Museo Gherdëina

Museo Gherdëina, housed in the House of Ladin Culture (Cësa di Ladins) in the pedestrian zone, has been preserving the history of the Gardena Valley since 1960. The majority of the collection consists of works by local woodcarvers from the 17th to the 19th century: saints, nativity scenes, and wooden toys for which the valley was renowned well beyond the Alps. Also on display are archaeological finds, fossils from the surrounding Dolomites, and a collection dedicated to Luis Trenker, a mountaineer and film director born in Ortisei. For anyone wishing to discover the Ladin valley, this is the best place to start.