Livigno Skiing - Ski holidays in Livigno ski resort Italy

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Livigno Ski Resort Italy...

Description

A fairly large resort, Livigno was originally 3 separate villages - Santa Maria, San Antonio and San Rocco - which have now formed into a single entity, straggling along the main road for around 4½ mls. It has been a duty-free zone for many years and is therefore very commercialised, with a good range of shops, hotels and restaurants. Despite this, the resort manages to retain its remote feel, living up to its nickname of "Little Tibet".

Suitability:
Middlemarket clientele, suiting both families and couples. Caters well for intermediate skiers and for beginners when the snow is good. Wide range of activities available for nonskiers.

Accommodation:
Almost evenly split between hotels and apartments. Wide choice at the budget end of the market, with a handful of fairly unsophisticated 4-stars at the other.

Resort Guide

Village Heights: 1,800 mts

Highest Lift: 3,000 mts

Ski Area: 6 areas which allow you to ski in the sunshine all day even on the shortest days.

Number Of Lifts: 33 including;

3 gondolas
14 chairlift
16 button lifts

Number of Trails: 78

Max Vertical Descent: 1,200

Apres Ski

Nightlife: apres-ski is lively, with a choice of discos and numerous bars. Low key in summer. Lively, informal and inexpensive, a host of duty free shops, restaurants, bars and discos ensure there is no shortage of entertainment in Livigno. For good bars try:

Roxy
Galli's Bar
Bivio for flavoured local grappa and live music
Il Cielo and Kokodi discos

Activities

Wide range of winter-sports activities including:

Alpine Skiing
Cross-country skiing
Snowboarding
Carving
Telemark
Ski trekking
Snowshoeing
Ice Climbing
Ice Driving
Motorcats
Ice-skating
Sleddog - huskey dog drawn sleds
Downhill skiing
Tobogganing
Sleigh rides
Paragliding

Eating Out

Reasonable choice of restaurants, cafes and pizzerias, with few that will stretch the budget too far. Smartest venues usually at the better hotels. There's an excellent range of restaurants and low cost pizzerias.

Marios for local cuisine
Bellvista for pizzas and pasta
Bivio's one of the best local restaurants in town
Gallis Bar recommended for lunch in the sun, right at the bottom of the slopes.

Other Amenities

Ski hire
Quad hire
Guided horse riding
Indoor rock climbing

In summer, walking, riding, mountain biking, golf, fishing and skiing on the Stelvio Glacier (above Bormio).

Extras Services

Shopping:
A duty-free resort so plenty of retailers stocking a wide range of tax-free alcohol, perfume and jewellery. There are also good bargains when it comes to local wines and speciality foods. Some boutiques and electrical shops.

Public Transport:
A free ski-bus service follows 3 routes: Blue, Red and Yellow (8am to 8pm); colours denote specific routes and schedules. Buses can get very busy at peak times - expect long waits early evening. There is a regular public bus service to and from Tirano (via Bormio), from where there are connecting trains to Milan.

Excursions:
Limited to exploring local area in winter. In spring/summer, full day: Bormio; Stelvio National Park; St Moritz (Switzerland); Engadin National Park (Switzerland); Innsbruck (Austria).

Ski Area Terrain

Beginners:
Thanks to its excellent ski school and valleyside nursery slopes, Livigno is a good choice for first time skiers. As beginners progress, there is a fine choice of gentle, tree-lined runs to enjoy.

Intermediaries:
A choice of blue and red runs will delight intermediate skiers. Ski back to the village from the top of the Mottolino gondola or traverse across to the Monte Sponda. A further chair lift ascends to the top station at 2,784m, giving access to a fine long run back to the village. On the western side, the Carosella ski area presents a huge choice of challenging runs. Climb further to over 2,800m by the Lac Salin chair lift, offering a run along the crest of the mountain to the end of the valley.

Advanced:
Various off-piste possibilities together with some steep descents from Monte Sponda offer ample opportunity to test the skills of more advanced skiers.

Snowboard Guide:
Snowboarding beginners are well catered for in Livigno, where excellent tuition is available together with gentle runs close to the resort. There is unrestricted access to all pistes and riders can enjoy a special 'snowboard landscape' with a halfpipe. As many slopes cross over each other, it is recommended that a piste map is always carried.