Fairytale perfect, Santa Caterina Valfurva is a great place to get away from the usual crowds and noise of the European winter ski scene. The ski resort is located in a tranquil wooded setting amid Italy’s Alta Valtellina region and is close to the scenic Stelvio National Park.

Popular with families and couples, Santa Caterina Valfurva ski resort has a wide range of quality accommodation, with hotels being augmented by traditional chalets and cottages. There are just seven restaurants and five shops in the village. Despite its size, the village has an enviable reputation of regularly churning out world class skiers such as Deborah Compagnoni.

Santa Caterina Valfurva’s slopes consist of 22kms of pistes. Six runs are for intermediates, with four each for beginners and advanced skiers. Seven lifts have a capacity for 7,065 skiers per hour and rise to a top elevation of 2,726m, while the vertical is a decent 989m. Cross-country skiers can look forward to 18kms of well-marked trails; however, snowboarders will have to make do with off-piste areas.

The resort of Santa Caterina Valfurva has several alternatives to skiing, such as guided tours through the national park, which also offers trekking, mountaineering, and ski-touring. A natural ice-skating rink offers an enchanting experience amid the surrounding Ortles-Cevedale mountain range. Additionally, a children’s mini-club is on hand to amuse with a range of snow animations, although there is no nursery.

Santa Caterina Valfurva’s winter season runs from December until March, with best conditions from January to late February. Either extreme of the season is less popular and therefore good times for those on a tight budget. Milan International Airport is a four-hour drive from the resort, and is by far the fastest way to access the resort.