Val Gardena to Alpe di Siusi Lift Link Back in Play After Court Ruling

The rejected lift link between Monte Pana and Saltria is alive again, though only on procedural grounds.

The administrative court in Bolzano has overturned Santa Cristina’s decision to reject a new connection between Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi in the Dolomites. The court didn’t rule on whether the lift should be built. It found the municipality hadn’t completed the procedure it was required to follow, so the council’s earlier “no” no longer stands.

What is being proposed

The plan is for a new cable car or mountain railway between Monte Pana, above Santa Cristina in Val Gardena, and Saltria on Alpe di Siusi. Both areas are part of Dolomiti Superski, but there’s currently no direct lift between them. Skiers who want to cross over use a bus. The project has been around since 2017 and has been contested from the start.

What the court decided

The Santa Cristina council voted nine to five in March 2025 to reject the connection. The neighbouring municipalities of Selva di Val Gardena and Ortisei had already come out against it, in May and June 2024 respectively. The project developer, Val Gardena Alpe di Siusi Express GmbH, took the matter to court rather than accept the result.

The court’s problem was with the process. Public information events should have been held first, and other steps required before a final decision were also missing. The developer’s claim for €112,000 in damages was rejected, though the municipality has to cover €3,000 in legal costs.

Where the opposition stands

The resident group Nosc Cunfin says around 1,600 objections have been lodged against the project. Its concern is the effect on the landscape and nature around the Sassolungo group (Langkofel in German), the massif between Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi.

The group says the court’s decision has to be respected, but wants the council to hold the missing information events and then decide again. It’s also pushing for stronger protection of the area, including nature park status, and says a Natura 2000 designation has been discussed as well.

The council discussed the ruling at its meeting on 29 October. According to Nosc Cunfin, no decision was made on how to proceed.

What it means for your trip

For now, nothing changes. Monte Pana and Saltria remain linked by bus. The ruling wiped out the council’s earlier rejection and put the project back into discussion, but there’s no approval and no construction timetable, and whether a lift ever appears depends on what happens next at council level.

About Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi

Val Gardena is a Ladin-speaking valley in South Tyrol, with Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva di Val Gardena as its three main villages. It sits at the foot of the Sassolungo group and is part of Dolomiti Superski. The valley is also known for the Saslong course, a regular stop on the men’s Alpine World Cup speed calendar. Monte Pana, the area above Santa Cristina at the centre of this lift debate, is best known in winter for its cross-country centre and is reached by chairlift from the village.

Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm in German) is a high plateau above Siusi and Castelrotto, usually described as one of the largest high-alpine meadows in Europe. Open, gently rolling terrain sits beneath the Sciliar massif and the Sassolungo group, and Saltria is the settlement at the Sassolungo end. The plateau can be reached by lift from Siusi and from Ortisei in Val Gardena. It is also part of Dolomiti Superski, and for now the bus between Saltria and Monte Pana is the only link between it and its neighbour.