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Italy

Courmayeur sign posting with background mountain

What do we love about skiing in Italy?

Italian skiing has a special attraction for so many of us. The country’s ski areas may not quite have the reputation for vast size that some of the big French ski regions do, nor of perfect efficiency as the Swiss do, but they do have a relaxed atmosphere, and a hard to define sense of fun that quite simply makes you feel happy as soon as you arrive on Italian slopes.

There are though some distinct advantages to skiing in Italy over other Alpine nations. For one thing, there’s the value which is hard for other big ski nations to beat. Then there’s the sunshine for which the country is famous along with deep snow, and of course there’s also the wonderful food and drink which has conquered the world more than any other – be it a simple tasty pizza right up to a gourmet meal, or a perfect coffee which we all try to recreate every day in a British coffee shop, but there’s never anything quite as good as one bought in Italy, somehow!

The Aosta Valley on the western borders of Italy is one of the most famous of the country’s ski regions and home to one of its best known, best loved and easiest to reach resorts – Courmayeur.

Located on the Italian side of Mont Blanc (or Monte Bianco as it’s known to the Italians), the village is located in spectacular, dramatic mountain scenery and began life three centuries ago as a spa town.

Ski Weekends resorts in Italy

 Powder skiing in the Italian alps  Courmayeur cable car with valley below Panoramic view behind a snowboarder

If you are part of a couple with one skier and one non-skier, or a group with mixed abilities and interests, it’s a good choice too, as apart from those great shops and cafés there are good facilities including swimming pools and spas, ice skating, bowling or the chance to try paragliding if conditions are good.

The ski area above has great slopes for beginners and intermediates but it is experts who’ll be particularly drawn to the world-class freeriding terrain, now served by a spectacular €115m state-of-the-art lift system which uses revolving cable cars to access some of the world’s most famous off-piste itineraries. This is also a major excursion in its own right for non-skiers to enjoy with lots to see on the scenic cable cars with their glass walls as they ascend and in the new state of the art mountain base complexes at each station on the way up.

Chamonix is only 13 miles away, as the crow flies and through the Mont Blanc Tunnel, but in other respects, it’s a world away, with a usually more relaxed, fun atmosphere on the Italian side and quite often totally different weather, with sunshine more likely although snow cover is still copious.

Other Italian Resorts:

To find out more about skiing in Italy, feel free to call one of our sales ski experts on 02380 206 971 or email sales@skiweekends.com