Corvara Italy, One of Our Favorites

It would be hard to pick a favorite European ski destination. If you like furs, fashion and flash then Cortina, St Moritz or Zermatt might have some appeal. But if you are up for friendly people, fabulous food and scenery to die for, Corvara Italy, on the Sella Ronda, is hard to beat. It’s one of our favorite resorts.
Corvara, the village, is no head turner. It has everything you need, however; shops, bars and hotels. There are other villages on the Sella Ronda; Arabba (too small), Val Gardena (too big) and others you just pass through and whose names I don’t recall. Covara is just right.

The Posta Zirm Hotel, our base, is family owned, well located and very friendly. Oh, and the food is good.


The Horse Drawn Rope Tow



As for the skiing, each day you can pick a new adventure.

1. Bus to Passo Di Falzarego and take half the day to ski down and back to the Sella Ronda loop. The run even includes a horse drawn sleigh as a rope tow across a flat area at the bottom.

2. Circumnavigate the Sella Rona clockwise.

3. Circumnavigate the Sella Rona “anti-clockwise.” You would think it wouldn’t matter which way you went but each direction involves different runs, lifts and, if you choose, restaurants. (Did I mention the food on the hill?)

4. Ski over to nearby San Cassiano, a decent ski area all by itself.

5. Ski over to Arabba, another nearby village.

The choices and combination of choices mean you can ski new slopes each day or go back to any favorite you discovered the day before.



Weather and schedule permitting night skiing is an option. You take a chair ride to a slope side restaurant for dinner and entertainment followed by a snow cat ride or ski down. Just another adventure! (If interested in the ski down pack a headlamp. The slope is unlit.) 

A Word About the Ski Down: In 2004 I decided to ski down and joined the “hot dog” group.Big mistake. I tightened my boots, looked around and found myself alone on the mountain. Never trust the “weasels.” Fortunately for me I was able to hear them whooping and hollering down slope and just skied to the sound of the laughter.

So, stop number one on the 2011 trip, Corvara, Italy, should meet the expectation of even the most discriminating traveler.