Neveazzurra is a winter sports paradise in northern Piedmont, between the beautiful Ossola Valleys and Lakes Maggiore, Orta and Mergozzo, just one and a half hours from Milan and two hours from Turin.
150 kilometres of ski runs, 50 ski lifts from 1,000 to 3,000 metres above sea level, 15 locations where you can practice various winter sports, from cross-country skiing to alpine skiing, from snowshoeing to ski mountaineering, ice skating, fun tobogganing, quality refreshments at high altitudes and much more. Neveazzurra means living and appreciating the mountain in its winter beauty!
For lovers of alpine skiing and snowboarding, the San Domenico Ski resort in the Divedro Valley with its 36 km of slopes offers descents of varying degrees of difficulty, a wonderful snow park, and for freeriders, unmissable “powdery snow” turns along specially untracked slopes. Ski mountaineering and snowshoeing routes allow you to come into full contact with the silent rhythm of nature.
Macugnaga-Monte Rosa in the Anzasca Valley, with its two Belvedere ski areas (starting with a chairlift from the hamlet of Pecetto) and Monte Moro (with cable car departure from the hamlet of Staffa) offers some thirty kilometres of descents for all levels of ability from blue, red and black slopes.
Some twenty kilometres of skiable terrain at Domobianca365 , where alpine ski slopes with various levels of difficulty, a snow park and 'by night' skiing on Friday evenings along one of the longest night runs in Europe, as well as après-ski, make the mountain, only fifteen minutes from Domodossola, lively and dynamic. Baby parks, bobsleighs and inflatables complete the offer for the little ones.
The Piana di Vigezzo in the valley of the same name, which can be easily reached by an 8-seater cable car, makes for a day out for the whole family, from the most challenging downhill runs to the easier slopes. Bobsleighs and snowshoes are available for those who do not ski.
Devero Ski, in the municipality of Baceno, with its 10 km of slopes and 4 lifts, allows you to ski while admiring the majestic peaks that surround the Veglia Devero Natural Park. A freeride paradise in the fresh descents of the Vallone di Misanco.
For those who practice Nordic skiing, there is also a free loop in the Alpe Devero Plain.
Formazza Ski offers 2 km of runs suitable for everyone on the Valdo descents and more challenging on the Sagersboden descent. Thanks to the Sagersboden chairlift, it is possible to reach the entrance to the Vannino Valley and enjoy beautiful snowshoeing or ski mountaineering.
Ideal ski resorts for taking your first steps in the snow on skis or a snowboard are Alpe Cheggio Ski in the Antrona Valley with its 2 km of slopes and two blue runs, and Baitina di Druogno in the Vigezzo Valley with four easy slopes, easily reached by train with the Vigezzina - Centovalli railway that connects Domodossola to Locarno (in Switzerland). For non-skiers, both resorts offer bobsleigh and toboggan hire and sun loungers for sunbathing in the winter sun.
The Mottarone Park, with its 15 km of slopes of varying degrees of difficulty, is truly unique. Its panoramic position provides an unforgettable view of no less than seven lakes - Maggiore, d'Orta, Mergozzo, Varese, Comabbio, Monate, Biandronno -, the Po Valley and the mountain ranges of the Lepontine and Swiss Alps, as well as the Monte Rosa massif. Bobsleigh and snowshoe hire for non-skiers.
For the brave, on the Lake Maggiore-facing side of Mottarone, adrenaline-fuelled descents on the Alpylandtoboggan run, a 1,200-metre-long track with two-seater toboggans.
For lovers of cross-country skiing, in the Formazza Valley, the Centro Fondo Riale is the northernmost ski resort in Piedmont at an altitude of 1730 metres and offers a 12 km circuit on trails of varying difficulty, winding through the plain while admiring the typical houses built in the Walser architectural style. For some years now, the 'Snowfarm' technique has been put into practice, allowing operators to store the previous season's snow under geothermal sheets and start the winter season early. It is here that national teams train and high-level competitions and competitions take place. For those who do not ski, there is the possibility of renting fat e-bikes, bikes with wider tyres for better pedalling in the snow, and snowshoes for fun winter walks.
The Centro Fondo Formazza, in the hamlet of San Michele, takes care of a 12 km track that runs through coniferous forests and wide expanses, passing through various hamlets and typical dwellings, with stretches suitable for everyone and sections for experts.
The Santa Maria Maggiore cross-country skiing centre (in the Vigezzo Valley), with its 15 km competitive course, is an attraction for the entire valley. The route goes as far as Druogno and Malesco, while two easier 2.5 km loops run through coniferous and birch forests.
The ring can also be walked at night.
A short distance away, in the side valley Valle Loana, a 5-km-long trail allows skiing in Italy's largest wilderness area, the Val Grande National Park.
In Macugnaga, the Fondo Signal stretches 5 km through the hamlet of Pecetto with incomparable views of the Himalayan east face of Monte Rosa.
In Antrona Schieranco, the 2.8 km cross-country loop allows beginners to try out this discipline.
For ice-skating lovers, great fun is to be had in Macugnaga in the hamlet of Pecetto and in Antrona Schieranco.
For those who do not ski, there are numerous quality refreshment points on the slopes of the Neveazzurra ski resort, easily reached on foot or by ski lift, so that they can enjoy lunch or dinner at altitude in the company of friends and the whole family, savouring and appreciating the genuine flavours and aromas of typical mountain cuisine.
For those who love nature and a slow pace, amidst vast snow-covered expanses and imposing Alps, there are many paths suitable for the whole family that can be covered with snowshoes. From the Anzasca Valley with the excursion to the Lago delle Fate, to the Alta Valle Antrona Nature Park with its romantic lake of the same name, from the Bognanco Valley with the tour of the three refuges, to the route at the foot of the Moncucco from Alpe Lusentino to Alpe Casalavera, from the classic excursion from Alpe Devero to Crampiolo in the Veglia-Devero Park. From the Antigorio Valley with the ascent to Alpe Deccia, to the Formazza Valley with the tour of the hamlets from San Michele to Fondovalle, and the Via Storica di Montagna leading from Riale to Lake Toggia. Also, in the Vigezzo Valley, from Druogno to Alpe Campra and from Arvogno to Piana di Vigezzo and finally in the Divedro Valley from San Domenico along the Nembro basin.
'Family-friendly' routes, as they have been personally tested and described by the Voglino family, a couple of trekkers and travel writers with a small daughter, and collected in the free bilingual publication published by the Distretto Turistico dei Laghi 'SNOW TREK - Guida ai percorsi con ciaspole per tutta la famiglia' (SNOW TREK - Guide to snowshoeing routes for the whole family).
And after the days on the snow, you cannot miss a dip in the thermal waters of the Premia Terme establishments in the Antigorio Valley and the Terme di Bognanco in the valley of the same name. Ideal places for a rejuvenating relaxation break.
All information regarding the opening status of the lifts, snow reports, webcams with a real-time view of the slopes, detailed descriptions of the individual ski resorts with fatmaps and direct links to the websites of the individual resorts, family-friendly snowshoeing routes and much more are available on the website www.lagomaggiorexperience.it, the official website of the ATL Distretto Turistico dei Laghi, entirely dedicated to outdoor activities (summer and winter).
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