Italy
The Country
Italy's skiing is the most under-rated in Europe and many skiers know little about it. Probably only the amount of skiing in Japan comes as a greater surprise. There are in fact around 400 different ski centres in Italy, slightly more than in France or Switzerland, with the fifth highest number of lifts in the world. This puts Italy a marginal second in Europe for the number of chair lifts, although it is ahead of Austria and Switzerland in that category.
Italy has a long skiing history. Resorts such as Cortina d'Ampezzo and Selva in Val Gardena were famous in the 1930’s after the first resort had been established at ClavFre on the French border. The Italians also pioneered purpose-built ski centres with the aid of large corporations such as Fiat and famous centres such as Sestière, site of the 1997 World championships, were created.
Italy is a long country from north to south, and in its northern half stretches from French to Slovenian (former Yugoslav) borders along the southern edges of Switzerland and throughout Austria. There are ski resorts throughout the country, including some of Europe's biggest (in terms of skier uplift per hour) close to Rome. There is also skiing on several of the Italian islands, including Sicily and Sardinia. Skiers can choose from the dramatic pink peaks of the Dolomites, the highest of the Alps or the central Apennines.
They may choose from the Mediterranean-influenced area of Piedmont, the Aosta Valley with its lift links to Chamonix, La Rosiere and Zermatt, or the formerly Austrian-controlled South Tyrol. As an added bonus, Italy does have a reputation for having Europe's lowest prices for a mainstream skiing destination, and this has helped the country become one of the continent’s boom ski nations in the 1990s, especially since its northerly neighbours have begun to price themselves out of some markets. The remarkable success of the charismatic Alberto Tomba in skiing through the 1990s has also helped to put the country back on the skiing map as indeed has the 2006 Turin Olympics.
Good Points
A rich diversity of skiing experiences are on offer from skiing on Mount Etna in Sicily to the Italian side of the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc in the north.
In most cases, Italian prices are the lowest of the 'Big Four' European skiing nations.
Some resorts are an easy drive from the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.
Italian ski resorts have a good sunshine record, being on a more southerly latitude.
There's a good mix of accommodation options in most Italian resorts - not the 'all apartments' or 'all hotels/bed and breakfast' limitations imposed in many French, Swiss and Austrian centres.
Italians have a deserved reputation for being both friendly and relaxed.
Italian pizza, pasta, coffee and ice cream is exported world-wide but still tastes best at home.
Bad Points
Non-ski childcare is rare and, where it does exist, tends to be more expensive than in other countries. Child discounts across the board are generally poor.
Few resorts have extensive off-slope facilities. Indoor swimming pools and sports centre complexes, except in individual hotels, are rare.
In some cases, there are long transfers from provincial airports.
Road and rail connections to many resorts are generally less developed than elsewhere in the Alps.
Resorts in Italy
AbetoneHeight: 1,400m
One of the longest established and best known ski centres in central Italy. The village itself ha...
Alagna Valsesia
Height: 1,191m
One of the world's greatest lift-served verticals is reached by cable car from Alagna, as is the ...
Alba / Penia di Canazei
Height: 1,520m
An attractive small resort located at one end of the Fassa Valley, with it's own ski area on Ciam...
Alleghe
Height: 979m
Sitting pretty on the edge of a beautiful lake and a wonderful inter-linked ski area on Monte Civ...
Alpe di Siusi
Height: 1,231m
A scattering of hotels and other buildings by the ski area and at high altitude above Ortisei / ...
Alta Badia
Height: 1,324m
Comprising six villages, lift linked together, Alta Badia is a key part of the Sella Ronda circui...
Andalo
Height: 2,125m
Aprica
Height: 1,180m
An excellent resort for beginners who have a 1.5km wide village-side area served by a good range ...
Arabba - Marmolada
Height: 1,602m
One of the most famous resorts on the Sella Ronda circuit, having some of the area's most challen...
Artesina
Height: 1,300m
A friendly village set amongst sheltered north-facing slopes. A rare Italian modern purpose-buil...
Asiago
Height: 1,500m
A pretty traditional small town with extensive modern sports facilities. Large ski area scatter...
Bardonecchia
Height: 1,300m
Situated at the Italian entrance to the Frejus tunnel, this was one of the early popular Italian ...
Barzio
Height: 1,350m
The bottom of the ski lifts at 1650 metres are reached by a cable car capable of carrying 450 ski...
Bellamonte
Height: 1,529m
A resort with excellent off-slope facilities and both a lift link to Moena over the mountain in t...
Bormio
Height: 1,225m
One of Italy's top resorts, coming to world attention in 1985 when it hosted the Alpine Ski World...
Breuil - Cervinia Valtournenche
Height: 2,050m
One of Europe's original purpose-built resorts, its name was changed from Breuil to Cervinia beca...
Brixen / Plose
Height: 956m
A small town offering a wide range of facilities - including indoor ice rink and numerous bars an...
Cadipietra / Steinhaus
Height: 1,052m
Compact ski area with a comparatively big vertical above a typical medium sized Italian mountain ...
