Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy Dec 20, 2023

The Val Gardena valley in Northern Italy is renowned as a tourist destination for skiing, rock climbing and woodcarving enthusiasts. Don"t let the model village appearance fool you, Val Gardena is a real, yet magical site in the Dolomites of South Tyrol that transforms in winter. Wooden huts open their doors to visitors, and a nostalgic cable car ride, each cabin adorned with twinkling fairy lights, travels above the village. During the 18th century, the valley became famous for its production of statuettes and intricately carved wooden figurines, which were initially crafted to decorate Catholic churches. Amongst those creations, the peg wooden doll emerged as one of Val Gardena"s best-known products and is still being produced today.

© Ingus Kruklitis/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Dec 20, 2024Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
Dec 20, 2025Red fox

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 27, 2024Leucistic Annas hummingbird
Jun 13, 2025Vila Franca Islet, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
May 4, 2026Ksar Ouled Soltane, Tataouine district in southern Tunisia
Apr 30, 2025Iguazu Falls seen from Paraná, Brazil
Mar 25, 2026Juvenile manatees in a freshwater spring, Crystal River, Florida
Mar 29, 2025Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, United States
May 28, 2025Sea otter
Apr 15, 2025Castillo de La Calahorra, Granada, Spain
Nov 6, 2023Lago Pehoé, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Sep 7, 2023Camels in the desert, United Arab Emirates
Jan 23, 2024Maldives
Oct 11, 2025Wood duck hen
Dec 17, 2023Bohemian waxwings
Feb 24, 2025Giant cuttlefish, Whyalla, South Australia, Australia
Mar 31, 2024A great egret in the Pantanal
Feb 21, 2024Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
May 16, 2024Ria de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
Jan 16, 2024Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Dec 12, 2024Poinsettia flower
Feb 5, 2026Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta
Apr 2, 2026Wildflower bloom, Central Valley, California, United States
Dec 3, 2023Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona, USA
Dec 28, 2023Humpback whale
Apr 9, 2024Tulip fields in spring, Skagit Valley, Washington, USA
Dec 26, 2024Christmas lights at Mousehole harbour, Cornwall, England
Jan 30, 2026St. Michaels Mount in Marazion, Cornwall, England
Sep 23, 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica
Jan 11, 2024Eurasian lynx
Sep 26, 2025Least chipmunk
Jul 24, 2025Family of ashy woodswallows