pizza to be had.
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Poster: A snowHead
Ow, that video's given me toothache.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
DoubleBombardino, there is also a great woody pizza refugio on the rt just after you exit the Belvedere towards Arabba which we will undoubtedly re-acquaint ourselves with - I don't know if it had a terrace as the weather was "not suitable" in January.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Freddie Paellahead, thanks for that tip - am heading to Alta Badia area mid-March so look forward to reading your food reviews...Have you been to the area around Col Gallina/Cinque Torre yet on Cortina side? Had a very nice lunch there at Refugio Averau - again top notch albeit double the price of Lech da Sumpont place (albeit still 1/2 the price of a EoSB decent lunch ). Perhaps it is time for an entirely new forum area dedicated only to refugi reports.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
pjd, Yes indeed the Luiskeller has great cheese! One of my favourite apres bars for music and the "serving wenches" in their dirndls as well as their other uniforms!! creedgearoid, I am afraid you will have to go to Austria to get the most from the apres ski, St Anton or Ischgl would be a good choice!
After all it is free
After all it is free
Is the Luiskeller the place with "the big plate of meats"? And good ribs?
Best pasta I have eaten was the venison ragu at the Las Vegas above Arabba
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DoubleBombardino wrote:
Freddie Paellahead, Nb if you are looking for rustic refugio this particular place is not that althoughly charmingly situated. I do hope the buonissimo expectations get met...the other spot which is also not woody, rustic etc is another hotel based restaurant in the Belvedere bowl above Canazei. Will try to recall its name and post better directions but on far right hand side of bowl as you ski down, in arabba-selva direction. V nice sun terrac incl a neat windscreen, sun loungers (complete with lethal stalactites lurking above) but most impt some v v nice pizza to be had.
Could be Rifugio Fredarola, best pizza on the Sella Ronda, just down on the right as you ski from the top of Belvedere twd Arabba.
Another great spot for grilled meat is Utia Trausines on the left along the ridge from the Piz la Ila gondola, past Moritzino's and the kiddie park.
Jimmy Hutte just on the Colfosco side of the Passo Gardena is an atmospheric place, good for a romantic meal if you can book the table on the upstairs balcony, amazing view!
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dippdydoodogg, La Villa is a smart town with lots of nice hotels and apartment houses, not directly on the Sella Ronda, you need to get over to nearby Corvara to access that, but there's a lot of local skiing in the Alta Badia area accessed by the Piz La Ila gondola as well as the sequence of chairs that link twd Pedraces/Badia and the Santa Croce church.
From La Villa you can access the whole Sella Ronda area, day trips might include the Marmolada, the Hidden Valley of Armentarola, the Great War tour as well as the Sella Ronda. You will need to work out the way back from Corvara as it is a bit tricky, though if you get stuck in Corvara at the end of the day, I'm pretty sure there is a bus service. Cortina isn't too far and the tour ops often do a bus trip there, well worth it if you get the chance, your Dolomiti superski pass includes the skiing there.
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Truly wonderful fresh pasta...
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