Campitello di Fassa
Height: 1,440m
Campitello is a traditional village set back from the main road. It is located in the Fassa Vall...
Campo Felice
Height: 1,520m
A very modern and forward thinking resort with the latest snow-making and quad chairs. The wide ...
Campo Imperatore
Height: 1,980m
One of the highest centres in L'Aquila province, located close to the Corno Grande ( 2914 M ) th...
Canazei
Height: 1,450m
Located in the Fassa Valley and on the Sella Ronda circuit, which takes in Alta Badia and Val Gar...
Caspoggio
Height: 1,098m
A traditional mountain village, able to demonstrate from century-old photographs that it is virtu...
Castione della Presolana
Height: 1,300m
Cavalese
Height: 1,000m
One of the major centres in the Val di Fiemme, with all facilities, and a great base for skiers w...
Cesana Torinese
Height: 1,350m
A small unspoilt Italian border village with limited après-ski facilities. The lifts are a short...
Champoluc - Monterosa Ski
Height: 1,587m
A quiet village with a few hotels and shops surrounded by wooded slopes at the western end of the...
Chiesa
Height: 1,433m
Picturesque old village with modern swimming pool complex and excellent Italian cuisine. The mai...
Cimone - Montecreto
Height: 1,020m
The largest ski area in the Modena region, 30km (19 miles) from the Mediteranean and now most fam...
Clavière
Height: 1,350m
Italy's oldest resort has a border post at one end of the village and is a ten minute walk from M...
Cortina
Height: 1,224m
Italy's most stylish resort, often ranked along side St Moritz (you can play polo in both) and ce...
Courmayeur
Height: 1,224m
Legendary ski and climbing resort, rich in tradition and natural ambience. Close to lifts over t...
Cutigliano
Height: 1,400m
This very popular and picturesque Tuscan summer holiday resort, sheltered by the 1937 M Libro Ape...
Falcade
Height: 1,297m
Full service year-round traditional resort in spectacular scenery. Skiing for all standards with...
Folgaria
Height: 1,188m
A lively and attractive village with skiing at numerous small areas dotted around the heavily for...
Folgàrida
Height: 1,188m
A small, peaceful and friendly purpose-built centre with lifts linked to the first-rate Madonna d...
Foppolo
Height: 1,610m
Foppolo's altitude ensures that the wide open nursery slopes normally have good snow cover. The ...
Gressoney - La Trinité
Height: 1,624m
A compact and key resort in the Italian ' Three Valleys' or Monterosa ski area, with a great deal...
Hochpustertal / Alta Pusteria
Height: 1,173m
The Alta Pusteria region is centred on the historic South Tyrolean resort of Sexten. The region ...
Kastelruth / Castelrotto
Height: 1,100m
Traditional village in the Schlern / Sciliar region but not lift-linked to the main Sella Ronda/V...
La Thuile
Height: 1,450m
La Thuile has managed to maintain the appeal of the early, now classic, Alpine ski resorts. More...
Lavarone / Luserna
Height: 1,180m
A year round holiday destination in the "Great Highlands of Trentino". Cross-country skiing is p...
Limone Piemonte
Height: 1,118m
Limone is one of Italy's oldest Alpine ski areas, having welcomed skiers from the earliest days o...
Livigno
Height: 1,816m
One of the largest and highest ski areas in the region, actually based on three original villages...
Lurisia
Height: 726m
One of the larger ski centres in Cuneo. Facilities include pizzeria, piano bar, discotheque, ban...
Macugnaga
Height: 1,327m
Made up of two pretty villages, Staffa and Pecetto, Macugnaga is located beneath the magnificent ...
Madésimo
Height: 1,550m
A friendly traditional resort located in a sunny valley on the Swiss border. For a comparatively...
Madonna di Campiglio
Height: 1,550m
One of Italy's most famous resorts, with a surprisingly low number of foreign visitors. It is a...
Malga San Giorgio
Height: 1,505m
A small development which grew up in the 1970s. Facilities are mostly based in the hotels and ov...
Marilléva
Height: 900m
A huge single-block purpose-built resort well placed on Madonna di Campiglio's ski area. Good ra...
Merano 2000 / Meran 2000
Height: 1,600m
The elegant town of Merano / Meran is linked by two-stage cable car to its own extensive ski area...
Meransen
Height: 1,400m
A lively ski centre with a typical South Tyrolean feel. Skiing on the bald Gitsch mountain with ...
Moena di Fassa
Height: 1,184m
A vast array of options for skiers based in the large village of Moena. There is one of the larg...
Monte Bondone
Height: 1,184m
A ski area rather than a resort, with north-west facing slopes on Monte Palon (2090m). Accommoda...
Montecampione
Height: 1,200m
Major regional ski area including purpose built centre La Baite, at 1800m.
Nevegal
Height: 1,050m
Nova Levante / Welschnofen
Height: 1,320m
A small friendly village located in the heart of the huge Dolomiti Superski region, with 40 KM of...
Oropa - Mucrone
Height: 1,200m
Cable-car served ski area with direct access to high altitude skiing and a resulting substantial ...
