The World's Nicest Hotel has a Baby

Every year since 2006 we have argued that the best skiing in Europe can be found in the Dolomites. The posts can be found here and here’s a summary of why we have never felt the need to go anywhere else:

·      One ski pass = 1,200 kilometers of trails, 510 lifts across 12 valleys encompassing 3 regions of Italy. That’s the equivalent of skiing from New York to Chicago in an area so special it has been declared a World Heritage Site

·      Dramatic scenery and delightful villages that offer the very best of Austrian and Italian traditions and culture

·      An almost infinite number of mountain huts and restaurants with exceptionally wonderful food and drink at attractive prices

And now there’s another reason: The Berghotel Ladinia. This small, charming 3-star hotel has been recently taken over by the Costa family who own and run the fabulous Hotel La Perla next door. (Our recent post about La Perla can be found here).

 Ladinia was always a great little hotel with its perfect ski-on, ski-off position and chalet coziness but now with the Costa’s imprimatur, it has been taken to a whole new level of specialness. It’s bijou but everything reflects the family’s passion for quality - from the décor, to the staff, to the food and drink. For the price, you will not find better value. And if you wish, for an additional charge, you can use the spa facilities at Hotel La Perla that my ski buddies describe as lovely and very restorative.

So another year and No Crowds skiing advice holds firm. If you want to impress someone, go to Zermatt but if you want to ski more, eat better and spend less, head for Corvara where the world’s nicest hotel and its new berghotel baby await you.

Photo Credit: Gary Ransom

Skiing the Dolomites - From New York to Chicago on a Single Ticket

Every year since 2006, we have sung the praises of skiing in the Dolomites.

To summarize our posts from the last 8 seasons:

• One ski pass gives you access to 1,200 kilometers of trails, 510 lifts across 12 valleys encompassing three regions of Italy with infinite options for skiers of all abilities 

• Spectacular alpine scenery and charming villages that offer the best of Austria and Italian tradition and culture (designated a UNESCO natural world heritage site in 2009)

• An almost infinite number of mountain restaurants with exceptionally good food and drink at attractive prices (including Michelin-starred British chef Hywel Jones contributing to the 2013 ‘Taste of Skiing’ promotion at the Piz Arlara hut)

All those elements were present this year and we found a neat, new three-star, ski-in, ski-out hotel – the Hotel Arlara in Corvara - that was better and less expensive than where we have stayed in the past. It is steps from the Arlara chair lift, serves good food, has some nice amenities like a large pool and a sauna. The staff are young, good natured and helpful. Now if they only get their Wi-Fi working properly (it’s terrible and they admit it), freshen up some of the decor in the rooms and make the dinnertime a little bit more flexible, it would be just about perfect. In any event, it represents excellent value.

The bottom line on the Dolomites, and I say this as a die-hard fan of Austria, is that it does many things better than the big boys in France, Switzerland and Austria. It’s bigger in terms of skiable terrain but more intimate in feeling. It has no crowds, no lines, exceptional mountain dining and it is generally less expensive. OK, it’s not as high as some other resorts, not big on nightlife and not easy to get to. Still, if you would like to ski the equivalent distance of New York to Chicago on one lift ticket, be dazzled by some of the loveliest mountain scenery in the world and eat the best food ever, No Crowds advice holds firm; head to the Dolomites.

 Photo Credit: Patrick Beal - the view from his room at the Hotel Arlara

You Can't Go Home

"You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time…"

Thomas Wolfe

“You can’t go back to Parkhotel Planac.”

No Crowds

Every year since 2005, we have skied in a wonderful, undiscovered region of the Dolomites called the Alta Badia. The advantages are many. It is a massive area of dramatic scenery, easy skiing, few lines, excellent food and comparatively low prices. For most of those years, we stayed at a brilliantly positioned hotel on the slopes outside the town of Corvara called the Parkhotel Planac. A comfortable 3 star with good food and charming staff, we were happy as clams and if you care, you can read about those halcyon days here.

