Discover the Piemonte region and Torino this winter!
Piemonte and Torino have plenty of attractions on offer for winter lovers: from snow activities in five ski districts and 12 snow parks to art, culture and many city break inspirations.
The Ladies Ski World Cup is the main event to open this year’s winter season in Piemonte. From 10th to 11th December, the northern Italy region will host the World Cup over the mountains of Alta Val Susa and Chisone, in Sestriere. There, the Via Lattea (Milky Way) ski area is ready to open the 2016/17 ski season with this great sporting event, with a giant slalom, which will gather together all the world's best female skiers.
Piemonte’s capital Torino is set to for the most magical time of the year with Christmas installations at the ready, along with events and art exhibitions to start the winter season.
Maria Elena Rossi, General Director Sviluppo Piemonte Turismo said: “We are very proud to host such an important event as the Ladies Ski World Cup in our beautiful Piemonte. Our region has so much to offer, especially in winter. The trends of international tourism are encouraging: UK market share counts 4.7% of total arrivals in Piemonte, counting 168,436 arrivals in 2015. Last year was the best year in terms of visitors since the Olympics and we are confident this winter will continue the arrivals trend. We are exploiting the great potential of the winter season thanks to sport events, high-end art attractions, 15 UNESCO sites and our wide entertainment offering”, said Rossi.
Ladies Ski World Cup
The relationship between the World Cup and Sestriere dates back to before the birth of the current World Cup format. Already in the 50s, many ski races were held here: 57 World Cup races since 1967, the first edition of the Cup Finals in 2004, the first edition of the World Championships in 1997 and the first edition of the Olympic Winter Games in 2006. The 2016 season will be a great celebration of sport and entertainment, with the World Ski Cup and the Vialattea area, which will open 400 km of trails on December 8.
From 10th to 11th December, the two-day World Cup is not limited to the sporting events on the pistes. In fact there are many other events such as après ski drinks at evening parties that will animate Sestriere. For those who do not want to miss some of the best female athletes in the world, there will be spaces reserved for the Fan Club, ski schools, ski clubs, along with other accredited bodies. The competition will be visible from most of these areas and the athletes will be close enough to the whole audience. The finish area will be set up as a sponsor village with many brands to entertain the viewers before, during and after the race. In addition, there will be tastings, distribution of gadgets, entertainment, music and lots of fun on offer.
Winter snow activities
Piemonte hosts 1,330 km ski trails and 300 ski lifts around five ski districts and 12 snow parks. All of them have plenty of snow attractions, whether adrenaline inducing such as snowboarding, or for those with a family who are looking for a “slow” mode of travel, such as a snowshoe tours.
Alta Val Susa and Chisone in the Upper Susa Valley are the temple of Torino’s Alpine skiing and were the setting for the XX Winter Olympics of 2006. The territory includes the ski areas Vialattea and BardonecchiaSki, where over 500 km of ski runs interweave along breath taking slopes, with different levels of difficulty to meet the needs of both beginners and pros.
Bielmonte (in the centre of the Oasi Zegna) on the mountains of Biella, is an ideal ski resort for families with children looking for well-exposed safe slopes in the sun, and for mountain lovers in general, offering many activities with or without snow.
Neveazzurra is a unique ski district among the Ossola, Cusio and Verbano regions which is able to offer sport fans and simple visitors alike a variety of entertainment and pleasures, from cross-country snowboarding, free riding, to Heli ski or straight-forward down-hill skiing, all set amongst the beautiful landscape with lake views.
The “Riserva Bianca” in Limone Piemonte (in the Alps of Cuneo) boasts 80 km of ski-slopes, 18 lift facilities and offers all-inclusive packages with “hotel + skipass”. The “Mondolé Ski” includes three ski resorts (Artesina, Prato Nevoso and Frabosa Ski) with more than 100 km of slopes, 48 pistes, 31 lift facilities and two snowboard parks.
Alagna stands out from the exclusive Monterosa Ski resort with its breath taking slopes and endless freeride tracks: the most renowned tourist destination in Valsesia, with alpine ski tracks ski enthusiasts will enjoy limitless possibilities from Alagna to the Passo dei Salati at 2,971 metres and all the way to Indren (3275 m), Gressoney and Champoluc.
Torino city break
Torino, the capital of Piemonte, is the perfect destination for art and city break lovers. Not far from the snow attractions, it is worth a visit for a couple of days to discover its history and elegance. The former capital of Italy, Torino is one of the most bustling cities in Italy: with a great offer of events, art exhibitions, Royal Residences and UNESCO sites as well as a wide variety of museums on offer, featuring the second biggest Egyptian museum in the world after Cairo. To freely discover the rich heritage of UNESCO Royal Residences in Torino and Piemonte, just buy the Royal Card for free admission (including exhibitions) at the Palaces, Residences and Castles. turismotorino.org
To experience the customs of the House of Savoy, take part in the Merenda Reale ritual which takes place across Torino's historic cafes. It involves drinking hot chocolate or Bicerin whilst dunking a “bagnati” biscuit. Perfect on a winters day!
A few art exhibitions are running over the upcoming winter time: Toulouse-Lautrec at Palazzo Chiablese until March, 5; Carol Rama at GAM until Feb, 5; Wael Shawky at Castello di Rivoli until Feb, 5; Giorgetto Giugiaro at the Automobile Museum until Feb, 26 to name a few.
Torino offers a great array of events to see you through this festive season. “Luci d’artista” is a 22-light outdoor art installation which can be admired simply by strolling around the capital, open until 15 January. The magic of Christmas has its heart in the Piazza D'Armi with "The Christmas Dream": a village for Santa Claus and his elves (17,000 sqm heated and covered). In addition, the "Christmas Carousel" is on stage at Torino Esposizioni, in the 5th pavilion until January 10, offering an amusement park featuring 50 attractions for families and located in an excellent architectural structure.
Furthermore, with Made in Torino - Tour the Excellent it is possible to enter the most prestigious companies in the region to discover methods and secrets behind their quality products.
Christmas attractions can also be experienced further afield in the picturesque towns of Govone and Canale. Their Christmas markets, street food stalls, traditional inns, entertainment parks and wine tasting all guarantee many happy moments for families and friends.
Snow, Christmas attractions, art and city discovery... Piemonte in winter has it all!