Skiing in Italy

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Skiing in Italy

Italy hosted the 1956 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina and the 2006 Olympic Winter Games returned to Italy; they were held in Torino. Improvements in facilities have made Italy one of Europe's better ski destinations, both for cross-country and downhill skiing.

The peak of Monte Bianco (or Mont Blanc in French) is at an elevation of 4,810m and is located on the border of France and Italy. The alpine range provides a snow-covered area with ski resorts around the Aosta Valley in Italy. The most famous ski areas with some of the best slopes in Europe are located in the Dolomites (Dolomiti-Super-Ski) and the Milky Way (Via Lattea) in West Piedmont. They offer hundreds of kilometres of pistes linked together by lift systems. The best resorts are Cervinia, Courmayeur, La Thuile in Valle d'Aosta; Sestriere, Sauze d'Oulx and Bardonecchia located West of Turin. Other popular resorts are Livigno, Madonna di Campiglio and the fashionable and upmarket Cortina d'Ampezzo.

While the northern part of Italy is better known for its skiing, it is also possible to ski in many other regions: in Abruzzo (Campo Imperatore), in Tuscany (Abetone), in Sicily on Mount Etna and also in resorts close to the capital city.

Skiing is seen in Italy as a relaxing, social and friendly activity, involving a lot of eating, drinking, sunbathing and chatting. In the resorts the after-ski and nightlife is usually excellent and very varied, in a very relaxing atmosphere.

Some resorts provide child-care facilities.

Access

The ski resorts located in the north of Italy may be reached by car, train or plane from Rome.

On the Slopes

Ski slopes are graded by difficulty:

Down hill and cross-country skis and snowshoes can be rented from the skiing centres. They can usually be rented by the day or week.

Rules For the Snow

• Respect: All slope-users must always behave in such a way that they do not endanger others nor harm them by their behaviour or their equipment.
• Stopping: Do not stop in a narrow area or one with restricted visibility. If you fall, get off the route as fast as possible.
• Speed: Adapt your speed according to the conditions - crowds, poor visibility
• Walking: If you are walking up or down a slope, keep to the side.
• Signs: Always take note of, and respect signs concerning slope and weather conditions.
• Overtaking: You may overtake above or below a slower skier, or to the left or right of them, but only if there is enough space to do so.
• Assistance: If you witness or cause an accident, you must stop to give help, and make yourself available to rescue teams or the Piste Patrol.
• Insurance: Most ski professionals recommend that skiers and snowboarders take out a comprehensive insurance.

Ski Resorts in the Piemonte

Ski areas are located throughout the Piemonte, in the mountains of Biellese, Alta Val Susa, Cuneese, Val d'Ossola, Valsesia, Valli di Lanzo, Canavese and the Alessandria area.

• For information from the Sviluppo Piemonte Turismo on the many ski areas in the Piemonte: Click here

Ski Resorts in Liguria

Limone in Piemonte is at an altitude of approximately 1,000 metres.

• Limone Uffici di Informazione Tourist Office
  Piazza Municipio Via Roma 30
  Tel: 092 101 171
  Fax: 092 101 927 064
• Access: A8 to Menton. Exit 59, Menton, Sospel, D2566 through Castillon. Follow D2204, N204 to Italy. SS20 to Limone.
• Facilities: 29 Lifts - highest lift: 2,050m (6,725ft), lowest lift: 1,032m (3,386ft)
  46 Slopes cater for beginner, intermediate and expert
  Total piste length: 90 Km
  Cross-country: 9 Km piste
  Ice rink and paragliding, snowboarding
• For information from Riserva Blanca on conditions, lodging and lift tickets at Limone: Click here

Ski Resorts in Lazio

Campo Catino

• Resort situated 98 Km from Rome. Open 09:00-16:30.
  Alpine skiing: 8 blue and red runs, 2 off-piste black runs
  Facilities for snowboarding and cross-country skiing
  Season starts around 8 December and ends around Easter
  Facilities include restaurants and bars.
• Information: Appennino Srl, Via delle Cartiere 8, 03017 Guarcino (FR)
  Tel/Fax: 0775 435936
  Access by car: Motorway Rome-Naples until exit Anagni Fiuggi. At Fiuggi turn right onto the road for Guarcino/Campo Catino, until the resort Campo Catino.

