Ortisei vs Bressanone vs Castelrotto

Bressanone is a bit away from the most scenic areas. Ortesei is a good base, but it’s very busy. We stayed in Santa Cristina val Gardena, five minutes away. It was much more quiet. Ortesei felt like Disneyland in comparison. It just depends what kind of feel you want.

Last fall we stayed in Ortisei after asking on the forum and were glad we did. Ortisei has 3 lifts up into the mountains for hikes, Castelrotto has none. Ortisei feels like an alpine ski town (probably because it is) and has a few higher-end restaurants as well as more lower-end ones. Taking the bus back from the museum in Bolzano we got off in Castelrotto and were underwhelmed. It was a quiet place, seemed to be predominantly places to stay. Although to be honest a few hours is enough to see all of Ortisei too.

If you're going up into the mountains for walks then earlier weeks in May could be problematic. In April many of the lifts close as ski season ends so check to be sure the lifts you want to take have started running by your visit. One schedule is at https://www.valgardena.it/en/summer-holidays-dolomites/lifts/

And as your trip gets closer look up the activities offered including guided hikes on the https://www.valgardena-active.com/en website (summer activities probably aren't posted yet). We did several from Ortisei last year and they are free if your hotel is a Val Gardena partner which most are. They have hikes that start from other places as well.

I’ll second staying in St. Christina. We stayed here.

www.garniariston.com

Quieter than Ortisei yet just a few minutes drive away.

Depending on what type of history you’re interested in, a day out to Lagazuoi may be worth while.

https://lagazuoi.it/index_en.php

Also the Ice Man exhibit in Bolzano’s Muesum of Archaeology may be of interest, as well as the Diocean Museum in Bressanone.

https://www.iceman.it/en/the-iceman/

https://www.hofburg.it/museum?lang=en

A drive over the Gardena Pass is a favorite of mine.

https://www.val-gardena.com/en/dolomites/gardena-pass/

These are all easy trips from the Val Gardena.

My husband and I stayed in Ortisei for a week a few years ago. We really liked it as a base. Lots of hiking right near by with three lifts right in the town and great parking in the parking garage it was a convenient base. Right there you have the Ortisei-Furnes Gondola, Furnes-Seceda Cable car, and the Resciesa Cable Railway. We visited Castlerotto and it was very nice. It is literally right next to Orisei. We also took a day to visit Merano and really enjoyed our day there. We rented an apartment above the town of Ortisei with a fantastic view. They even do a bakery run very early in the morning for you if you want! It allowed us easy access to the town for a meal out if we wanted but also the feel of not being in the thick of it.

https://www.laplates.eu/Eng/

Since you are a huge history buff and a wine lover, consider visiting the Abbey of Novacella, which is just outside of Bressanone. It’s one of the oldest wineries in the world and an incredibly beautiful place to walk around or tour. Even if you’re not staying in Bressanone, it’s an easy trip from Ortisei or Castelrotto. Have a great trip!

Its tough to top Ortisei for convenience and variety if you're a hiker. And, as noted its easy enough to avoid the activity in the center. But I could see someplace like Santa Christina with other interests - you could start with the Val Gardena railway tunnel museum.

We loved Ortisei and did not find it too busy at all. In fact, the town was almost too sedate for us in the evening hours. The big draw is the easy hiking access. We did not even get in our car once over five days of hiking. Try the restaurant Tubladel for a great meal.