From the Alps and Dolomites of northern Italy to Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy offers many opportunities for skiing and winter vacations. Most ski resorts also make good summer holidays for climbing and climbing.
The Italian Dolomites
The Italian Dolomites, on the Austrian border, offer spectacular mountain scenery and a number of Italian ski towns. Due to the height of some of the mountains, it is possible to ski almost all year round in some places. The Dolomites are good for beginning or advanced skiers and they also offer other winter sports. Ortisei is a great place for cross-country skiing. Cortina d’Ampezzo and Val Gardena are two of the best known ski areas.
The Dolomites are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cortina d’Ampezzo is located in the Italian Dolomites in the Veneto region of northern Italy, 451 km from Milan-Malpensa Airport. Cortina d’Ampezzo is one of the most exclusive resorts in Europe. Surrounded by beautiful landscapes, the picturesque town is a beautiful place to ski and visit, but it is very expensive. The town has a museum and art gallery, cinema, indoor tennis, restaurants and hotels. There are 47 lifts and skiing is best for beginners and intermediates. The resort is at an elevation of 1,224 meters and the top ski elevation is 3,248 meters. Other winter sports include sledding, tobogganing, ice skating, and ice hockey.
The Val Gardena ski area is high in the Dolomites and has hosted World Cup ski events. Val Gardena is part of the huge Sella Ronda circuit and has 80 lifts with a ski range of 1563 to 2518 meters, which promises a lot of snow. It is best for intermediate skiers. The resort town of Selva Gardena is 1563 meters away and features a host of restaurants, ice skating and indoor sports activities.
Cervinia and the Matterhorn or Monte Cervino
Close to the Swiss border and the Swiss ski resort of Zermatt, the town of Cervinia, in Valle D’Aosta, lies at the base of the Matterhorn or Monte Cervino. Although the town is not as charming as Zermatt, it is less expensive, has good Italian food, and you can drive into town, unlike Zermatt where cars are not allowed. Excursions to Zermatt can easily be made. Cervinia has a casino, restaurants, swimming pool, ice skating, cinema and shops. Cervinia has a height of 2050 meters and is 124 km from Turin airport and 184 km from Milan-Malpensa airport.
Cervinia has a race over 20 km long, one of the longest in the world. Due to heavy snowfall and high elevations, skiing is practiced most of the year. Ski is best for intermediate skiers. More advanced skiing can be found nearby in Zermatt, Switzerland. The highest ski elevation is 3480 meters and there are 30 lifts.
Courmayeur in Monte Bianco
Courmayeur, also in Valle D’Aosta, is on the opposite side of Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) from Chamonix, France. Cormayeur is a traditional alpine village in a fantastic location with great scenery and is known as one of the best ski resorts in Italy. The village offers excellent shopping and good Italian restaurants and a lively nightlife. Courmayeur is 1,224 meters high, 153 km from Turin airport and 214 km from Milan-Malpensa.
Courmayeur and Chamonix share the highest mountain peak in Europe. Higher peaks of 4000m dot the horizon, providing snow most of the year and challenging skiing. The highest ski elevation is 2,763 meters and there are 16 lifts. Although skiing is best suited for intermediate skiers, there are some advanced runs and more advanced skiers can cross the border into France. Courmayeur is also a popular destination for climbers and hikers in the summer and early fall.
Piemonte, home to the 2006 Winter Olympics
The Piedmont (Piedmont) region of northwestern Italy offers skiing and mountain sports in the villages that hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics. You can ski where Olympic skiers competed. The Piedmont mountains also offer many winter sports, peace and quiet for fans to have fun, space for beginners and great cultural and gastronomic traditions. Piedmont has 53 ski resorts and 1,300 km of slopes.
Read about the Piemonte towns and what they offer at Ski Piemonte and locate the winter sports towns on our Piemonte Map.
Etna, Sicily
The ski is located on Mount Etna, the volcano in Sicily and the highest point in Sicily at 3350 meters. Mount Etna often receives deep winter snowfall and offers 1,400 meters of vertical skiing, but some ski lifts were destroyed in volcanic eruptions. There are two ski areas on Etna, the southern slope is Rifugio Sapienza and the northern end in the Linguaglossa resort. Hotels, instruction and ski rentals are available in both areas. Mount Etna is reached from the nearby cities of Catania and Taormina.
Abruzzo
The Italian region of Abruzzo, a few hours from Rome, has 21 ski areas with 368 km of slopes in the highest part of the Apennines. This area sometimes has more snow than the Alps. The most developed ski resort is in Roccaraso. The Gran Sasso, the highest point in Italy, has good skiing, including cross-country skiing and other winter sports.
