Piedmont's Sestriere, Italy

Photo credit: Roberto Giudici

Olympic Terrain and Hidden Delights

Dotting the northern mountains like jewels in a crown, Italy's ski resorts more than make up for their relative paucity (at least, when compared with French or Austrian numbers) with a huge variety of terrain and unbeatable ambience. Unsurprisingly, Italian skiers aren't just about their day's vertical or skiing the steepest piste—expect good food, mid-mountain drinks and aperitifs, and plenty on-slope fashion.

Italy's resorts can roughly be split into three geographic regions. On the western side of the country, just beyond Turin and bordering France, Saux d'Oulx, Sestriere, Bardonecchia, and several other resorts will feature prominently in the 2006 Winter Olympics. North of Turin in the Aosta Valley and toward the border with Switzerland are big resorts like Courmayeur, Cervinia, and Monterosa. Further east, in the rugged Dolomites and accessible from Venice or Treviso, come impressive places like Cortina d'Ampezzo, Selva, and undiscovered gems like Alta Badia. With all this in mind, what you need is a good map, a rental car, and a thirst to discover Italy's snowy version of la dolce vida. You won't be disappointed.

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