Passo Rolle / Rollepass
Height: 1,960m
One of Europe's highest resorts and a near neighbour to San Martino, to which it is possible to s...
Passo San Pellegrino
Height: 1,910m
Making up much of the Trevalli ski area between Moena and Falcade .
Passo Stelvio / Prad am Stilfserjoch
Height: 2,760m
Sitting up at 2760 metres, the bottom lift station at Italy's Passo Stelvio ( Stilfserjoch ) is t...
Pejo
Height: 1,340m
There are two Pejo's in the sunny Val di Sole. One an old spa town (Pejo Fonti) without lift, th...
Piana / Valle Vigezzo
Height: 800m
A ski centre above and between seven small mountain communities which can offer around 22 hotels,...
Piancavallo
Height: 1,200m
A purpose-built resort but constructed in a tasteful traditional 'giant chalet' style, which open...
Pila
Height: 1,765m
Old town 18km from the historic city of Aosta by road or directly lift-linked by an 18 minute gon...
Pinzolo
Height: 800m
A charming village in the Brenta Dolomites centred around its fourteenth-century church and shari...
Pozza di Fassa
Height: 1,323m
Located in the heart of the Dolomiti Superski Region, Pozza di Fassa is a friendly village. The...
Prato Nevoso
Height: 1,470m
Created in 1965, Prato Nevoso has grown steadily and now offers a wide range of facilities includ...
Predazzo
Height: 1,050m
Predazzo's skiing is shared with Obereggen and known as the Ski Centre Latemar, one of Italy's ne...
Racines / Ratschings
Height: 1,260m
A small village above Sterzing, and sharing the regional Val Isarco pass with that town's ski are...
Ravascletto
Height: 950m
A large traditional village linked by a relatively new cable car to skiing on Mount Zoncolan. Th...
Recoaro Mille
Height: 500m
A mountain village with a long history (the "Stria" witch is burnt in the main square each Januar...
Rivisondoli
Height: 1,450m
A popular well-established centre which shares ski areas with Roccarasso. There are seven three ...
Roana
Height: 1,000m
Roccaraso
Height: 1,236m
A traditional hillside village with three separate ski areas in the mountains above together prov...
San Colombano
Height: 1,330m
A small resort offering all necesities, the local skiing is part of the Alta Valtellina ski area ...
San Martino Di Castrozza
Height: 1,450m
One of Italy's best known ski resorts, San Martino boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in...
San Vigilio di Marebbe / Saint Vigil in Enneberg
Height: 1,201m
Lovely South Tyrolean village with access to the very extensive ski area on the Plan de Corones (...
San Vito di Cadore
Height: 1,050m
Sand in Taufers
Height: 950m
Situated at the centre of the Valle Aurina, Luttach and Sand in Taufers are pleasant traditional ...
Sangiacomo di Roburent
Height: 980m
A full service ski centre with a selection of hotels up to three star and all essential facilitie...
Santa Caterina
Height: 1,738m
A quiet friendly village in the Valfurva Valley above Bormio. The architecture is very Italian a...
Sappada
Height: 1,250m
A local cultural centre with an ice rink and over 20 hotels, close to the Austrian border and mar...
Sauze d'Oulx
Height: 1,382m
Renowned for its lively atmosphere (although now quieter than it used to be) and high-value skiin...
Schwemmalm
Height: 1,500m
One of the major ski centres that's part of the Ortler ski region in Northern Italy. The resort i...
Sella Nevea
Height: 1,140m
A modern development with wide-ranging facilities close to the traditional village of Tarvisio. T...
Sestrière
Height: 2,035m
Built by the owners of the Fiat car company in 1934 and owned by them for 70 years, Sestriere is ...
Sexten / Sesto
Height: 1,310m
The Alta Pusteria region is centred on the historic South Tyrolean resort of Sexten. The region ...
Solda / Sulden
Height: 1,900m
Popular high-altitude traditional village, with long snow-sure season, that is part of the giant ...
Terminillo
Height: 1,614m
A classic ski centre established in 1938 and located in the dead centre of Italy (officially!). ...
Val Gardena
Height: 1,236m
Val Gardena is centred on the resort of Selva and nearby Santa Cristina and Ortisei. Lift-linked...
Val Senales / Schnalstal
Height: 2,011m
Remarkable ski centre on the Austrian border with excellent skiing for all standards. Accommodat...
Valtournenche
Height: 1,524m
Best known as having (unofficially) the second greatest vertical drop in the world, after Chamoni...
Versciaco / Vierschach
Height: 1,132m
The Alta Pusteria region is centred on the historic South Tyrolean resort of Sexten. The region ...
Vigo di Fassa
Height: 1,390m
Located in the heart of the Dolomiti Superski Region, Vigo di Fassa is a friendly village. The ...
Villabassa / Niederdorf
Height: 1,046m
The Alta Pusteria region is centred on the historic South Tyrolean resort of Sexten. The region ...
Watles
Height: 1,738m
A small ski area, served by a new quad chair from Pramajur, and the closest skiing to Burgusio (1...