Bormio,
Italy
If
you like cobbled medieval Italian towns and don't mind a
lack of Alpine resort atmosphere, you'll find the center
of Bormio very appealing - though you're unlikely to be
staying there. The slopes, too, suit a rather specific and
perhaps rather
uncommon breed of visitor: you need to enjoy red runs and
very little else, but you need to be happy with a limited
range of them - unless, that is, you're prepared to take
the free bus out to the Val di Dentro-San Colombano area
or make longer outings, to Santa Caterina or (further
still) Livigno.
Bormio
attracts some boarders, but it has no special appeal. The
slopes are too steep to make first-time boarding
enjoyable, and apart from some good long carving runs,
there's little to attract experienced boarders either: no
park or pipe; limited off-piste potential, little
enthusiasm from the ski schools to teach boarding; and a
mainly skier orientation on the slopes. At least the main
area's lifts are mostly chairs, gondolas or cable-cars -
though there are some drags. Nightlife is sedate and
really gets going only at the weekend.
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What's
Great
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What's
Not-So-Great
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+
Good mix of high, snowsure pistes and woodland runs
with artificial snow, giving some excellent long
runs when conditions are right
+
Worthwhile neighbouring resorts on the Valtellina
lift pass
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Attractive medieval town centre - quite unlike any
other winter resort
+
Good mountain restaurants
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Slopes all of medium steepness
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Rather confined main mountain, with second area some
way distant
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Many slow lifts on the mountain, despite modern
access lifts
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Long airport transfers - Crowds and queues on
Sundays
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Central hotels inconvenient for the lifts and slopes
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Learn
more about Bormio
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