Traditional Resorts and Ski Villages of the Alps

Ready to hit the slopes? Grab your honey and your map; it's time for a look at some of Switzerland and Italy's small villages that are perfect not only for good prices and excellent skiing but also present couples with a cozy option for a winter vacation.

Their hospitable people are inviting winter vacationers to experience both the world-famous resorts as well as the smaller villages that have hitherto primarily been the destinations of their own skiers. American tour operators are offering ski packages at extraordinary prices this year - which always include the roundtrip airfare.

Alpine villages and hotels have designed special weekly deals for the beginning of winter and for the festive season. Whether you are a skier, snowboarder, snowshoer, or winter hiker, or if you just want to breathe the Alpine air and take in the cultural scene, you will feel invigorated and relaxed after an unforgettable winter vacation in the European Alps. While only a few Alpine winter sports villages can be mentioned here, the Alpine Tourist Commission's Web site, www.alpseurope.com, can lead you to this winter's dream vacation, with links to the detailed Web sites of the ATC member countries - Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland - and their partners.

ITALY

CORTINA
A classical Alpine resort, Cortina is a member of the "Best of the Alps" alliance (www.bestofthealps.com). Cortina d'Ampezzo is situated in the heart of the Dolomites in northeastern Italy, surrounded by the Tofana, Cristallo and Faloria mountains.

With its unspoilt natural beauty and modern facilities, Cortina is one of Italy's favorite vacation destinations. The social scene, après-ski spots, piano bars and elegant boutiques are additional reasons why winter vacationers flock to Cortina. The ever-increasing popularity of fine Italian food is adding to the resort's attraction for visitors from the United States and beyond.

Some 80 restaurants compete with each other to meet the expectations of Cortina's winter visitors and the resort's 60 hotels are part of the centuries-old tradition of hospitality.

The "Olympic Games Ski-Tour" is a new itinerary, which lets you experience all the slopes on which the 1956 Olympic Winter Games were held. The tour can be completed in 1 or 2 days. Maps for this tour are available at the ski pass office.

For more information on Cortina, please access www.cortina.dolomiti.org, or
www.bestofthealps.com; E-mail: cortina@dolomiti.org

MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO

Madonna di Campiglio is a jewel of a ski village in Trento province in Italy's Northeast. It is very popular with the young Italian in-crowd, but still waiting to be discovered by American winter vacationers.

Situated at an altitude of 1,550 m / 5,084 ft in a pristine valley between the Brenta Dolomites and the glaciers of Adamello and Presanella, Madonna di Campiglio became a tourist area in the second half of the 19th century frequented by the Austrian and Central European nobility. In 1889 and 1894, Empress Sissi and her husband, the Habsburg Emperor Franz Josef, were guests here.

A modern lift system grants access to 90 km / 56 miles of runs. Winter hiking is popular with non-skiers who want to come to Madonna to relish the ambiance of this lovely resort. In the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park 450 km / 278 miles of Alpine paths are found. Alpine huts and rifugi dot the landscape and offer splendid views of the massive peaks of the Dolomites. The distance to Milan is 220 km/ 136 miles.

For more information on Madonna di Campiglio, please visit www.campiglio.to, www.campiglio.it or www.italiantourism.com

SESTRIERE

Sestriere is located at 2,035 m / 6,675 ft in Piedmont, in Italy's Northwest near the French border. The first resort in the Alps built with winter sports in mind, it boasts a large number of vacation apartments.

Situated in the Franco-Italian "Milky Way" area, there are runs for all levels of skills, among them a number of runs more challenging than in some of the neighboring resorts. Cross-country skiers will find here a total of about 10 km / 6 miles of trails.

The first hotel was completed in Sestriere in 1921. Soon cable cars were installed and the famous Towers and large hotels built. In summer Sestriere is sought after for its 18-hole golf course, the highest in the Alps. With the ever growing popularity of winter sports, Sestriere became an important ski resorts in the space of a few years. The resort's importance is certain to grow even more in the near future last but not least because the nearby city of Turin will host the Olympic Winter Games in 2006.

For more information on Sestriere, please access www.sestriere.it

CERVINIA

Cervinia, a sought-after ski resort in the Aosta Valley, is situated at the foot of Monte Cervino, as the Matterhorn is called in Italy. The original centuries-old climbing village is Breuil. Cervinia is also known by the double name, Breuil-Cervinia. The altitude range of this resort is 1525 m / 5,000 ft to 3,480 m / 11,420 ft.

Cervinia boasts miles of sunny, gentle and snow-sure runs. It is one of the largest ski areas of this kind in the Alps, making it popular with intermediate skiers. Border crossing into Switzerland is easily accomplished since there is a lift linking Cervinia with Zermatt. There are also many easy slopes, ideal for snowboarding beginners. Lifts whisk you to the Plan Maison at 2555 m / 8,380 ft, where a gondola and huge tram take you to the Plateau Rosa, situated at 3,480 m / 11,420 ft. It is here that you will find the link with Zermatt in Switzerland.

For more information on Italy, please visit www.italiantourism.com

SWITZERLAND

ZERMATT

Switzerland is a classical land for downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing and Zermatt is one of the country's most famous resorts, where all these activities can be enjoyed against the backdrop of fantastic scenery.

It is therefore not surprising that Zermatt is one of the "Best of the Alps" resorts, www.bestofthealps.com This pristine and car-free resort features original Alpine ambiance. Fondue restaurants, log fires and mulled wine are part of this winter paradise at the foot of the Matterhorn, probably the most photographed mountain in the world.

The latest trends such as carving, freeriding and halfpiping are de rigeur here. And there are sizzling snow parties where you will rub shoulders with locals and visitors from around the globe. All of the Alps' highest peaks can be seen from the village or from the viewpoints which are reached by a wonderful system of mountain railroads and cable cars.

For more on this region, see www.zermatt.ch

GRINDELWALD

This resort in the Bernese Oberland is presided over by the magical peaks of the Eiger, Moench & Jungfrau. With such a beautiful backdrop, skiing and snowboarding, winter hiking, sledging and tobogganing produce a "natural high". Grindelwald is a member of the "Best of the Alps", www.bestofthealps.com, the exclusive organisation of Alpine resorts. The Swiss capital city, Bern, is only 70 km / 43 miles away.

For more information on Grindelwald and its hotels, please access www.grindelwald.ch

VERBIER

Verbier, in the Canton of Valais, is the principal resort of the Four Valley region, one of the largest ski regions in Europe. More than 100 ski lifts service the ski area, which boasts 200 miles of slopes. This paradise for winter fun is located at nearly 1,500 m / 4,920 ft above sea level. The highest point is 10,922 ft and the vertical drop 5,850 ft. There are 40 miles of cross-country trails.

Verbier is about 80 miles from Zermatt / Matterhorn. The distance to Geneva, the gateway, is 90 miles (2 1/2 hours). Verbier has preserved its rustic charm. Its lovely chalets blend harmoniously with the Alpine surroundings. Skiers enjoy meeting people from all over the world for après-ski in the relaxed atmosphere of the resort's ten pubs.

Verbier provides single-ticket access to the Four Valleys, their 410 km / 253 miles of runs and 100 lift installations. This high-altitude ski region culminates at the top of the Mont Fort Glacier at 3,330 m / 10,922 ft, from where skiers have a breathtaking view of all the main peaks in the Alps.