Monte Livata

• Alpine skiing resort situated on the Simbruini mountains, 75 Km from Rome.
  Altitude: between 1340m and 1855m
  Nordic skiing: cross-country tracks of 5, 8, 10 and 15 Km.
  Ski runs: 6 blue, 5 red, 2 black
  Snow park in the sport complex called Fossa dell'Acero
• Access by car: from Rome take the A24 motorway until the Vicovaro-Mandela exit, then follow the signs to SS5 and SS411 to Subiaco.
• Access by public transport: Bus from Rome Pontemammolo to Subiaco (60 minutes) with the COTRAL bus company, then Subiaco-Livata-Campo dell'Ossa, the resort is then within 500m from the Campo dell'Ossa stop. 
• Cotral
  Tel: 0774 85526 
  Website
• Tourist Information
  At: Via Cadorna 59, 00028 Subiaco (RM)
  Tel: 0774 822013
  Fax: 0774 822013 E
  e-mail
  Website

Campo Staffi

• Alpine ski resort situated 100 Km from Rome,
  Altitude: 1900m
  Ski runs: 3 blue, 6 red, 2 black
  Cross-country skiing: Two 10 Km cross-country skiing trails
  Season starts around 17 December and ends shortly after Easter
• Access by car: from Rome, take the motorway A24 direction l'Aquila, exit towards Vicovaro/Mandela, Subiaco, Altipiani di Arcine, Filettino, Campo Staffi.
• Campo Staffi Tourist office
  At: Piazzale de Mathias, 03100 Frosinone
  Tel: 0775 580006 / 0775 527477
  Fax: 0775 270229
  e-mail
  Website

Terminillo

• Ski resort situated 90km from Rome.
  Ski runs: 1 green, 7 red, 2 black.
  Cable lifts, express lifts, chair lifts and plate lifts.
  Snow Park: 200 meters of slopes for snow-boarding near the chair lift Cardito Sud
  Cross country skiing (Terminillo and Micigliano): I Cinque Confini slope begins at Piazzale Tre Faggi, length: 13 Km total, easy and medium difficulty, 13 Km in total at an average altitude of 1,500 meters, with loops: 3,6 and 9 Km.
• Access by car: Up to Rieti by way of the Salaria S.S. 4 at the 70 Km mark from Rome, take the road number "4 bis" up to Pian de' Valli direction Campoforogna then Monte Terminillo.
• Access by bus: Roma Tiburtina to Rieti with the COTRAL Company then at Rieti take a local bus (ASM) up to Terminillo (20 Km)
• Snow park Information
  Tel: 0746 261121
• Terminillo Tourist Office
  At: Via dei Villini 35, 02017 Terminillo (RI)
  Tel: 0746 261121
  Fax: 0746 261339
  e-mail
  Website

Mini Ski Glossary

English	Italian
mountain map	cartina delle piste
ski instructor	maestro di sci/istruttore di sci
ski lift	ski lift/sciovia
snowboard	snowboard/tavola
chair lift	segovia
snow shoe	ciaspola da neve/racchetta da neve
cross-country skiing	sci di fondo
first aid service	pronto soccorso

Related Information

• Ski Italia: General information about skiing in Italy: snow reports, weather, accommodation, mountain maps and forums. The information is available in Italian, but also in English and 7 other European languages. The website includes a rating of the Italian ski resorts: which are the best resorts for beginners, for advanced, families and for snowboarders.
• General ski information is available from Sciweb.it 
• General European skiing info from ifyouski.com: Click here
• Italian Government Tourist Board the site provides general information about the major ski resorts in Italy and links to the relevant websites: Click here 

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