subject: Italian Holidays - Pasta,pizza And A Dazzling Array Of Breathtaking Ski Slopes! [print this page] Many people think Italy and immediately summon up images of pasta and pizzas, but this is a country of such richly diverse landscapes that the route from the mountain top ski chalets to the beach huts of the Adriatic, offers an adventure trail for school group holidays like no other.
Thrills and spills are there to be enjoyed in rural Italy, which is fast becoming a favourite winter destination for travellers, as well as a summer escape.
The green and lush landscapes of the lakes and the mountainous terrain of the North offer an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colours and textures, varying with the seasons.
The cool, bright light of the mid-winter snows has the ability to transform a scene to such an extent that anyone who had only previously been to a high peak village in summer, may be persuaded into believing they had come to a different place entirely.
But there are more than visual thrills here, the adventurous will relish the chance to enjoy a variety of adrenaline-pumping winter sports from traditional skiing to heli-skiing, bobsleighing, snow-shoe walking, Nordic walking, horse-riding, ice-skating or ice climbing.
Group visitors will enjoy the camaraderie of trying out new activities, encouraging each other to progress to the next skill level, and rising to the infinite array of challenges posed in the breath-taking arena of European winter sports.
Italians are passionately patriotic and celebrate the beauty of their country with year round festivals, marking the bounties of each different season. In winter you are likely to see dazzling ice sculptures, Christmas and New Year fairs and the early year Carnevale season, a sort of Italian version of Mardi Gras.
The destinations for ski enthusiasts are varied and suitable for all levels of ability, whether school age complete beginners or advanced adult sports groups who enjoy the unpredictability of skiing 'off-piste'.
Popular venues include the towering Mont Blanc massif - ski the Italian Vallee Blanche from the Italian side.
Take in the fabulous slopes and characteristic villages of the South Tyrol, home to 3,0000 metre high peaks, as well as ski networks, Dolomiti Superski and Ortler Skiarena.
This is a hidden gem, away from the more populist centres, which attract huge crowds and increasingly lengthy lift queues, and perfect for anyone who wants to take time out to soak up some of the 'wonderland' scenery between ski lessons, or even mid-ski lesson!
A Men's World Cup Slalom race is held here every year, well worth watching to cheer on the 'professionals' and be awed by the speed at which they tackle the slopes.
South Tyrol is home to Sella Ronda, a 26km circular tour around the Sella Massif Peak, offering opportunities to see the singular rock formations of the Dolomites.
Surrounded by the mountain ranges of the Brenta Dolomites, Presanella and Orles-Cevedale is Folgarida in the beautiful Val di Sole, another quiet, relaxed venue, which offers ample opportunity for each individual to learn at his or her own pace.
Italy's Aosta Valley is another favourite for skiers, offering a range of accommodation and eateries to fill up on hot broths and spicy pastas between adventures. It's also worth taking off the skis for a day to visit the ancient Roman town of Aosta.
Try Italy's oldest winter resort, Claviere, on the French border, where you'll find the ski runs of the Milky Way - 400kms of them, many connecting Italy to villages of rural France.
Over by the Swiss border is Livigno, a modern ski destination with well maintained and prepared pistes, where the delights of duty-free shopping combine with the charm of rustic villages, the best of two worlds. What more can you ask?
by: Owain Pryce
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