Bormio ski resort is a classy ski and snowboard destination in the Rhaetian part of the central Alps region, offering 33kms of varied pisted runs as well as plenty of off-piste opportunity. Holder of the Alpine Ski World Championship in 1985, Bormio has never looked back and is very popular with all ages.

The town itself is picturesque and charming and is noted for its Romanesque churches and palaces, as well as its museums and excellent spa facilities. Five thousand beds are available for a range of budgets, in hotels, apartments and private residences, and there are plenty of shops.

Thirty-three kilometres of pistes extend over the Vallecetta Mountain and are linked by 19 lifts, able to carry up to 19,000 skiers and snowboarders per hour. The overall ratio of slopes is 30 per cent for beginners, 40 per cent for intermediates and 30 per cent for the advanced. Snowboarders have 10kms of off-piste action and there are also 12.5kms of cross-country trails.

Bormio ski resort is also renowned for its thermal spa treatments, and non-skiing and snowboarding activities include ice-skating (artificial), mono-skiing and horseback riding. Other facilities include a fitness centre, squash, indoor tennis and swimming. There are plenty of sightseeing opportunities in the town and at night there is a plethora of cafés and restaurants, and bars and nightclubs to choose from.

The December to April Bormio ski season has its best snowboarding and skiing in February and lowest rates up to December 18, and from January 7 to 29. The most practical way to get to Bormio is to fly to Milan’s Linate Airport and transfer by Skibus, which runs in both directions. Trains also go to nearby Torino (Turin), from where local buses go to Bormio.