Val Gardena is proud of its ancient history, stretching as far back as 2 millennia, developing on a territory called Ladinia. Even today in Val Gardena, like in all the other Ladin valleys, ‘Ladin’, a Rhaeto-Romance language, is still spoken: this is a latinised language spoken by the populations living in Raetia and Noricum who fled to the central-oriental valleys in the 5th century to escape from the invasions of the Bavarians, Rugii, Obri, and Slavs.
This ancient people used to describe itself as Latin (hence, the dialect name of Ladin).
Current Ladinia includes the cities of Val di Fassa (TN), Val Badia (BZ), Val Gardena (BZ), Alta Val Cordevole (BL) and Ampezzo (BL), and all former cities of the Hamburg Empire which should also include, according to some experts, all the Ladin-speaking communities in the province of Belluno.
Ladin culture is not only embodied by the local language, but also in daily lives of the locals: in the kitchen, in their clothing, celebrations, and traditions. The preservation of traditions, clothing, and the Ladin cultural heritage makes this a unique land and promises a unique and unforgettable holiday experience.
