Italy
Italy is often given the backstage when it comes to skiing, an effect of its successful long term neighbours France, Switzerland and Austria. However, Italy has all the elements of a great destination and perfect skiing holiday, with world class ski resorts, great value ski accommodation and lively après-ski. Italy has been further helped in recent years by the Winter Olympics, which were held in Turin in 2006. The whole region received a huge amount of investment in the destination resorts, making them even more desirable than ever before. Italy has un-crowded slopes, particularly during the weekdays and a great snow record for reliable runs. Italy also boasts a ski area with the most runs in Europe, the Dolomites SuperSki area, which includes the resorts of Val Gardena, Corvara, Arabba, Canazei and Val di Fassa. From the Alps to the Dolomites, skiing in Italy is an experience you will never forget.
Resorts
The 2 best known ski areas Italy are the Milky Way comprising of Cesana, Claviere, Sansicario, Sauze d'Oulx and Sestriere and offering 400km of piste, and the Dolomiti SuperSki Area which has over 1200 kms of pistes, not interlinked. The resorts include Selva Val Gardena, Val Di Fassa, Folgarida, Madonna di Campiglio, Alta Badia, Arraba, Alleghe and Cortina.The Sella Ronda is part of the Dolimiti SuperSki area.
With a mixture of old and new, Italian ski resorts delight visitors with their traditional customs. Sauze dOulx offers views of charming narrow streets and quaint ski accommodation, whilst Passo Tonale provides delicious food in its many pizzerias and trattorias. Italian ski resorts have plenty of bars and discos, so après-ski, particularly at the weekend is lively.
Back to top »Cortina d’Ampezzo
STATS:
Village height: 1,220m
Km of skiroutes: 140
Number of runs: Easy: , Intermediate: , Difficult:
Cross-country: 82kms
| 8 | Black Runs | |
| 19 | Red Runs | |
| 42 | Blue Runs |
Host to the 1956 Winter Olympics, Cortina d’Ampezzo, located in a clear valley within the Dolomites, retains its traditional charms of old sporting gentry. It is quite frequently ranked alongside the likes of St. Moritz owing to its winter polo connections. Lithe ponies pound along the winter fields, kicking up white diamante-like snow dust.
Follow in the hoof-steps of these sporting ponies and leave your own marks on the great variety of skiroutes here, as this resort has three major ski areas accessible by the DolomitiSuperski pass.
Back to top »Courmayeur
STATS:
Village height: 1,224m
Km of skiroutes: 100
Number of runs: Easy: 6, Intermediate: 12, Difficult: 4
Cross-country: 32kms
| 4 | Black Runs | |
| 14 | Red Runs | |
| 6 | Blue Runs | |
| 3 | Green Runs |
Courmayeur is a historic mountain town and legendary ski and climbing resort. It sits on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, in the Aosta valleyand is rich in old-school tradition and natural ambience. The surrounding scenery is breath-taking with mountain peaks reaching up into crystal blue skies above.
A characteristic village of cobbled streets lined by old buildings it really does set off its medieval charms. The main skiing is at Plan Checrouit, and visitors can access Cervinia which is lift linked to Zermatt, Pila and La Thuile, all sharing the Aosta Valley joint lift pass. Snow is guaranteed here as snow cannons cover 80% of the skiable terrain.
Back to top »La Thuile
STATS:
Village height: 1,441m
Km of skiroutes: 150
Number of runs: Easy: 28, Intermediate: 26, Difficult: 13
Cross-country: 20kms
| 29 | Black Runs | |
| 32 | Red Runs | |
| 13 | Blue Runs |
La Thuile constitutes the old villages of Thovex, Arly, La Golette and Entreves, An unspoilt resort that offers the appeal of the early classic Alpine ski resorts, La Thuile offers cross-border skiing into La Rosiere, France. Located in the Aosta Valley, holidaymakers here will be overjoyed with the spectacular panoramic views of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and Mont Blanc.
There’s a nice variety of small family-style hotels, larger more modern, slope-side hotels and apartment blocks.
All in all, La Thuile, a popular destination, has an excellent snow record with mainly east-facing slopes, heli-skiing available, minimal queuing during the week, long wide skiroutes and skiing back into the village, makes this destination a very convenient choice.
Back to top »Livigno
STATS:
Village height: 1,816m
Km of skiroutes: 110kms
Number of runs: Easy: 26, Intermediate: 33, Difficult: 9
Cross-country: 40kms
| 12 | Black Runs | |
| 37 | Red Runs | |
| 29 | Blue Runs |
Lying in the stunning Valtellina alpine valley, near the Swiss border, Livignoboasts modern ski lifts and well-groomed skiroutes. It still manages to retain the traditional rustic character of its 3 original villages in what was once a remote mountain valley.
South of the Swiss border, its closest neighbour is St. Moritz, and being one of the largest and highest villages in the region, it is famous because of its duty free status and contains over 200 shops, most of them selling alcohol, tobacco and perfume products at tax free prices. A bargain hunters fantasy.
For après-ski in Livigno there is a wide assortment of off-piste activities like horse-riding and ice climbing. The evenings herald plenty of après ski entertainment with the bars and restaurants offering a fun and involving atmosphere, catered for all tastes and budgets.
Back to top »Madonna di Campiglio
STATS:
Village height: 1,550m
Km of skiroutes: 150
Number of runs: Easy: 21, Intermediate: 13, Difficult: 4
Cross-country: 30kms
| 5 | Black Runs | |
| 13 | Red Runs | |
| 17 | Blue Runs |
Madonna di Campiglio is a very chic resort, setting the glamorous stage for the kind of ambience, grand balls, and polo-on-ice tournatments which St. Moritz is famous for. Situated in the Brenta Dolomites Rendena Valley, the spectacular pink dolomitic rock reigns high above, and descends down in sheer natural assurety.
Most of the runs are intermediate but not difficult and the advanced skiiers will enjoy the long encompassing blacks from the top of Spinale and Pradalago right back down into the village. There’s something to be said about the sheer mergence of nature and sport in this kind of scenery, one almost feels like a piece of Dolomitic rock ascending the mountainous plains.
Night skiing is well worth trying here if you are up for the challenge butrest assured, it is torch lit.
Back to top »Selva Val Gardena
STATS:
Village height: 1236 – 2518m
Km of skiroutes: 176kms
Number of runs: Easy: 32, Intermediate: 23, Difficult: 3
Cross-country: 102kms
| 11 | Black Runs | |
| 67 | Red Runs | |
| 34 | Blue Runs | |
| 0 | Green Runs |
The Val Gardena ski area is made up of Selva, Santa Cristina, Ortisei and the lift-linked Sella Ronda which has some of the most exciting local skiing in the region and is a regular host to the annual World Cup Downhill. Selva’s town life goes beyond skiing, being a regional agricultural and commercial centre so, it is therefore a good choice for those who like to escape ski talk in the evenings. Santa Cristina is a spread out but an attractive village.
Val Gardena is part of the DolomitiSuperski Area with access to 670 individual pistes. In addition to the skiing in Val Gardena itself (176km of pisted ski runs), the appropriate ski Lift Pass will allow you to ski or snowboard in all the other DolomitiSuperski ski resorts including Cortina d’Ampezzo, Val di Fassa, Val di Fiemme and Arabba. With so many pistes above 2500 metres, skiing and snowboarding is assured throughout the season.
The huge ski area is a mecca for skiers and snowboarders alike and Selva Val Gardena is one more livelier resorts in Europe.
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