Cervinia Ski Resort
Spectacularly set in a valley encircled by the dramatic Jumeaux rock face and a constellation of glaciers, Cervinia is part of the expansive Cervino Ski Paradise ski area and connected to Switzerland’s Zermatt through the Plateau Rosa glacier. These topographical advantages mean that the winter ski season in Cervinia can be one of the longest in Europe and summer skiing is also available on the highest slopes.
There’s 160km of corduroy here for you to explore on high-altitude, sunny, snow-sure slopes set between 1,524 metres and 3,883 metres. Cervinia is an excellent choice for beginner and intermediate skiers, with a lot of picturesque and lengthy runs that are pleasurable but not too tricky, such as the famous Ventina, which sweeps down from 3,480 metres at Testa Grigia for a whopping 22 kilometres. Meanwhile, if you’re an expert skier looking for more challenging terrain, treat yourself to a pass for the wider ski area and you’ll be in your element across in Zermatt.
Cervinia provides a captivating Alpine experience, combining world-class skiing opportunities with modern facilities and a vibrant après-ski atmosphere. Whether you’re seeking thrilling slopes or laid-back mountain charm, Cervinia offers something for everyone, making it a premier destination for winter sports enthusiasts.
Cervinia provides a captivating Alpine experience, combining world-class skiing opportunities with modern facilities and a vibrant après-ski atmosphere. Whether you’re seeking thrilling slopes or laid-back mountain charm, Cervinia offers something for everyone, making it a premier destination for winter sports enthusiasts.
This is a compact, car-free resort which feels comfortable and manageable for couples and families, with an apres-ski scene which has a bit of a buzz without feeling too busy. Weekends in Cervinia can get a little livelier thanks to pleasure-seekers from cities like Milan, but generally, the slopes and lifts feel quiet and serene, there are plenty of reasonably priced cafes and restaurants and kids will never be bored thanks to plenty of exciting off- and on-slope activities.
The variety of slopes in Cervinia also makes it a great choice for mixed-ability groups and ski package holidays here tend to be more reasonably priced than those in Zermatt, which is good news if you’re organising an Alpine adventure for a price-focused extended family or a thrifty tribe of friends.
With a range of excellent accommodation choices, reliable powder practically all year round, well-groomed pistes, stunning scenery and high-class hospitality, ski holidays in Cervinia serve up total satisfaction.
Cervinia has 159 km of snowsure slopes which stretch up to 530km with the full ski pass including Zermatt. There are slopes for all ski ability levels across an altitude range of 1,524-3,883m. Sharing a border as well as the Matterhorn with Zermatt in Switzerland, cross-border skiing is possible here as well. Holiday makers can look forward to high-altitude skiing, glacier runs and endless off-piste opportunities.
With great nursery slopes, superb ski schools and a vast network of lift-linked blue and red runs, Cervinia is a natural choice for novice and intermediate skiers. It does have a few black runs to satisfy advanced skiers as well as some challenging off-piste for backcountry powderhounds on the Zermatt side of the Cervino Ski Paradise area. Here are a few insider tips for skiers:
Expert skiers can test themselves with tricker runs down towards Valtournenche.
The gentle village nursery slopes are ideal for beginners finding their feet and there’s a natural progression to wide cruisy blues and easy reds with gentle gradients which pepper the mountain.
The fastest access to the mountain from the resort is via the swift, six-person Cretaz chair lift, but alternatively you can stretch your legs by walking through the town and up the steps to the cable car and gondola base that whisks you up to Plan Maison at the midway section of the mountain.
Advanced skiers who crave more excitement can invest in a pass for the entire 360km ski area which is served by 53 lifts and staying in Cervinia but skiing mainly on the Swiss side can be much more economical than basing yourself over there.
As you can see, Cervinia is a great choice for beginners who want to progress swiftly and maximise their mountain coverage, intermediates who love long, luxurious runs and expert skiers looking for a lower cost way of carving up Swiss slopes.
All Accommodation in Cervinia
With lots of long slopes perfect for practising turns, a super terrain park for freestylers and a few off-piste opportunities, there’s plenty to please snowboarders in Cervina. Here’s the lowdown for riders:
As stated, the pistes here are generally fairly flat and gentle, but this can be advantageous if you’re building your confidence on the board.
There’s a lot of open terrain for freeriders but practically no trees ̶ hire a good local mountain guide if you want to find the best fresh powder and invest in a Cervino Ski Paradise pass to really maximise your off-piste adventures.
IndianPark is one of Italy’s finest terrain parks ̶ it’s an impressive 200m wide and 1.2km long, with a plethora of fab features like rails, boxes and kickers, a big air bag for practicing your jumps in relative safety and lots of funky music blasting out to enhance the party ambience.