But how it pains me to write the next sentence. Reader, they sold it. Yes, our hotel was sold and is under new management. All the things that made the place convenient and charming – the shuttle bus into town – gone. The gala dinner where the chef paraded something on fire around the dining room – gone. The carnival party (even during Lent) when we danced the night away with Chez Guevara and Scooby Doo – gone. What is left is a rather soulless place, desperately in need of renovation.

In fairness, the new staff tried to make us happy, the food was still pretty good, the rooms were clean and the position on the slope still fantastic. But now that the shuttle bus has been axed, you really need to bring a car if you are going to stay at Planac. As far as No Crowds is concerned, this was our last year.

As for Corvara, we still love it – for all the reasons we written about over the years. So we are searching for a new ski-on, ski-off 3* hotel in the Alta Badia filled with good food and good cheer..If you know of one, please do get in touch.

Photo Credit: Dubai Gary

Eureka, Verona!

Before leaving the subject of skiing in the Dolomites for another season, a word about getting there.

We have tried it all. We have flown into Venice, Bergamo, Bologna and this year - Verona. From these jumping off points, we have rented cars, taken taxis and taken combinations of trains and taxis.  If you want the bottom line after 7 years of trial and error of getting to Alta Badia from London, Verona is by far the best access point.

Its got an excellent airport that is big enough to have services but small enough to be efficient. The city is fantastic if you want to spend some time (more on that later). There are frequent, inexpensive train connections to Bolzano from which you can get a moderately priced, comfortable cab to the resort. (We’ve decided to leave the business of driving mountain passes in winter in all kinds of weather to the locals.)

A good local taxi company is Pescosta Alfredo, Taxi-Bus Alta Badia Tel: 0471 836393.

If you are interested in how Verona compares to other things we tried, here is a summary:

Venice – Good airport, great city but don’t go during Carnival and getting all your ski luggage on and off boats is not ideal. From there, it’s best to rent a car or use an expensive taxi service. Train connections not great.

Bergamo – Serviced by Ryanair. As they say, there is a sucker born every minute,  but we’ve had enough abuse and will not fly them again so bye bye Bergamo.

Bologna – Good airport. Nice city but longish train ride to Bolzano.

If you do decide to spend some time in Verona, here are some recommendations:

We loved the Hotel Accademia, a lovely well run hotel in the best possible location.

You won’t regret eating at any of these 3 restaurants that offer wonderful food and good experiences with excellent value:

1)   Antico Tripoli, Via Spagna 2 Tel: 045 8035756

2)   Hosteria La Vecchia Fontanina, P.tta Chiavica 5 Tel: 045 591159

3)   Al Pompiere, Vicolo Regina d’Ungheria 5, Tel: 045 8030537

Buy a Verona Card (1/3 days Eur 8/12), it pays for itself almost immediately.

Go inside Juliette’s house (as in Romeo & Juliette) even though 1) she never existed, 2) it is chaos outside and 3) looks cheesy. Inside is atmospheric and very nice. 

Photo: Holy Water Font (1495) from the Church of St. Anastasia, Verona

A Ski Resort Where No Man is Left Behind

If you have been skiing since before you can remember, if you like your slopes challenging and extreme, if you catch the first lift in the morning and ski through lunch and meet your less capable friends for dinner – read no further.  This story is not for you.

Instead, this is a tale for all the unheralded fans of the great alpine sport who have been toiling away in ski schools and on beginner slopes while your friends  have been wizzing around fabulous resorts telling you all about how great it was over dinner. Yes, you who have taken up a difficult sport at a late age. You, who no matter how cold, tired and frustrated you are, come back year after year for more. You deserve better and guess what? It doesn’t have to be painful or boring, uncomfortable or ungastronomic. You can ski in one of six Italian towns in the Alta Badia in the Dolomites: Corvara, Colfosco, San Cassiano, La Villa, Badia and La Val with the best being, in my view, Corvara.

