We’ve picked out some of the best ski resorts for your ski holiday to Italy. Enjoy towering plates of spaghetti, cobbled towns lined with glamorous shops and gourmet eateries. Enjoy a laid-back, fun and culture-packed holiday and some of the best skiing in Italy. Plus, the added bonus that your money will go a lot further when eating out in Italian ski areas compared to other Alpine ski destinations. Here’s our top 10 ski resorts in Italy.
1. Courmayeur, Italy
Ski area: 41.5km
Courmayeur is one of our favourite Italian ski resorts. Eat like a king in the lovely, traditional village of Courmayeur. This iconic ski resort is well-deserving of its prime position nestled at the foot of Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc. Fly into Geneva and enjoy a short, 90-minute journey that finishes at the Italian entrance to the Mont Blanc tunnel. The slopes stretch from a base altitude of 1,224m all the way up to the peaks of 2,755m and offer some of the best skiing in Italy.
When you’ve had your fill exploring the slopes of the Plan Chécrouit ski area, return to the stylish town for gourmet feasts. From 13-course tasting menus made up of locally sourced ingredients to traditional rural fare in cosy Alpine huts, Courmayeur’s dining scene will whet the appetite of any discerning foodie. If you’re looking for the best skiing in Italy and the best dishes, we highly recommend Courmayeur.
Stay At:
Stay at Hotel Le Massif for a fabulous contemporary hotel with five-star grandeur.
2. Madonna di Campiglio, Italy
Ski area: 150km
One of the best ski resorts in Italy, this fabulous hidden gem boasts some beautiful scenery of the Dolomites ski area. Attracting the most fashionable skiers from Italy and beyond, you can expect a quintessentially Italian ski town with all of the glamour of a world-class ski resort. Madonna di Campiglio has earned its place on the map as one of the best ski resorts in Italy due to its designer reputation and well-linked ski area. These include Folgarida, Marilleva and Passo Tonale. The local ski area is home to 22km of black runs, offering plenty of challenging ground for advanced skiers but there’s plenty of green and blue runs too.
Stay At:
Stay at Biohotel Hermitage, built from entirely natural materials and consequently run with a focus on sustainability.
3. Cervinia, Italy
Ski area: 160km
Cervinia is one of the best places to ski in Italy. Located in the Aosta Valley ski area, Cervinia sits on the Italian side of the iconic Matterhorn mountain. Skiers will enjoy both the well-linked skiing and impressive views of the towering peaks. Choose a local lift pass to enjoy 160km of cruisy runs that are perfect for beginners. Alternatively, cross the border into Zermatt for an extra 200km of epic descents and take the cable car all the way up to 3,883m at the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. Enjoy the magnificent vistas from the viewing platform, before trying your hand at the 25km run back down to the valley. This is the longest prepared downhill run in Europe, which can be enjoyed in one blissful descent.
Back in the town, Cervinia prides itself as being traffic-free, making for a relaxed atmosphere. Following a day on the slopes, stroll the characteristic Alpine streets, packed full of hearty local restaurants and boutiques.
Stay At:
Stay at Sertorelli Sporthotel, a lovely, modern, family-run hotel in Cervinia.
4. Cortina, Italy
Ski area: 120km
The Italian Dolomites are world-famous for their instantly recognisable dramatic, jagged peaks. There is no finer place to enjoy them than the elite ski resort of Cortina, one of the best ski resorts in Italy. Cortina is a firm-favourite amongst both Italian and worldwide skiers for its peaceful slopes with a huge choice of skiing across three distinct Italian ski areas. This ski resort really does offer some of the best skiing in Italy.
As one of the oldest ski resorts in Europe, Cortina’s cobbled town has retained its classic Italian charm. You’ll find it packed full of gourmet lunch spots and stylish boutiques. Following a day on the slopes, head to The Piazza Venezia. This area comes to life in the evenings. The 65m high bell tower illuminates the cosy bars and eateries. Après ski is a refined affair where you can expect delicious platters of meats, cheeses and grappa from a locally run, cosy wine bar. It has all the class you’d come to expect from a ski area in Italy.
Stay At:
Stay at Hotel Miramonti Majestic, for elegant five-star comfort with panoramic views.
5. Livigno, Italy
Ski area: 115km
Livigno is one of our top Italian ski resorts. It’s famed for its snow parks and as a result, it attracts freestyle skiers and boarders from all over the world. Soak up the sun amongst the palm trees at The Beach atop the Carosello 3000 park. Alternatively, you could try the 1.2km freeride course at the Mottolino park. When the day draws to its close, the hoards of skiers and freestylers flock to Livigno’s après bars. You can expect a much livelier scene here than most other Italian ski resorts. There are venues dotted around both the slopes and in the town where resident DJs keep revellers going into the small hours. There is a vibrant choice of music and parties to suit everyone. From both open-air bars with table-top dancing to locally run pubs serving up hearty beers and snacks.
Stay At:
Stay at Hotel Livigno, a classic, Alpine hotel set in the town centre.