It’s evident that snowboarders won’t miss out on the action in Cervinia, although if you’re an expert rider you’ll probably want to splash out on a ski pass that includes the Zermatt side to really get your money’s worth.
With a 2050m resort height, glacier skiing available up to 3883m and great geographical location, Cervinia is a naturally snow-sure resort where you can enjoy sunny, well-groomed slopes in winter and summer too. Here’s some handy information on historical snowfall in this fab Italian ski resort:
In the most recent season, Cervinia had a total of 32 snowfall days, 306cm total snowfall, average summit depth of 90cm, maximum summit depth of 118cm, average base depth of 33cm, maximum base depth of 65cm and a 49cm largest snowfall.
Snow conditions in the most recent Cervinia winter ski season were excellent from November onwards, with some excellent powder available late in the season ̶ the top monthly snowfall of 49cm was actually recorded in March and the 118cm maximum summit depth occurred in April.
In recent years there’s, fresh dumps of pow have built up to a whopping 3 metres at 3883m on the top of Piccolo Cervino and the snow retention on the Plateau Rosa glacier is so robust that 23km of runs are still open during the summer months.
50% of the slopes have coverage with snow cannons for those times when mother nature is unexpectedly stingy with her natural snowfall.
Cervinia might not be Europe’s most hedonistic party zone, but there’s still a lively apres-ski scene here with a mix of venues that veer from laid-back bars to plush and posh cocktail bars. Here are a few hotspots that you won’t want to miss:
The Yeti Bar is near the Cretaz chairlift and nursery slopes. This is a buzzing spot for afternoon tipples after your skiing or snowboarding session and the party proceeds with an early happy hour, live big screen sports and a relaxed, friendly atmos.
Fancy living it up with some high-end champagne and cocktails? La Champagnerie du Cervin in the Hotel Punta Maquignaz has an impressive selection of champers, classic and contemporary cocktails, as well as bar nibbles to soak up all those bubbles.
Lino’s Bar is nestled at the foot of the slopes near the ice rink. It’s open until 11pm, serves delicious fresh pizzas as well as a selection of drinks and is one of the best places in the resort to belt out a few karaoke classics.
The Apres Ski Bar does exactly what it says on the tin and a little bit more. Located in the Hotel Principe delle Nevi, you can chill out on the deck with poolside cocktails and enjoy live music and cool DJ sets.
Thistles Pub at The Dragon Hotel is a traditional Brit-style boozer that’s very popular, with regular live music gigs and a sunny terrace that’s a marvellous place to mix and mingle.
Umbrella Bar is located at the bottom of the slope and it’s a compact and bijou venue that’s popular with tourists and locals alike, showcasing live music in various genres every Wednesday throughout the season.
Tasty is the place to be if gin is your favourite tipple. Located on the main street of the resort, the drinks menu features a mind-blowing 500 G&T cocktails ̶ don’t try them all in the same evening!
Ymeletrob is a chic champagne lounge adjacent to an haute cuisine restaurant. This is a great place for a pre-dinner cocktail and it transforms into a buzzing party venue in the late evening. After a few refreshments you can have fun trying to pronounce the name!
Sound Club is located just off the main street and it’s the only dedicated nightclub in town. Treat yourself to a few relaxing games of pool until your dancing feet begin to twitch, then bust a few moves on the dancefloor to funky tunes with fellow revellers. This might be the best place in Cervinia to dance like no one’s watching!
Lo Copo Pan is a bit of an institution in terms of Cervinia restaurants and you’ll find an eclectic menu here with everything from sizzling steaks and authentic pasta to oven-baked pizza, while there’s a buzzing bar upstairs that regularly hosts live music gigs.
La Chandelle in Hotel Hermitage is one of the best places to sample fine dining in Cervinia. Enjoy refined dishes here like grilled venison fillet or Mocetta salami and dreamy desserts like Mandarin Parfait, while you soak up the views of the snow-kissed forest outside.
Ristorante Alpage is the place to be if your taste buds have been yearning for a fusion of Alpine classics combined with French and Italian flavours. Think tender Polenta stuffed beef, fondues of all stripes and chocolate dishes designed to make you break your diet!
As you can see, the pubs, clubs and restaurants in Cervinia offer something for everyone, from family-friendly daytime pizza parlours to soiree hotspots where adults can let their hair down and dance the night away.
Facilities in Cervinia are fantastic, with everything you’d expect on tap to help you have the best time possible. Here’s some useful information on facilities and amenities.
Cervinia is a savvy choice for family travellers and the resort makes a sterling effort to welcome kids of all ages with open arms. Once you’ve tried this resort with your little ones once, you’ll probably want to return!
All Accommodation in Cervinia