I have written about Corvara before – in 2008 2007 and 2006 – and if you need information about hotels, restaurants and transportation, check out these posts as not much has changed since then. That’s part of the charm of the place. The region still offers massive intermediate terrain – 460 lifts connecting 1,220 kilometers of pistes across three regions of Italy – with few lines, good food, good accommodations and good value. After all this time, we even figured out a better and cheaper way to get there which involved a flight into Verona, then a train to Bolzano and a taxi to Corvara.

But what struck me this year was how perfect this resort is for a group of skiers of mixed ability, in particular for those skiers who often get left behind. In our group, we had everything from rank beginners, to gung-ho fanatics. There were skiers returning after twenty years, skiers returning after surgery, someone who first learned to ski in Morocco and mostly people who learned to ski as adults. In many ski resorts, most of the members of a group like ours would have been confined to a boring, small part of the mountain. But not in Corvara and the other towns of the Alta Badia. In this alpine arcadia, almost anywhere you would want to go can be accessed via a blue run.

And I offer as evidence the expedition we made together to the Church of Santa Croce; a day-long ski tour that offers some of the best natural beauty and gastronomy in the Dolomites. Our group set off in the morning, happily making our way from hamlet to hamlet via lifts with views and along easy to moderate slopes until we eventually reached Pedraces and the lifts that took us up to the Church of Santa Croce and its fabulous panorama.

After our visit to the sanctuary, we skied down to a man with a horse and old fashioned carriage who took us to a hut (Trattoria Oies 0039 471839671) filled with teddy bears, witches and the hardest partying Italians I have ever seen on a ski slope, where we had an amazing lunch of local specialties with lots of wine. After lunch, those who were tired took a taxi home, those who were not skied.

And here’s my point. Everyone in our group, regardless of ability, had the chance  to ski from village to village. Everyone could particpate in a real ski tour. No one was left behind or excluded. It was for all a perfect day.

So the next time you go skiing with someone who says, “I’ll meet you for dinner” tell them “No way. We’re going to Corvara where, like Black Hawk Down, they leave no man behind.

Photo Credit: Gary Ransom

The Great Speck Hunt

On the taxi ride from Bolzano to the ski resort of Corvara in Alta Adige region of Italy (formerly the Sued-Tyrol of Austria), we asked our local driver where we could find the best speck. Speck, which confusingly means “bacon” in German but comes from the same part of the pig as ham, is cured in a way that is absolutely unique to the region combining the salting methods of the Mediterranean with the smoking techniques of northern Europe.

The driver thought for a moment and suggested we try the local butcher. That was the answer we expected. Of course, no self-respecting local gives out the name of his favourite mountain farmer who still makes genuine speck according to a year long process of brining, smoking and ageing but we were not interested in buying any old speck made quickly and artificially from any old butcher. Never mind, we thought, we have seven days to find the real deal. Let the Great Speck Hunt begin!

As a specialty of the Alta Adige/Sued Tyrol region, traditional speck dates back to the days when isolated mountain farmers would slaughter pigs in the autumn so that there would be plenty of meat for the winter when they were snowed into their houses. The old method took enormous patience and involved salting the meat for roughly two months in aromatic brine containing juniper and other secret family ingredients and then cold smoking and hanging the meat for another five to six months in the fresh mountain air.

Many years ago, when we lived in Austria, we had our first taste of traditional speck which was the beginning of a life long obsession. Speck has a smooth, light and elegant taste, unlike any other cured meat, which is a rich addition to soups, pasta, vegetables and seafood but our favourite way to eat speck is either in a dumpling (Speckknoedel) or simply sliced thin and eaten with good rye bread. Speck works wonderfully with red wine and the locals will tell you that it is impossible to get drunk if you eat speck while you are drinking. Sadly, this has never been our experience.

Regardless, every time we visit Austria or the Alta Adige, we dedicate our self to the task of finding and acquiring good traditional speck. This year, our strategy was to ask the chef at our hotel, Parkhotel Planac. Having danced the night away with him last year during Carnivale, we hoped we had enough of a relationship that he would cut us in on some special speck action. At first, he hoped we would be happy with the product being served in the hotel’s dining room. As speck goes, it was fine, but not the speck we were seeking. “The hotel’s speck is good but we’re after special speck, you know the one that is still made slowly and carefully by mountain farmers.” His eyes lit up. He knew we knew. “OK, he said, I’ll see what I can do.”

