Reasons to be cheerful…
Italy
Italy can often be overlooked when choosing a ski and snowboard holiday but ALICIA WELSMAN, Ingham’s Italian specialist, offers four good reasons why you should add the country to your list of destinations
The Planibel kids area in La Thuile. The Italian resort links with La Rosiére in France.
Family holidays
If you are travelling with young children or kids who are just learning to ski, La Thuile specialises in looking after families. The resort is set in the heart of the San Bernardo ski area on the Italian side of Monte Blanc.
The pistes are wide and relatively quiet and look out for the superb children’s ski park at the bottom of the main chair lifts that take you to a bowl of blue runs for the beginners. For the more advanced skier who is looking for mileage you can ski over to La Rosiére in France so you can experience the best of both countries.
Inghams features the Planibel Apartments, which were created to make ski holidays easy for families. Offering a non-skiing kindergarten for the little ones and a range of children’s ski schools, you know your children will be looked after. Both the chair lifts to the top of the mountain start in the Planibel's main piazza which means parents can drop the children off at ski school or the kindergarten at the bottom of the lifts before making their way up the mountain.
The Planibel complex has a selection of bars, restaurants and a well-stocked supermarket, making meals easy to plan and with doorstep convenience.
Après ski
Sauze d’Oulx has been a favourite après ski destination for British skiers for many years. Set in the heart of the Milky Way, it’s an ideal resort to explore the vast ski area and experience a lively Italian mountain resort.
The modern lift system takes you to the top of the 400km ski area where you can cruise the blues or enjoy the network of red runs. The village has been attractively restored to support the needs of the modern visitor and there are plenty of places for après ski.
Paddy McGinty’s lively Irish pub has live music and a party atmosphere from 4pm in the afternoon. Most bars and pubs offer free antipasti, happy hour, pizza and a pint to help sustain you until it’s time for dinner.
For a more laid back and Italian après ski, head for the Assietta bar in the centre of town. The wine bar offers a great selection of nibbles and local wines and beers. After dinner the II Lampione wine bar, just underneath the Hotel Faure, is a romantic setting to enjoy a glass of wine, or for a late night bar, head to the Cotton Club or ‘Banditos’ Sauze’s very own night club.
A great place to stay is the 3* Hotel Hermitage situated on the edge of the piste in the village so you can ski to and from the hotel.
The Clotes piste in Sauze d’Oulx.
Steep and cheerful
Cortina found itself in the spotlight when it hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics as these were the first games ever to be televised. It helped the resort become the most fashionable ski resort in Italy, attracting many famous faces including Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn.
Cortina has since been the backdrop of many movies such as ‘For your eyes only’ and ‘Cliffhanger’.
But this resort is not just a pretty face; the main attraction is the vast ski area which is part of Superski Dolomiti with over 1200kms of piste. Cortina has three significant areas with stunning mountain backdrops and rock outcrops you can ski between. The steepest is Cinque Torri, where you can ski between two flat topped rock outcrops along a narrow piste, linking to challenging reds and blacks. Tofana is Cortina’s highest area at 2830m with outstanding scenery
In the town centre you will find a selection of restaurants, cafes, bars and designer shops. The celebrity’s legacy still draw the Italian élite who promenade along Corso Italia showing off their chihuahuas dressed in pink puffa jackets, diamante collars and doggie booties.
Take a seat in one of the pavement cafes and watch the world pass by.
Cortina is truly back on the British skier’s radar and is perfectly suited for keen skiers who can enjoy a relaxed ambience accompanied by good Italian food and wine.
Italian ski areas are paradise for foodies.
Calling all foodies
One of the highlights of an Italian ski holiday is the food. In the Dolomiti Mountains a new trend has arisen where many of the mountain refuges employ Michelin starred chefs to create a menu and dishes to entice people to stay and take time over lunch whilst out skiing.
Look out for the gourmet weeks which happen throughout the ski season. In January, Alta Badia and Sud Tyrol area of the Dolomites hosts the Chefs Cup, where a selection of Michelin chefs produce new dishes which are tried and tested by the general public in different restaurants and refuges across the valley.
Gourmet tours are arranged where you can ski from hut to hut trying a different course at each stop along with a specially selected glass of wine.
Travel facts:
Here are some examples of the accommodation available through Inghams (01483 791 114 - www.inghams.co.uk).
LA THUILE: The Planibel complex has a selection of bars, restaurants and a well-stocked supermarket, making family meals easy to plan and with doorstep convenience. Prices start from £419 per person, based on four sharing for 7 nights on a self-catering basis, including return flights and transfers.
SAUZE D’OULX: The 3* Hotel Hermitage is situated on the edge of the piste in the village so you can ski to and from the hotel. Wine is included with dinner and prices start from £599 for 7 nights, on a half board basis, including return flights and transfers.
CORTINA: Inghams now offers the Chalet Hotel Parc Victoria which has the prestigious address of No.1 Corso Italia, in the town centre of Cortina. Prices start from £599 per person, for 7 nights on a catered basis, including return flights and transfers.
SOUTH TYROL: Stay at the Chalet Hotel Al Pigher, La Villa, for 7 nights on a catered basis from £549 per person, including return flights and transfers.
Cortina at night with the Olympic piste in the background.