Best places to visit in Italy this winter

It is widely believed that summer is the right season to visit Italy because of the marine beauty on offer. Actually, a winter vacation in Italy is even more magical: huge mountains that let you stand on the roof of the world, soft snow on which to ski or walk, bright and colorful cities and Christmas markets. Let’s see what are the best places to visit in Italy in winter.

Skiing in Cortina d’Ampezzo

Among Italy’s top winter destinations is the “Queen of the Dolomites,” in the Veneto region of Italy: Cortina d’Ampezzo, known worldwide as the best place to ski in Italy. The ski season starts in November and ends in April, with more than 100 km of slopes and snowparks. Also famous is the cross-country track between Fiames and Three Crosses, which is accessible even at night. In addition, the valleys can be explored with snowshoes for total immersion in the silence of nature.

Magic in Alta Badia

Trentino-Alto Adige is home to one of the best places to ski in Italy: Alta Badia. The place is fairy-tale: the slopes plunge into endless forests, making every mountain activity, from skiing to cross-country skiing to hiking, magical. The Giant Slalom World Cup is being held on the Gran Risa slope. The other slopes are of varying difficulty. Don’t miss the horse-drawn ski lift: riding down the skiable canyon to Sass Dlacia, you can be accompanied on the slopes by horses.

Breuil Cervinia on skis

Also among the best destinations for skiing in Italy, find the Breuil Cervinia ski area in Valle d’Aosta, the largest in Italy with about 250km of slopes to get lost in. Due to the altitude of the slopes, snowfall is excellent, suffice it to say that the slopes are used even in summer. But you won’t suffer from the cold because almost all cable cars are covered. Cross-country skiing and, in the town of Cervinia, activities such as kite surfing, fat biking, snowmobiling, heli-skiing and wellness centers are also particularly popular.

Skiing and more in Livigno

Thanks to its cold winter temperatures, Livigno in Lombardy is known as “Little Tibet,” but you can be sure it is among the best ski destinations in Italy. There are two ski resorts: you can get from one to the other not on skis, but by using the special shuttles available. In addition to being known as a location where you can find the best ski slopes in Italy, Livigno also allows for alternative sports such as biathlon: cross-country skiing and shooting.

Trekking at Lo Chaberton

In the mountains there is not only skiing, but also hiking. Among the best mountains for hiking in Italy is Chaberton in Piedmont. Arriving in Claviere, right from the square of the slopes begins a medium-difficult route of almost 3 hours, which with an elevation gain of 700 meters allows you to arrive-passing by the Gimont Refuge if you are less trained-on the Chaberton massif at an altitude of 3,131 m. The trail is for anyone with winter hiking experience, but getting to the top repays any effort.

Walking at the Zegna Oasis

It is certainly a special destination because it is not a tall, imposing massif, but an outstanding alternative for anyone who enjoys walking but is not an experienced hiker. Haute couture pioneer Ermenegildo Zegna had 500,000 spruce trees planted, creating the most famous nature trails in the Biella region. Hundreds of nature walks start from various points along the Panoramica Zegna, a road built by Zegna to allow his textile workers to go on vacation.

In the mountains… in Sicily

Sicily is only associated with heat and sea, but in reality, thanks to the presence of MountEtna, it also allows for winter sports. The summit of the volcano at 3,350 m, reachable only accompanied by experienced guides, is a unique spectacle characterized by the fusion of mountain and sea in a single landscape. We also recommend being accompanied by guides to have the volcanological and natural aspects of the place explained to you. The most recommended snow route is the one leading to the 2002 lava flows.

Bolzano’s Christkindlmarkt

Winter in Italy means not only sports but also other activities, including touring the best Christmas markets. Among these, the most renowned is the Christkindlmarkt in Bolzano, Trentino-South Tyrol. The smell of mulled wine, Christmas carols, lights and colors immerse you in the Christmas spirit. It is the oldest market in Italy and features attractions designed both for adults, such as meetings with literary authors, and for children, such as toy trains and carriages. It runs from late November to Epiphany.

The lights of Turin

Turin, Piedmont, manages to combine culture, entertainment, history and gastronomy. Winter is its own season: the city becomes discreet and quiet, while still shining thanks to the incredible Luci d’Artista lights scattered between downtown and Mount of the Capuchins, from which you can admire the city from above. The Mole Antonelliana towers over the center, and should you feel like immersing yourself in nature, Europe’s most beautiful mountains are just a short distance away. The cold weather, then, can be easily combated with a plate of Castelmagno cheese gnocchi, steaming hot and delicious.

Umbria Jazz Winter

In Orvieto, from late December to early January, a festival known throughout Europe is held: the Umbria Jazz Winter. The historic center is enlivened by numerous events, with internationally renowned artists and bands entertaining the thousands of people who come from all over the world each year to attend the event. The downtown streets resound from morning until late at night, and the atmosphere is worth experiencing at least once in a lifetime. After the New Year’s Mass, the gospel concert is not to be missed.