A few days later, our speck-trafficker was back with good news. A 7.5 kilo side of Bauernspeck (farmer’s speck) with its own certificate providing the name of the farmer, the farm and the region had been found. The certificate went on to say that our speck was from a specially selected, naturally reared pig with an optimal proportion of fat that was particularly valuable because it was produced in such small quantities. Eureka! More good news was to follow. This extremely handsome and noble piece of meat was very correctly priced, costing only €4 more per kilo than the stuff they were selling in town (we checked). We were thrilled, the Chef was proud and the speck was magnificent.

Epilogue

Back in London, we tasted this year’s speck and can report that it is absolutely superb, one of the best we’ve found. Thanks to the Chef at Hotel Planac, we now are aware of the organisation which certifies the producers who rigorously follow the artisanal methods of production. Using the organisation’s website, we can now buy speck with assurance of its quality without having to dance the night away with a chef. In a way, we’re sad about that, but we are still in pursuit of that elusive farmer who continues to makes speck at home in his Raeuchkuchl who will take pity on our speck-obsession and let us have a piece of the top secret, not-for-sale piece he is saving for his family. Let the Great Speck Hunt continue.

CONSORTIUMSÜDTIROLER - SPECK - ALTO ADIGE
Rittnerstrasse 33/AI - 39100 Bozen
Tel. 0471 300381
Fax 0471 302091
E-Mail: info@speck.org

If you live in an European Union country and would like to purchase traditional certified bauernspeck over the internet, click here, but be aware that the website is only in German and Italian.

Photo courtesy of the Alta Adige Speck website

Corvara 2008

Waiting in the only lift line we saw the entire week, one of our favourite ski buddies took us to task. “Just look at this. There was no line last year. Stop writing about Corvara!”

Well, another year has gone by and another group of skiers is furiously lobbying NoCrowds to keep quiet about the most undervalued ski resort in Europe. Our view is that ski resorts get the customers they deserve and this unpretentious place deserves a higher profile amongst those who go to the mountains to ski and who love skiing more than hanging out with celebrities and being seen at fashionable “après-ski” venues. The families in Corvara work hard for our business, offer a great product, deliver good value for money and we’re on their side. As in years past, we make the case that if you want to impress your friends, go to Zurs or Zermatt but if you want to enjoy yourself more, spend less and get away from the hoi polloi, head for Corvara in the Alta Badia.

Actually, despite our singing Corvara’s praises for the last three years, we’re happy to report that not much has changed. The town of Corvara remains unspoiled by either McDonalds on the one hand or too many chi-chi boutiques on the other. Our favourite three star hotel, Parkhotel Planac, has the same charming and efficient staff as last year. The Dolomiti Superski region still offers the largest skiable terrain in Europe with 460 lifts connecting 1,220 kilometers of pistes across three regions of Italy, which is roughly the distance from New York to Chicago. The culture and cuisine, in which the locals take enormous pride, are an appealing mix of Ladin, Austrian and Italian influences. If you are interested in the region, no one is too busy to stop and tell you all about it.

One of the things that save Corvara from the destructive forces of intensive tourism is the fact that getting to the resort is not easy. Over the years, we have tried lots of permutations. We have flown into Bergamo and Venice and have rented cars and taken taxis, but we’re happiest with this year’s solution which entailed a late Friday flight into Bologna, spending the night there and taking a train the next morning to Bolzano where a taxi then took us to Corvara.

By leaving Friday night, we avoided the Saturday morning skiers scrum from London’s airports. By flying into Bologna, a convenient regional airport not particularly near the mountains, we avoided the high fares typically charged for skiing destinations in February. Our overnight in Bologna was a bargain as well. The train ride from Bologna to Bolzano is a snap once you are aware that Bologna has not one, but three Track 4s. (We missed the fast train getting up that learning curve as we madly ran around the station with all our ski gear.) The taxi from Bolzano, which takes you over the Passo Gardena/Groednerjoch, is the perfect introduction to the Dolomites’ dramatic scenery. With train and taxi, our transfer to Corvara ended up costing €65 per person which is about the best we’ve ever done.

