With over 31 miles of trails in and over 60 miles of the whole High Valtellina area, skiers at each level can enjoy quality skiing at this resort. Beginners can expect gentle trails. Intermediate skiers and advanced skiers will be thrilled with the 5,879 foot vertical drop that will give them long runs on the mountain.

Those who wish to ski a long and panoramic slope can go down the “Bimbi al sole.” Those who want to feel the emotion of skiing on a slope where the best athletes in the world have skied can try the “Stelvio” which is one of the most beautiful and difficult downhill courses in the world and will be scene of the men’s alpine ski races during the next world championship in 2005.

There is great off-piste skiing and glacier skiing during the summer as well at the Stelvio Pass. The runs of Vitelli, Madaccio, and Scorluzzo valleys are great for long runs that are great on summer morning when the temperature is routinely in the seventies and people ski in shorts and t-shirts. Glacier skiing can be done from May to November.

Ski Map of Bormio

make the system even faster.

Sundays tend to be the most crowded day and the resort policy of not limiting ticket sales does nothing to help the situation.

During the summer months, the eight surface lifts at the Stelvio glacier have access to individual trails, and Passo Stelvio reaches the ski area itself.

One great thing about Bormio is that its lift tickets are inexpensive. A one-day pass will cost about $30, while a six-day pass will run around $140. This Alta Valtellina Skipass is valid for Bormio, Santa Caterina, San Colombano and some lifts in Livigno. Good discounts for children and senior and free baby skipass.

Intermediate skiers will best enjoy what Bormio has to offer which is 43 percent of its runs at the intermediate level.

The big vertical drop allows skiers to take long

One can also snow hike alone or hire a guide to trek the mountain near Bormio. There are many levels of difficulty as well as lengths of the trails. Contact the Guide Alpine Del Cevedale e Ortles for a guide hike.

Whoever wants to go snow-

shoeing must bring from home his shoes because in Bormio, snowshoeing isn’t a popular activity and not many shop rent the equipment.

You can admire the beautiful view on dog sleds through the natural countryside.

For something faster, there are not great snowmobiling options in Bormio, but it is still possible to do some in Livigno, with is 12 miles away. Several shops in this town have rentals. There are maps available to take one into the backcountry. January, February and March are generally the best times to go because the snow is packed solid in these months. There is a bus that runs from Bormio to Livigno. The price is about $5 round trip.

Mountain biking is popular here, and in the winter people snow mountain bike. There is a challenging, yet beautiful trip that takes one to St. Moritz.

Neighboring towns can satisfy those who want to try a more “exotic” sport. The famous Crest Run and curling can be tried here.

For the Ice skating lover there is the indoor rink on Via Manzoni, where one can ice skate or

less than 2 miles out of town. The Bagni Vecchi, already known in the late Roman Age, were visited by Leonardo da Vinci in 1494 and were the holiday resort of the Imperial Court of Austria. This spa is truly luxurious, fed by a thermal spring. This is something that everyone should experience.

The center is a castle filled with pools. There is a route to follow through the different pools, but one is free to wander about and go in any pool one desires. There is an outdoor mineral pool fed by small streams that is a wonderful juxtaposition of the cool outside air with the warm water. There are three other pools inside where hot water from the springs comes in waterfalls to rush over your body. The Bormio hot springs are detoxifying, regenerating, relaxing, anti-stress and anti-inflammatory water and the sulfur pool is therapeutic for health problems such as arthritis.

The spa can be reached by taxi or one can take one of the buses from town. Tickets are about $22 per person.

There is another more utilitarian spa with a thermal swimming pool called the Stabilimento delle Terme Bormiesi. The whole combination of Bagni Vecchi and Bagni Nuovi offers 55 different spa facilities to the Bormio visitors.

Bormio is not the best place to shop and with the duty-free status of Livigno, one should head there instead, but the town does have more charm than its duty-free neighbor.

The croccanti are waffles made with nuts, and the “Sunday treats” are like tarts meant to be eating with a spoon. For those who want something salty, try the pizzoccheri, a past boiled with cheese, butter and cabbage.

Bormio can be counted upon to give diners a wonderful meal, without the expensive price. The relaxed atmosphere of the town can be also be seen in its restaurants.

There are many options, and the meals are usually pasta, polenta, or rice based so even vegetarians will find something to suit them. Enjoy the traditional cuisine of the Valtellina: pizzocheri, sciatt, polenta taragna, made with buck wheat flour, the original bresaola, the typical dry salt beef, Bitto cheese and the Bisciola, a rustic cake containing walnuts, raisins and figs. The wine of Valtellina should accompany everything: Valtellina Superiore DOCG and the famous grappa and Braulio, the alpine herbal liqueur made in Bormio.

As stated before, party animals may find the nightlife a bit lacking, but that said, there is still plenty to do on an evening out on the town. As an inexpensive place to go out, one can start from Via Roma and try the myriad of bars and pubs where skiers and locals hang out together.

its nice villages, vineyards, rivers, the gorgeous and wild nature of the park, and almost unlimited possibilities for mountain activities.

Bormio is in the northeast part, the High Valtellina, included in the Stelvio National Park, which is the biggest in the Alps.

Resort Base: 4,019 feet or 1,225 meters
Base of Lifts: 5,862 feet or 1,787 meters
Top of lifts/mountain: 9,882 feet or 3,012
Vertical Drop: 5,879 feet or 1,792 meters

The third biggest Italian vertical drop guarantees long interrupted runs on the slopes. One should be prepared for strong winds at the top of the mountain, because the top is exposed, above the tree line so there is now protection from the wind. The top of the lifts are at about 10,000 feet, so some people may have altitude sickness and should get off mid-mountain.

Some shops offer demo-skis at a multi-day or seasonal discount where different skis can be tried out each day. In Bormio, the best equipment will cost more at the nicest shops. The best idea is to rent equipment the night before to avoid a long wait or hassle in the morning. Usually, rental shops will give a lot of leeway in the pickup and return times of the rentals.

The better rental shops have the latest models of carving and deep-snow skis but one should call to reserve in advance, as these models go quickly. Rental prices are about the same as other resort, or maybe even lower. For a group rates or discount it is a must to arrange this in advance, and some shops will sell their equipment at a good discount late in the season.

It is best to use a credit card while renting equipment so as to avoid the problem of leaving a large cash deposit.

Why don’t you extend your Italian holiday…

...pass a day in marvelous Venice with its mysterious canals and its colorful Carnival, famous throughout the world. Or else travel to Milan, and walk in the shadow of the Duomo through the shops along one of the most famous streets in the Italian fashion world.
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