Winter tourism in Abruzzo

1. In the Passolanciano-La Majelletta area, skiing with an amazing view as far as the Adriatic Sea
2. More than 700 kilometres of slopes to choose from for numerous leisure activities.
3. The first Italian Alpine skiing competitions were organised in the Roccaraso area in 1929.
4. In the Roccaraso area, the first Italian ski lift, after the one in Cortina d'Ampezzo, was inaugurated in 1937.
5. Don’t miss out a snowy journey with the Ferrovia dei Parchi (“Railway of the Parks”), on the so-called "Centoporte" carriages, dating back to the 1930s, with striking interiors and wooden seats. It will take you through marvellous snow-covered landscapes to the slopes of the Maiella massif and the Altopiani Maggiori d’Abruzzo

Find out more: An emotion called winter

Alto Sangro Skipass, Roccaraso (L’Aquila)

1. Abruzzo Airport, Via Tiburtina Km 229,100 –Pescara
2. Pescara railway station
3. by car 107 km from Pescara, via A25/E80 and S.S. 17
4. by car 102 km from L’Aquila, via S.S. 17

A fantastic high altitude world in the heart of Italy and the Mediterranean. Abruzzo is home to the major ski areas of the whole Apennines, from the best-known ones of Roccaraso, Rivisondoli, Campo Felice and Ovindoli, passing through the legendary Gran Sasso resort of Campo Imperatore, up to Pescasseroli, Passolanciano, Majelletta, Campo di Giove and Prati di Tivo. The presence of over 700 kilometers of slopes offers snow enthusiasts many types of leisure activities.

Abruzzo offers cliffs, ice and snow for mountaineering, sloping mountainsides and frozen lakes for snowkiting, frozen waterfalls and seracs for climbing, fresh snow for snowshoeing, equipped cross-country skiing trails and a wide range of other outdoor sports such as snowboarding, freestyle and telemark skiing, dog sledding, snowkiting, jibbing, fat biking, snow tubing with routes for all levels, slopes for more expert skiers, trails for beginners and sporty young people and a vast choice of groomed rings and excursion itineraries.

For more than 90 years, Roccaraso has stood out among the most interesting destinations for all sports enthusiasts. And right here, in 1929, the first Italian alpine skiing competitions were organized which, between downhill and slalom courses, attracted participants from various Alpine and Apennine locations, consecrating it as the cradle of Italian Alpine skiing.

At a height of 1250 meters on the Altopiani Maggiori (“Major Plateaus”), the area of Roccaraso – where the first Italian ski lift after Cortina d'Ampezzo was inaugurated in 1937 – offers 110 kilometers of always snow-covered slopes where you can practice skiing, snowboarding, ski-hiking and alpine skiing, as well as the presence of circuits dedicated to cross-country skiing. In this extraordinarily beautiful natural landscape, together with the neighboring municipalities of Rivisondoli and Pescocostanzo, it also offers a complete a wide range of holiday possibilities: from good food, to relaxation and attractive sporting events.

The ski resorts of Ovindoli and Campo Felice are also very popular, especially by snowboarders and cross-country skiers who find ski lifts here that rise from 1400 m to over 2000 m and ring routes of 3 and 5 km, as well as a very modern snow park among the best equipped in Central Italy in the snow-freestyle field.

Moving into the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, the Corno Grande rises up, which with its 2912 meters is the highest peak of the Gran Sasso and the Apennines. Here is the highest skiing area in Abruzzo, offering ten slopes for all difficulty levels, from the first steps on the snow up to black slopes. The gullies of the Gran Sasso allow countless itineraries for practicing off-piste and ski mountaineering. The Campo Imperatore plateau offers various possibilities for cross-country ski enthusiasts, with over 60 km of circuits including the Santo Stefano di Sessanio slope near the Racollo Lake, the slopes of Castel del Monte and the ring of the “tre laghetti” (“three small lakes”). At the foot of the Corno Piccolo wind the slopes of the historic Prati di Tivo ski resort, from which a dizzying chairlift starts and climbs up to 2000 metres.

At the northern end of the main ridge of the Majella massif, the Passolanciano-La Majelletta area is famous for its beautiful natural landscapes, with a view ranging as far as the Adriatic Sea, while the western side hosts the Campo di Giove ski resort which goes up to 2350 meters with 20 km of slopes for alpine skiing and 5 km for cross-country skiing.

Thanks to the beauty of the places and the cheap rates, the Abruzzo mountains conquer not only skiers, but also lovers of snowy landscapes, which can be enjoyed in front of the crackling fire of a hearth, after a day spent having fun in the snow.

An ideal destination for families, the Abruzzo ski areas offer "a mountain" of events and leisure activities: alpine skiing championships, snow kiting, snow volleyball, driving school on ice rinks, equipped facilities at the ski resorts dedicated to children, playrooms also open in the evening during the Christmas period, mini snow-parks, moving carpets, dedicated to bobsleighs and snow tubing, theme nights for the little ones. Great attention is reserved by the operators to differently abled guests, who can practice the alpine skiing with courses for both beginners and more experienced athletes. The aim is to promote sports, social integration and rehabilitation activities for differently abled people, through the practice of alpine skiing in a context without architectural barriers. Increasingly qualified initiatives, like advanced mono-ski courses, are open to all the physically disabled, with educational and on-piste lessons, accompanied by highly specialized ski instructors.

We must not forget the charm of the après-ski with cultural, musical and entertainment events in the heart of the snow-covered villages where you can stroll in the soft light of the street lamps that magically illuminate the medieval historic centers where small craft shops and ancient trattorias, with skilful crafts culinary tradition of Abruzzo, offer small joys that warm the heart: the delicious cheeses produced at high altitudes; the sausages and the ever-present “arrosticini” (skewers of meat cooked over the grill); potatoes and chestnuts cooked whole and with the peel under the embers; the “cazzarielli” (similar to gnocchi and cooked with beans, cabbage or sausage ragù); the soups of fine legumes; the “pecora alla callara” (stewed sheep meat linked to the practice of transhumant sheep farming); the “fracchiata”(a dish similar to the polenta); the exquisite sweets filled with almonds and grape jam; the fine and full-bodied wines of the area, above all the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo; the delicious Genziana liqueurs.

Do not miss a trip on the snow with the Ferrovia dei Parchi (“Railway of the Parks”), departing from Sulmona on the so-called "Centoporte" carriages, dating back to the 1930s, with suggestive interiors and wooden seats. Through marvelous snow-covered landscapes towards the slopes of the Maiella massif and the Altopiani Maggiori d’Abruzzo (“Major Plateaus of Abruzzo”), this train trip touches the maximum altitude at almost 1300 meters. In the period between the 26th November and the 8th January, the historic train stops in the villages to let guests visit the markets and the characteristic Christmas houses in the historic center of Roccaraso, Campo di Giove and Castel di Sangro.

January is also the perfect month for the practice of "winter foraging". A real experience in uncontaminated nature, a practice of psychological healing and well-being: among beech, maple, hazel, Turkey oak, mountain rowan and oak woods, on the paths that wind through the wooded areas, with slow steps on the soft snow, it is possible to look for the shiny rose hips wrapped in icy crystals, with which healthy herbal teas, infusions and jams can be prepared.

Find out more: Ski Areas