In addition to finding a better way to get to the resort, we also added some new mountain restaurants to our growing list of favourites. Moritzino’s at the top of the Piz la Ila lift, the Armentarola Hotel at the bottom of the run into Armentarola and Trattoria Ladina Oies (the famous Teddy Bear restaurant) off the first chairlift out of Pedraces are still excellent but we also thought the Mathiaskeller Restaurant at the top of the second Colfosco chairlift and the Hotel Boe, on the Passo Campolongo half way between Corvara and Arraba were great finds offering good food at good prices with no crowds.

Just so we do not seem to be working for the local tourist board, we will mention that prices seem to be rising in Corvara, particularly for lift tickets and equipment rentals. A quick price comparison with lift tickets in Lech/Zurs for the same week showed that the Dolomites are catching up quickly to the big boys in France and Austria. Ditto for our equipment rental. That was not the case with food and accommodation which still seem reasonable by comparison.

Despite the whinge about rising prices, we absolutely love Corvara. For anyone hoping to ski in Europe far from the maddening crowds, we know of no better place.

Photo Credit: Freddy Planinschek

Useful Addresses

For taxi service to and from Corvara

Taxi Badia
Tel: 335 7373981
Cell: 0471 838080
info@taxibadia.it

Pescosta Alfredo
Tel 0471 836393
Cell 347 261 5525

Parkhotel Planac
Via Planac, 13
I-39033 Corvara in Badia
Tel: 39 0471 83 62 10
Fax: 39 0471 83 65 98
info@planac.com
http://www.planac.com/

Moritzino’s Ristorante Gourmet
Piz La Ila
Tel 0471 847407 – 847403
Fax 0471 847395
Cell 335 600 94 56
http://www.moritzino.it/

Hotel Armentarola
I-39030 San Cassiano
Tel: 0471 84 95 22
Fax: 0471 84 93 89
info@armentarola.com

Trattoria Ladina-Oies
Pedraces
Tel: 0471 839671

Rifugio Passo Incisa
32020 Arabba
Tel and fax 0436 79313

Mathiaskeller Restaurant
Colfosco
Tel: 0471 836754

Hotel Boe Restaurant
Passo Campolongo 19
Tel: 0436 79144

And We Won't Mention Corvara

Last year at this time, I put my relationship with my brother-in-law on the line by writing about Corvara, an unheralded gem of a ski resort located in the Alta Badia region of the Dolomites in Italy which he wants to keep all to himself. This year, I invited a posse of “Alpha” skiers from the US and Europe to stress- test that overused phrase, “this is the best kept secret in the Alps”. A risky business considering that this season, European resorts have experienced some of the worst conditions on record. But I am happy to report that we had plenty of snow, conditions were excellent, we skied, ate and drank ourselves silly and now I run the risk of alienating not only my family but most of my best ski buddies by writing about Corvara.

Getting my Corvara converts to join me this year was no easy matter. The Dolomites have never commanded the international attention of skiing cognoscenti and there were some in our group who felt the terrain would be too easy, some who could not understand why we weren’t going to Cortina and a mild climate of disbelief that a resort no one had ever heard of could deliver a world class ski experience. To make matters worse, we were going to an untested hotel that, although ideally situated on a run next to a ski lift, was 1.5 kilometres out of town. If we didn’t like the place, we were isolated and stuck. My worries were endless. What if there was no snow? What if we don’t like the hotel? What if my love affair with Corvara and the Dolomites was not contagious? How do you get into a witness protection program?

