Although Italians are not known for skiing and snowboarding, Italy is still a place where these sports are practiced. As a matter of fact, Italy has some world-class ski resorts.
The ski resorts in Italy are mainly located around the northern mountainous areas that border Switzerland, France and Austria.
Due to their location, the Italian ski resorts have an 80% chance of good weather during the winter. You can actually sit outside the resort with friends to enjoy grappa, spritz, sumptuous pasta, cappuccino or espresso, without the snow getting in the way.
Skiing in Italy is like visiting 2 countries at the same time. The German and Austrian cultural influences can be felt in parts of the Dolomites, while the French culture dominates the Aosta valley.
Italian ski resorts are not only less busy, they are also usually a cheaper option then those in France and Austria and Switzerland. Transportation from the ski resorts is quite easy because they are located near airports. Also, the magnificent cities of Venice, Milan, and Florence are close by.
In Italy, you can ski in the Dolomites to the east and in the Alps to the north-west. Also you can ski down Mount Etna situated in Sicily or ride on the 2006 Olympic resorts of the Via Lattea. In Italy, there are over 200 ski resorts to choose from.
Regions where many of these are present include Valle D’Aosta, Dolomites, Alta Valtellina, Brenta Dolomites, Apennines, Ortler Skiarena and more.
TRENTINO S.TYROL – BRENTA DOLOMITES
Brenta Dolomites is a big ski area located in the western part of the Dolomites. However there are also ski resorts at the Skirama Dolomites. There are 380 km of ski slopes and 150 lifts. Brenta Dolomites ski resorts include Pinzolo, Madonna Di Campiglio, Tonale, Folgarida-Marilleva, Andalo & Monte Bondone and Pejo 3000.
One of the biggest networks of ski resorts in the world is the Dolomiti Superski area in the north-east of Italy. The 12 major ski areas in this place are connected together by 460 lift systems. The Dolomiti Superski pass is recommended to enjoy all 12 ski areas of the Dolomites ski resorts, because with it you can access more than 1,200 km of slopes across the ski areas. The ski resorts are reputably known by a number of people. These resorts include Alta Val Badia, Cortina D’Ampezzo, Val Di Fassa, Val Gardena, 3 Peaks, Arabba-Marmolada, Kronplatz, Gitschberg-Jochtal, Monte Civetta and more. Also, the Dolomites have the renowned Sella Ronda ski route. You can actually visit 4 resorts in a day around Sella Massif.
15 resorts make up the Ortler Skiarena in the Merano, Venosta valley, Eisacktal and Bolzano. Ortler ski resorts are situated in the north-east area of Italy, which is sandwiched between the Dolomites, the Alta Valtellina, and the Austrian border. These resorts include Val Senales, Reinswald and more. Skiing can be done at up to 3260m. The resorts can be accessed from Innsbruck, through Bolzano, and from Milan.
PIEDMONT – VIA LATTEA SKI RESORTS
The Milky Way Via Lattea Ski area is located to the west of Turin. It has 320 km of slopes connected by 70 lifts. This is considered one of the best ski areas in all of western Europe. Some of the major interlinked ski resorts are Sestriere, Claviere, San Sicario and Oulx, Cesana and Claviere. Many of the 2006 Olympic events were hosted in the Via Lattea region. This location can easily be accessed by car or train from Turin. The TGV train coming from Paris stops at Oulx, giving tourists the opportunity to visit the ski resorts.
AOSTA VALLEY – AOSTA VALLEY SKI RESORTS
The northernmost region of Italy borders Switzerland while the most western region borders France. The Aosta valley is in the north-west of Italy and it houses many premier ski resorts together with amazing views.
Amazing skiing destinations include Monterosa ski located at the base of Monte Rosa, Courmayeur situated at the base of Monte Bianco and Cervinia situated at the base of Matterhorn. Others include Chaporcher, Crevacol, Torgan, Chamois, La Thuileand Pila and more.
APENNINES SKI RESORTS
The Apennines make up the longest mountain range in the south of Italy. The mountains extend over 1,200km to the south-east of the Italian peninsula. The Apennines house some ski resorts, some with over 80km of slopes. Among the large resorts are Alto Sangro, Abetone, Campo Felice and Cimone.
LOMBARDY – ALTA VALTELLINA SKI RESORTS
If you’ve never heard of Alta Valtellina, then think Livigno, Bormio, Passo dello Stelvio and other skiing areas. The northern part of the Brenta Dolomites holds amazing skiing and snowboarding areas.
OTHER SKI RESORTS IN ITALY
Another amazing ski area adjacent to Alpe Palù, Valchiavenna, Aprica and others, is the area that graces the slopes of Mt. Etna. Aside from the fact that Mt. Etna gets deep winter snow, it likewise has up to 1,400m of vertical skiing as well as 2 ski resorts. These are the Nicolosi and Piano Provenzana ski areas at the north and south sides of Mt. Etna. You can reach these from Catania.
HELI-SKIING IN ITALY
European countries are not too known for heli-skiing, but Italy has a few heli-skiing operations, especially around the Aosta valley. The major locations of heli-ski operators include Valgrisenche, La Thuile, Gressoney and Courmayeur.
WHY SHOULD YOU SKI AND SNOWBOARD IN ITALY?
There are a number of reasons to ski and snowboard in Italy:
The geographical diversity and the Italian culture.
The natural scenery of Monte Rosa, Monte Bianco, the Apennines, Dolomites, Mt. Etna and other mountains is beautiful! The mountains are very diverse as is the Italian culture.
Amazing skiing and snowboarding. The quality of the skiing and snowboarding experiences from many of the ski resorts in Italy is awesome! This is because ski resorts like Courmayeur, Monterosa, Via Lattea, La Thuile, the Dolomites and other areas have world-renowned standards.
The value you get is well worth your money. Even with affordable skiing and snowboarding, Italy is still one of the best skiing destinations in the world.
Italy is all about La Dolce Vita, the sweet life! This is especially true when enjoying those few Aperol spritzers on the sunny deck of a high alpine rifugio.
