Stowe Mountain is one of the oldest and most loved ski resorts in the east, and boasts 56 slopes and excellent snowboarding facilities. Ski and snowboard runs go through forests, trails, glades and out-of-bounds, and there are three terrain parks and a super-pipe.

The resort centre is the attractive 18th century town of Stowe, to the southeast of Stowe Mountain. It features a main street lined with historic buildings and shops and a white-steepled church. There are dozens of hotels, motels and lodges in the town and some quality slope-side, lodge-style accommodation at the resort, including the famed Trapp Family Lodge.

Stowe Mountain’s 65kms of terrain is divided into 56 slopes, of which 25 per cent are for beginners, 57 per cent for intermediates and 18 per cent for experts. Twelve lifts, with a capacity of 12,000 people per hour, feed the pistes. The longest slope is six kilometres and, in addition, there are 150kms of cross-country trails and a further 110kms in the backcountry.

Other winter activities and facilities at Stowe Mountain ski resort include: sleigh riding, ice-skating, snowmobiling tours, night skiing and riding, and racing. Some of the top hotels and lodges, including the Trapp Family Lodge, have full spa facilities and swimming pools, and there are nine mountain restaurants and plenty of bars both at the resort and in Stowe; the Matterhorn Bar and the lively Ye Olde England Inne are very popular.

The November to April ski season at Stowe Mountain has its best natural snow conditions in February, and 45 per cent of the ski domain is covered by snowmaking equipment. The cheapest rates are before the Christmas holidays, late January and towards the season’s end. There are direct flights to Burlington (near Stowe) from some UK airports; from the airport, shuttle buses and taxis go to Stowe and Stowe Mountain resort.