Luxury Ski Chalets in Cervinia Ski Paradise, Italy
The Italians call the Matterhorn Monte Cervino, and the mountain they see is a different one: broader, sunnier, and rising above a high plateau rather than a narrow valley. This is the Cervinia Ski Paradise, the Italian half of a ski area that crosses the border at the Theodul Pass, and it makes for a noticeably different holiday from the Swiss side. Wider pistes, longer lunches, more sun, and skiing that flatters rather than intimidates.
The Resorts of the Cervinia Ski Paradise
This page covers the Italian side; for the Swiss side and Zermatt, see our luxury chalets in the Matterhorn Ski Paradise.
The skiing here rises from the Valtournenche valley in the Aosta Valley region, with Breuil Cervinia at its head. At 2,050m it is one of the highest resorts in Europe, which is the reason for its snow record and its long season. The village of Valtournenche sits lower down the same valley and is the quieter, more traditional end of the area, and a handful of smaller settlements around Torgnon, Chamois, La Magdeleine and Antey complete the ski district. Our properties are in Breuil Cervinia, and our Cervinia resort guide covers the village in detail.
Skiing the Italian Side of the Matterhorn
Around 365km of runs across three valleys and two countries, served by 53 lifts and rising from 1,524m to 3,883m at the top of the Swiss side. What the Italian side does best is generous, sunlit, high altitude cruising: the Ventina run drops some 11km from Plateau Rosa back to the village, and there are few better introductions to long distance skiing anywhere in the Alps. Beginners and intermediates are exceptionally well served, which is not something you can say of every area with this much altitude.
Two things set the region apart for stronger skiers. The first is the crossing to Zermatt, an easy morning's skiing on the international pass and one of the great days out in the Alps. The second is heli skiing, which the Aosta Valley permits and France does not, and which our Ski Specialists can arrange alongside your stay.
Getting There
Turin and Milan are both around two hours, with Geneva roughly two and a half through the Mont Blanc tunnel. That makes the Italian side considerably easier to reach from a UK flight than most of the high Alps, and the drive up the Valtournenche valley is a pleasant one. Our Ski Specialists will arrange the transfer.
Your Questions Answered
What is the Cervinia Ski Paradise?
It is the Italian side of the ski area beneath the Matterhorn, covering the Valtournenche valley and linking over the Theodul Pass to Zermatt in Switzerland. Around 365km of piste in total, on one international lift pass. The Swiss side is marketed as the Matterhorn Ski Paradise, which is why you will see both names for what is broadly the same skiing.
Can I ski from Italy into Switzerland?
Yes, over the Theodul Pass, and it is the reason many people come. You need the international lift pass rather than the Italian only one, and you need to keep an eye on the time and the weather for the return, since a lift closure at the top means a long road journey home. Ask your chalet team or our specialists on the day.
Is the Italian side good for beginners and families?
Very. The pistes are wide, sunny and predominantly gentle, the altitude means reliable snow without the severity that usually comes with it, and the atmosphere is relaxed. It is one of the better places in the Alps to put a mixed ability family on one mountain and have everybody enjoy the day.
Can you ski here in summer?
Yes. Summer skiing continues on the Plateau Rosa glacier above the resort, one of very few places in Europe where that is possible, though the terrain available is limited and it is used mostly by race teams in training.
