Good Ski Guide The Worlds Most Loved Ski Guide
If you want to ski away from it all, you can’t do better than Livigno. High and remote at 1,816m, it sits near the Swiss border, a long way from anywhere. When you get here you will find a long, spread-out village (act ally three tiny villages that have grown into one) with decent Ski Easy runs. Livigno suits intermediates, with plenty of reds, even if most of the runs aren’t all that long – top to bottom rather than anything that involves travelling.
It’s also great for learners, with beginners’ runs along the length of the resort on one side, Costaccia. There’s the occasional black, but mostly this is the place for easy-going skiers, safe in the knowledge that 80 per cent of the slopes are covered by snowmaking. If you’re a beginner-intermediate skier huge snowfields offer the perfect terrain for tuning your turning technique in a relaxed manner and great for trying to carve your way back up the hill. There’s also some interesting terrain on the Motalina side with a gully in the form of a natural half pipe with the added challenge of a variable take-off and the odd bump in the landing zone.
There’s an excellent snowpark, voted Italy’s best, which hosts international events, including the Burton European Open. A second park, on the Carosello 3000 side, is good for freeriders. Livigno has long had a reputation as a fun spot for youngsters, it’s a dutyfree zone so there’s cheap (or at least large) drinks in bars, and good prices on electical equipment and clothes.
The village is attractive with small hotels, bars and shops in a largely traffic-free centre. Being cut off means transfers are long – at least four hours from Innsbruck and Milan – but it also means you’re within an easy drive of St. Moritz, and most tour operators arrange a day out there. There are also excursions to the skiing in Bormio, half an hour away. Livigno is superb Ski Easy country, and also a great place to learn. We know many people who have taken their first runs here, tempted by the prices (there are free early and late season lift passes when you book with participating hotels).
