Livigno, Lombardy (Italy)
The ski resort of Livigno is located in the very north of the Alta Valtellina ski area near the border with Switzerland in the Lombardy region. It is located 35 km from Bormio in a wide mountain valley at an altitude of 1816 m. This young Italian ski resort, often called “little Tibet”, has managed to fall in love with skiers from all over the world.
On both sides it is surrounded by mountain peaks up to 3000 m high, on the slopes of which there are tracks for skiers of various levels of preparedness. In total, there are 110 km of slopes in Livigno, of which 42% are for beginners, 46% of medium difficulty and 12% of difficult ones, and 33 lifts. The resort has two ski areas. One is north of Livigno on the slopes of the mountains Carosello (2797 m), Vetta Blesacchia (2796 m) and Costacchia (2368 m), the other is located further south on the slopes of the mountains Mottolino (2349 m), Sponda (2576 m) and Della Neve (2785 m). In the lower part of the Carosello slopes there are gentle slopes for beginners, and in the upper part you will find excellent high-speed “red” slopes. In addition, in the northern part of Livigno, on the slopes of Mount Costacchia, a “black” track “Larice” was laid, approved by FIS specialists. Interesting “red” slopes are also located in the southern part of Livigno on the slopes of Mottolino and Sponda, among them the FIS “Sponda” track with a length of 1650 m. The “black” slopes of Mount Della Neve are very interesting.
Livigno boasts an abundance of virgin snowfields, especially in the Trepalle area near Mount Della Neve, suitable for off-piste skiing and snowboarding. Snowboarding enthusiasts have endless opportunities in the snow park, equipped on the slopes of Mount Mottolino. Here you will find a halfpipe and a variety of jumps. Also in Livigno you can go in for cross-country skiing (40 km of flat skiing is laid here) and telemark (every year in March-April, the telemark festival “La Schieda” is held in Livigno).
It is worth noting that Livigno is adjacent to the Swiss ski area Engadine, which includes such ski resorts as St. Moritz, Samedan, Pontresina, Silvaplana and Zuoz. With an Alta Valtellina ski pass, tourists are given the opportunity to ride on the slopes of the resorts of the Swiss Engadine for one day.
In addition to skiing, Livigno offers tourists snowmobiling, sledding, dog sledding, ice skating and ice climbing. The infrastructure of the resort is represented by equipment rentals, schools of alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and telemarking, kindergartens, a sports complex, an indoor pool, indoor tennis courts, hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. Livigno has the status of a duty-free zone, so about 200 of its stores are always filled with tourists who want to buy quality goods at low prices.
The slopes of the mountains surrounding Livigno are dotted with hiking trails, so hiking lovers come here in the summer. Livigno is located on the border of the largest national park in Italy – Stelvio. Here on an area of 1307 sq. km, the majestic glaciers of the mountains Ortles (3905 m) and Cevedale (3769 m), picturesque valleys, dense forests, alpine lakes and rivers, ancient villages and medieval castles adjoin. In addition to hiking in summer, Livigno offers horseback riding and paragliding.
Aprica, Lombardy (Italy)
According to thedresswizard, the ski resort of Aprica is located in the central part of the Valtellina valley at an altitude of 1181 m in the Lombardy region. It is located 56 km southwest of the Bormio ski resort, 120 km from Bergamo and 150 km from Milan.
The advantage of the resort is that the lifts and slopes are located right next to the hotels, which allows you to ski right “from the door”, that is, you climb to the top of the slope on the lift from the hotel, and after riding along the track, you find yourself again at the hotel ! The resort has 4 ski areas, where 55 km of slopes of various difficulty levels are laid (the highest point is at an altitude of 2300 m). The slopes are serviced by 18 lifts. The first pistes of Aprica were built about 60 years ago on the slopes of Mount Palabione (2350 m), now these pistes are part of the Palabione ski area. In total, there are about 20 km of trails, most of which are long “red” slopes. In the upper part of the “Palabione” there are interesting “black” tracks, and on the western slope of Mount Palabione there are virgin snow fields, where there is an opportunity for off-piste skiing.
The Campetto zone is adjacent to the Palabione zone – a great place for beginners. There are short gentle slopes with a height difference of up to 100 m, suitable for training. Next to Campetto there is a snow park, which will definitely appeal to fans of snowboarding and freestyle.
In the southwestern part of Aprica, there is the “Magnolta” ski area with an excellent 2-kilometer “black” slope. On the opposite side of Aprica in 2004, a new ski area was built – “Baradello” with 4 pistes of various difficulty levels with a total length of 15 km. In addition, the resort has 14 km of cross-country skiing. Aprica offers equipment rental, a ski and snowboard school, an ice rink, an indoor pool, indoor tennis courts,, discos, bars, restaurants and a cinema.
Valdidentro, Lombardy (Italy)
The Valdidentro ski resort is located in northern Italy in the Alta Valtellina ski region. It is located northwest of the ski resort of Bormio at an altitude of 1345 m. Valdidentro is known for being one of the most popular cross-country skiing trails in Italy – “Viola”. The 25-kilometer track, consisting of several circular tracks of various difficulty levels (2-3-4-5-7.5-10-15-25 km), was laid in the middle of a dense forest in the 70s of the 20th century. “Viola” starts from the “Ski Stadium”, where there are equipment rentals, a restaurant, a bar and a biathlon range.
Ski slopes Valdidentro laid on the slopes of Mount San Colombano (3022 m), behind which one can see the majestic peak of Cima Piazzi (3439 m), covered with a glacier. In total, there are 25 km of slopes, most of which are of medium difficulty, and 10 lifts. The highest point of the lift is at an altitude of 2550 m. Doss Alt, 3.5 km long, stands out from the slopes of medium difficulty, and the “black” Della Motta stands out from the difficult slopes. The resort of Valdidentro is more suitable for families: there are no noisy bars and discos here. Valdidentro is also home to the Husky Village dog sledding center, which will be interesting for both adults and children.