Things got off to a bumpy start. The Cortina die-hards turned a 2 hour drive from Treviso into a 5 hour marathon, which included several turns around the Cortina one way system, a few stops at local establishments to recuperate, and several wrong attempts at finding the right mountain pass. Well, I did much worse than that three years ago having directed my family to the wrong Corvara (be forewarned, there are two) on the other side of the Dolomites which turned a three hour journey into eight. Even if your marriage can endure these drives, I would encourage you, if you are renting a car and driving to Corvara from any of the gateway airports (Venice, Treviso, Verona, Brescia, Milan or Bergamo), to get yourself a good map. Otherwise, you can order a taxi (roughly €700 round trip for 5 people) to take you to and from the airport. If you can get a flight to Bolzano, the taxi ride is shorter and cheaper. But the bottom line remains that transport to Corvara ain't easy. The assumption is that you are an Italian or German family, you speak the languages and know the roads. In the end of the day, it is probably what saves the place.

As for the skiing, my Alpha skiers were more than sold. When we arrived there was not a lot of snow and some of it was man-made, but what was there was superbly maintained. Overall, conditions were good and at higher elevations, excellent. Forty eight hours into our adventure, it snowed 6 to 8 inches, turned cold and the sun came out. Perfect. With 1,220 kilometres of prepared slopes and 460 lifts to choose from, we skied with abandon and without a lift line in sight.

As good as the skiing was, ultimately it was the drama and majesty of the Dolomites which won the hearts and minds of my friends. Even good photographs rarely do these mountains justice. “I just can’t believe how beautiful this is” was the constant refrain. Two highlights of the week were the ski tour to the Sanctuary of Santa Croce, with a church begun in 1485 by Archbishop “Konrad” of Bressanone with a good restaurant and the Lagazuoi Ski Tour which includes eerie views of World War I trenches set in cliffs almost 3,000 metres above sea level, an 8 kilometre run which descends Mount Lagazuoi (1,130 vertical metres) and a rope tow pulled by draft horses which transports skiers across the valley.

This is skiing about as far away from the maddening crowds as you can get. It has history, phenomenal natural beauty, and no crowds. This is my idea of alpine heaven. And if it is testosterone runs you are looking for, head over to Arraba where you can meet up with the snow boarders for more thrilling slopes. If it is three hour gourmet dining sandwiched between a little skiing and sunbathing that turns you on, try either the terrace restaurant Moritzino at Piz La Ila (the best mountain restaurant I’ve ever eaten at) or the terrace of the Armantarola Hotel near San Cassiano. For an inexpensive but good lunch in an out-of-the-way location, head for the Rifugio Passo Incisa in Arabba.

And what about our hotel? We loved it. The Parkhotel Planac is comfortable, well appointed, well run, fantastically situated and good value. The owner and staff deliver that hard to find combination of being “laid back” and “on top of their game” all at the same time. We were a large and noisy bunch but this fazed Planac not a bit. When we were making too much of a ruckus for our elderly German neighbours at dinner, they were discretely and happily moved to quieter quarters. Throughout our stay, requests were dealt with quickly and with charm. We paid €109 per person for a standard room with breakfast and dinner. Deluxe rooms are also available for €20 more per person per day and if that is in your budget the rooms are beautiful and more than worth it. We ran a pre-dinner bar for the group out of one of the deluxe rooms, Club 111, which saved us a ton of money on our bar bill and it was very “gemuetlich”.

T he food at Planac is classic Sud Tyrolese fare which combines elements of both the Austrian and Italian kitchen. Meals were well prepared, there was plenty of choice and portions were generous. Our waiters were professional but fun. The Welllness centre is run by a delightful and enthusiastic young woman who will massage, exfoliate and beautify you to your heart’s content. The sauna and whirlpool are included in the price of the room. There is a free shuttle service which takes you into town in the morning and afternoons. During the middle of the day, a trip to town is €5 for the journey for a group. Internet and wifi access are available.

If you happen to be at Planac in February for Carnival, get ready for the party of your life. We were all given “behaviour transforming” hats and wigs by hotel staff who were dressed as monks, Chez Guevara, angels, transvestites and more. With the help of a good live band, we danced the night away. My nine year old daughter Eloise was shocked at our behaviour. We were shocked at hers! The next morning, the entire kitchen staff complimented us on our party skills. I can’t remember when I have had more fun and that pretty much sums up our week in the Dolomites.

