Villages nestled among mountains and in the purity of the snow. To go skiing, have fun with sledding or snowshoeing, discover white forests with cross-country skiing or strolling through history. Surrounded by postcard landscapes that give emotions.
Snow and joy, sport and fun. In winter the villages seem even more magical, with the snow games and the ice drawings of the fountains, which look like sculptures sculpted by the wind. The sparkling air is an invitation to travel the surroundings of mountain villages with skis on their feet or practicing their favorite winter sport.
1. Gressoney-Saint-Jean (Aosta Valley)
An alpine village on the slopes of Monte Rosa that has been able to preserve the characteristics of its Walser origin, starting from the dialect “titsch”. A village with a 16th century church, a Savoy castel that looks like something out of a fairytale and the sparkling ski slopes of the Weissmatten, counted in the Monterosa Ski area. For the more experienced skiers there are the “Leonardo David” competitive race tracks and the “black” track – which crosses a pine forest – while the baby snow park is a children’s paradise. Exciting and for the whole family is certainly a nice skating on the frozen lake Gover. The Weissmatten area is connected to the remaining slopes of the Monterosa ski area by a ten-minute ski-bus service.
3. Vigo di Fassa (Trentino)
In Vigo di Fassa you can ski, explore the surroundings of the village with snowshoes – even in the evening – and discover the ancient traditions. It is in this village, in fact, that the authentic Ladin heart of the Val di Fassa emerges, complete with a cultural institute and the innovative Ladin de Fascia Museum. The more than 13 kilometers of slopes in this area can be reached by cableway from Vigo di Fassa or by chairlift from Pera di Fassa. The Ciampedìe – “field of God” in Latin -, from its 2,000 meters of height, offers a 360 degree panorama of the Dolomites of the Val di Fassa.
3. Campo Tures (Alto Adige)
The village is dominated by the imposing 13th century Castel Tures and if it is true to be known in all seasons, Campo Tures is unmissable in winter to spend days on skis in an enchanted atmosphere. The Speikboden ski area in Campo Tures offers a breathtaking view of the peaks of the Tures and Aurina valleys: it is located near Campo Tures and offers 38 kilometers of perfectly prepared slopes. Nearby, instead, in Riva di Tures, there are 16 kilometers of cross-country trails.
4. Cutigliano (Toscana)
On the pistoiese mountain, here is a medieval village punctuated by narrow streets, squares and historic buildings, such as the fourteenth-century palace of the Captains of the Mountain. The village is the ideal starting point for lovers of winter sports: it is, in fact, a stone’s throw from the ski resort of the Doganaccia, with its fifteen kilometers of slopes. The school camp is served by a free 60-meter tapis-roulant, ideal for the first approaches to skiing and snowboarding and there are two bottom rings. One develops for little more than two kilometers around the lake of San Gualberto, the other for a little more than three kilometers at altitude and the Passo della Croce Arcana. To go, perhaps, on the occasion of adrenaline snowshoeing in contact with nature.
5. Pescocostanzo (L’Aquila)
Located between the Majella and the upper Sangro valley, Pescocostanzo is a village that dominates the Alto Sangro area and the Cinque Miglia plateau. A medieval gem, complete with a hermitage of San Michele Arcangelo, a 12th-century rupestrian church in Romanesque style. In winter Pescocostanzo – Vallefura offers a ski area that develops from the village to the slopes of Mount Calvario, while on the opposite side a quad chairlift leads skiers from 1,440 meters above sea level to the shelter, located at 1729 meters. The Vallefura chairlift, a ski lift and a gondola lift offer interesting slopes for downhill skiing, including timed “giant” tracks. Fanciful and fun is a large snow park with multiple lines of descent and night lighting, while a baby garden entertains children with games and a snowtubing path. A cross-country ring – in Bosco di Sant’Antonio – finally starts at 1,280 meters and reaches 1,360 meters above sea level.
