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Italy Ski Resort Recommendation

My family is planning to ski in Italy in December 2021. We are looking for lodging in quaint village, beautiful scenery, and convenience to good intermediate and beginner skiing. Does anyone have recommendations for which town and ski resort to go to?

Posted by
495 posts

There are many in Italy, mainly in the Alps. In December some years there isn't yet too much snow in some areas. Livigno could be a suggestion, because is colder than other areas. I'm not a skier, but I like the areas of Madonna di Campiglio / Pinzolo, Alleghe, Arabba, Paganella, Courmayeur...
This website gives a list of ski resorts, so you can have an immediate outlook about how many kilometers of slopes are available at each level (the blue is the easiest): https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resorts/italy/

Posted by
1274 posts

It’s been many years since I skied there but you might consider Gressoney. I can’t say it qualifies as ‘cute’ but the slopes are fantastic, long easy red runs and even the blacks I found doable with a little care and bravery. While things may have changed since I was last there you had to take a bus to the slopes from the village centre, which if I recall was covered by your ski pass. It was only a short hop. Added bonus is that it was only an hour and a half’s drive from Turin.

Quite coincidentally our friends also skied there (found out when comparing notes one time) and they were similarly impressed.

There was one hair-raising run. An eighteen inch wide unpisted track from the top of a lift across the mountain side to Europe’s highest refuge, the Refugio Gugliemina (it would have been a long old trudge without skis). And the only way off was a (fairly easy - it was a bit narrow at the top) black run down to a lift to take you back to the col. Lunch there was rather good though! Interesting views of the Matterhorn from some of the other easier pistes from the Italian side - didn’t recognise it at first.

Posted by
19654 posts

Just to be straight, I am a skier and have skied several times in Italy.
Selva di Val Gardena (twice, once in December)
Canazei
Madonna di Campiglio
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cervinia (from Zermatt)
Sauze d'Oulx

Selva is my favorite, but for easier skiing, I'd recommend Ortisei, which is the next large town down valley from Selva. Take the gondola up to the Seiser Alm (Alpe di Siusi) to access a huge area of very easy skiing. Scenery is unmatched. And the Christmas Market in the center of town is very good and the lighting displays along and in the creek running next to town are wonderful.
https://www.seiser-alm.it/en/alpe-di-siusi/hotel/

My only hedge is that December is just the start of the ski season, so the number of ski runs covered can be iffy. On the other hand, you can get the bus 10 minutes up valley to Selva easily and if you get the Dolomiti Superski Pass, (not much more than a local pass) it covers over 600 ski lifts in the region.

Posted by
7 posts

Thank you to all who have shared skiing ideas. I appreciate the information!