The bottom line is this. Corvara really is the best kept secret in the Alps. If you want a resort that will impress your friends, go to Lech or Zurs or Zermatt. If you want to pay less, wait less and enjoy yourself more, get a map and head for Corvara. Just be sure not to mention it.

Useful Addresses

For taxi service to and from Corvara
Pescosta Alfredo
Tel 0471 836393
Cell 347 261 5525

Parkhotel Planac
Via Planac, 13
I-39033 Corvara in Badia
Tel: 39 0471 83 62 10
Fax: 39 0471 83 65 98
info@planac.com
http://www.planac.com/

Moritzino’s Ristorante Gourmet
Piz La Ila
Tel 0471 847407 – 847403
Fax 0471 847395
Cell 335 600 94 56
http://www.moritzino.it/

Hotel Armentarola
I-39030 San Cassiano
Tel: 0471 84 95 22
Fax: 0471 84 93 89
info@armentarola.com

Rifugio Passo Incisa
32020 Arabba
Tel and fax 0436 79313

Photo courtesy of the Alta Badia Tourist Board website www.altabadia.org

We're Off to the Slopes - Snow or No Snow

All this week, I have been asked, "So, you're going skiing. Is there any snow?"

Well, I have no idea. This nice picture is from last year when there was plenty and in the immortal words of Rhett Butler, frankly, I don't give a damn since everything is paid for and non-refundable . I haven't checked. We'll find our fun as we find it.

I'll be back at my PC on February 19th and with luck I will not be writing about how to enjoy a winter holiday with no winter. Until then.

Do Not Write About Corvara

My brother-in-law, David, does not want me to tell you this. There is a delightful place to ski in Italy with short lift lines, massive ski-able terrain and spectacular scenery. David, who is rightfully worried about being able to get a room at his favourite, small, family-run hotel, also does not want me to tell you that this gem of a resort costs a lot less than what you would pay for the Big Names in France, Austria and Switzerland. If you are looking for a fine place for a family ski holiday that is virtually unknown to English speaking tour operators, look no further than Corvara in the Alta Badia region of the Dolomites. Just don’t tell David I told you.

The first thing you should know about Corvara is that it has gobsmacking metrics. As part of the Dolomiti Superski region, the area boasts 1,220 kilometres of prepared pistes, 460 lifts and 30 pretty good mountain restaurants (more on the best ones later). There is an amazing ski circuit around the Sella massif pictured above (the Sellaronda) which you can do in a day that takes you over four mountain passes covering 36 kilometres of trails and lifts.

If this sounds like an overwhelming juggernaut, here’s the best part of all. It isn’t. In fact, all the towns which make up the Alta Badia which include Corvara, Colfosco, La Villa, San Cassiano, Pedraces and La Val, are small, charming and intimate. The look is Austrian alpine, the feel is carefree Italian.

Getting There

A bit tricky, this one. There are tons of airports you can fly into such as Bolzano, Bergamo, Venice, Verona, Treviso or Innsbruck but not tons of options for cost effective transfers to Alta Badia. Basically, you can rent a car or take a taxi. Both options are expensive unless you fly into Bolzano (which is the closest airport). This year, I spotted a transfer service provided by Dolomiti Stars at Venice’s Marco Polo Airport which will bus you directly from the airport to Arraba (the town next to Corvara), for €18 round trip. We may well try this out next year, having just spent €120 per person on taxis to and from Venice, which well exceeded the cost of our flight.

Of all the options, my favourite is to fly into Venice and spend a night either on the way in or out at the wonderful Pensione La Calcina. Danish acquaintance of ours, who have been going to Corvara for 25 years, cleverly take a taxi to Marco Polo Airport following a week of skiing, drop off their ski luggage and then make their way into Venice for Carnival with an overnight bag to return for their flight home the next day.

