Val Gardena is a side valley of Valle Isarco and stretches from Ponte Gardena right up to Passo Gardena and Passo Sella, two Dolomite passes. Val Gardena includes the three municipalties of Ortisei, S. Cristina and Selva Val Gardena: around 90% of the population speaks the Rhaeto-Romance language here.
The Derjon, the Ladin name for Rio Gardena, flows across the entire valley and is one of the most important tributaries of the Isarco. Val Gardena is surrounded by the Dolomites, among which the Sassolungo and the Sella Group stand out as veritable symbols of the valley.