6. South Tyrol, Italy
Ski area: 200km
The South Tyrol (Südtirol) deserves it’s place on our list of the top 10 ski resorts in Italy. It really is Italy’s best kept secret with sweet villages of Tyrolese architecture, antiquated churches and squares where locals cluster. In the craggy Dolomites ski area, there are fantastic restaurants with both mountain refugios and stylish Michelin-star restaurants.
Here you can enjoy delicious white and red South Tyrolean wine as well as crowd-free skiing. Rural Ladin culture lives on, and the region has Italian and neighbouring Austrian influences. Ladin is still spoken and their farming culture has been passed down since Roman times. In particular, the cured meats, cheeses and wines are delicious local specialities you should look out for. This Italian ski area is great for skiing as a family, foodies, learners and keen skiers too. The ski area is high on our list for the best skiing in Italy.
Stay At:
Hotel Fanes is a luxurious five-star hotel with spectacular facilities and vast knowledge of South Tyrolean wines.
7. Kronplatz, Italy
Ski area: 119km
Little-known Kronplatz is a 2,275-metre-high mountain, also known as Plan de Corones, with lifts ascending each side of the mountain. The long slopes zigzag down through the Pustertal Valley and picking up speed on these thrilling runs is great fun. With 119km of pistes, the Italian ski area is well suited to beginners and intermediates who want to practise their turns on cruisy blues and weaving reds. Those looking for a challenge will also find a handful of black runs, dubbed the Black Five, and the snow park that has easy and medium jumps and features.
Lifts are quick and efficient, and if you’re looking to clock up more miles there’s also a regular bus to Alta Badia. The Piculin cable car also links to the Sella Ronda massif, which gives you access to 1,200km of pistes under the Dolomiti Superski lift pass. This all makes Kronplatz one of our top 10 ski resorts in Italy. Image source: Kronplatz mountain © Harald Wisthaler, IDM SüdTirol
Stay At:
Stay at Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz for the ideal location and amazing wellness facilities.
8. San Cassiano, Italy
Ski area: 130km
San Cassiano is one of our top 10 ski resorts in Italy and for good reason. Just off the Sella Ronda ski circuit, San Cassiano has some of the finest gastronomy found in ski areas in Italy. Restaurants vary from family-run rifugios serving traditional fare to innovative Michelin stars fusing Alpine-Mediterranean cuisine. For example, Hotel Ciasa Salares is home to five restaurants, including a Chocolate Room and a Cheese Room.
The luxurious Hotel Ciasa Salares has a dedicated cheese and chocolate room, both of which host tastings that we highly recommend. Hidden away up the mountain, Rifugio Scotoni is a stone-built mountain hut with delicious Alpine food. As a result, there is some amazing scenery and spectacular mountain views on a clear day. Oenophiles should book the Sommelier In The Mountain Hut experience, taste wine and learn how to pair wines with a real sommelier. This is an experience that’s hard to find in other ski areas in Italy.
Stay At:
Stay at Hotel Fanes for special alpine luxury and fabulous panoramic views of the Dolomites.
9. Selva Gardena, Italy
Ski area: 175km
At the foot of the Sella massif is the charming village of Selva Gardena. Famed for Alpenglow, enrosadira in Ladin, the mountains are illuminated all shades of red, pink and orange at sunset. This makes it one of the most beautiful ski areas in Italy and the most spectacular displays are seen on the Sassolungo peak in Selva.
Part of the Sella Ronda and the Dolomiti Superski area, Selva has plenty of slopes. At an altitude of 1,563m, it is the highest ski resort in the valley and ski runs reach 2,518m. The Dolomiti Superski pass covers 12 ski resorts in the valley and an extensive 1,200km of slopes. You also shouldn’t miss the Marmolada glacier skiing where the snow tends to be the best in the area. Image source: Ski in South Tyrol on the Sella Ronda © IDM Südtirol
Stay At:
Stay at Hotel Gardena Grödnerhof and enjoy a charming Alpine landscape of the Dolomites with luxury service.
10. La Thuile, Italy
Ski area: 160km
La Thuile is an excellent choice of ski resort if you are seeking cross-border skiing. The ski resort has direct access to La Rosière in France, meaning you can enjoy a delicious Italian cappuccino in the morning and a few runs later, tucking into croque monsieur by lunchtime. La Thule is just two hours drive from Geneva, making it a great ski resort for a weekend break. The combination of the picturesque village and superb skiing ensures skiers return year after year.
La Thuile is located in the beautiful Aosta Valley region and is situated within the Espace San Bernardo ski area. The ski terrain varies however, it is most suited to beginners and intermediates. Beginners can progress their turns on the two nursery slopes at the base while intermediates and advanced skiers have several challenging runs to explore. If you are feeling a little bit more adventurous, heli-skiing is available too.
Stay At:
Montana Lodge and Spa is an exceptional five-star hotel in La Thuile. It is great for families, with its dedicated kid’s club, children menus and family-suites available.
That concludes our list of the best places to ski in Italy. To find out more about skiing in Italy, please speak to our experts on 0207 471 7700.