Accomodations

If you are looking for places to stay in Corvara, I have three recommendations in various price ranges. At the top end, try the Hotel la Perla. Run by the Costa family, this is a seriously smart, beautifully run luxury hotel set directly on the piste a few feet from the Col Alto lift. There is a one star Michelin restaurant, every kind of upscale amenity and even a motorcycle museum which my open road friend, Patrick, says is seriously good. I should tell you now that I do not stay there. Too many children, too little budget, but when I win the lottery, I will. A standard room with half board during high season will run you €226 per person per night.

Also four stars, and near the slopes but less expensive is the Posta Zirm Hotel. The hotel has been run by the Kostner family since 1908 and while I have not stayed there, I was impressed by the beautifully appointed reception areas and the helpful staff. A standard room with half board during high season is €153 per person per night.

Now, here’s the tip that may cost me my relationship with my brother-in-law. We stay at the very small, very charming and very good value Hotel Ladinia. Run by the welcoming Albertini family, this alpine retreat which is informal, cosy and close to the slopes charges €87 per person per night. The meals are hearty and delicious. The relaxed atmosphere is wonderful for families.

Eating Out

For lunch, we ate most of out meals on the mountain and most of the mountain restaurants are pretty good. Out favourite was the one on top of the Col Alto lift. Get there by 12:30 to insure a table.

My hot tip for anyone with small children or anyone, for that matter, is the Trattoria Ladinia – Oies which you can reach on the ski tour to San Croce.

There are several reasons to make the effort to visit this establishment. First, it is located on one of the loveliest ski tours in the area. Even beginning skiers can do the Santa Croce tour. The slopes are wide and easy and the scenery is just gorgeous. Second, you reach this place via a horse and carriage driven by a grouchy old mountain man who looks like a dead ringer for Heidi’s grandfather and thirdly, the place is filled, and I mean filled, with Teddy Bears. They’re everywhere. It’s amazing. Our eight year old thought she had died and gone to heaven. Finally, the food is good and the price is right. There is a lovely terrace to eat on if the weather is fine although the bear action is all inside.

You reach the Teddy Bear Restaurant by taking the first chairlift out of Pedraques. On getting off, ski down the left hand side of the piste. About half way down, look for a wooden sign which says “Oies” and the old man with the horse and carriage. Take your skis off and leave them at the sign. Hop in with Grandpa who will escort you to the restaurant.

Another hot tip is to check out the Go Go Girls at the L’Apres Ski behind the La Perla Hotel on Thursday night. Everyone is there. The atmosphere convivial and the girls, who dance on the bar in the neatest pair of white boots I have ever seen, are gorgeous. My daughter, who thought it was the highlight of her trip, has new career aspirations.

So there you have it, the perfect NoCrowds ski region: massive intermediate terrain, few lines, good accommodations and good value. Just don’t tell anyone how you found out about it.

Hotel La Perla
Strada Col Alt 105
39033 Corvara
Tel: 00 39 0471 831 000
Fax 0039 0471 836 568
laperla@altabadia.it
http://www.romatiklaperla.it/

Posta Zirm Hotel
Strada Col Alt, 95
39033 Corvara
Tel: 00 39 0471 836175
info@postazirm.com
http://www.postazirm.com/

Hotel Ladinia
Strada Pedecorvara, 1039033
Corvara Alta Badia-Dolomiti
Tel. 00 39/0471/836010Fax 00 39/0471/836629
info@albergoladinia.it
http://www.albergoladiia.it/

Trattoria Ladinia-Oies
(Teddy Bear Restaurant)
Tel: 0471 839671
Fax:0471 839921

L’MURIN (L’Apres Ski)
Srada Col Alto 105
Tel: 0471 831000
Open daily from 3:30 to 8:00
Go Go girls on Thursdays

Photo courtesy of the Dolomiti Superski website

NoCrowds Goes Skiing Italian Style

We're off to Venice tomorrow morning. Our 6:30 AM flight necessitates a 4:30 departure. It seemed like a good idea when we booked the flights.

From there, we're off to Corvara in the Alta Badia for a week of skiing. I'll be back at my PC on Feb 19 with lots of new information about how to tackle Venice without crowds and how to hit the slopes without the lines. Until then.