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Relaxation and skiing go hand-in-hand in Bormio – the largest thermal centre in the Alps. After a day on the slopes, rest your muscles in the warm waters of one of the town’s three wellness centres: QC Terme Bagni Vecchi, QC Terme Bagni Nuovi and Bormio Terme.
The fact that its thermal waters are a precious resource has been apparent since ancient times. The Ancient Romans, Pliny the Elder and Leonardo da Vinci knew them and sang their praises.
Naturally warm, they flow from nine different springs at a temperature of between 36° and 41° C. They are a tonic for mental and physical wellbeing thanks to their numerous curative and muscle-relaxing properties.
From warm baths to snowy slopes, the resort is also famous for its vertical thrills. In Bormio, the highest pistes are up at 3,000m and you can ski down to the town centre, 1,800m below. And occupying pride of place in the resort’s slopes are the two World Cup pistes – the Stelvio and the Deborah Compagnoni piste.
The Stelvio piste in Bormio, known as the La Scala Opera House of the ski circuit, has, for 40 years, held the biggest events in Alpine skiing: the World Cup, the World Championships, and will soon be a part of the Winter Olympics.
Every year the Stelvio slope – the most technically challenging course in the Alpine skiing World Cup – hosts the Alpine Ski World Cup races: 28 December for the men’s downhill and 29 December for the men’s super-G. In Santa Caterina Valfurva, the Deborah Compagnoni piste, dedicated to the Italian Olympic champion who was born and raised in the local mountains, was created especially for the 2005 Alpine World Ski Championships.
For skiers and snowboarders, Bormio’s four ski areas – in winter Bormio, Santa Caterina Valfurva, Cima Piazzi-San Colombano, and in the summer, the Stelvio Glacier – total 130kms of pistes, for all abilities and tastes.
Of the three ski resorts in the Bormio area, Santa Caterina Valfurva is a snow-covered paradise. Beautiful pistes await in a stunning landscape topped with the mighty summits of the Ortles-Cevedale range in Stelvio National Park. The Cima Piazzi-San Colombano ski area is the ski resort for families and children. The slopes here are easy and not too crowded, and children will particularly enjoy the ‘Family Bob’ – a toboggan run on rails.
Other winter wonders
Bormio also offers many other ways to enjoy winter. Thanks to the abundant snowfalls that blanket the surrounding mountain peaks and slopes, Bormio and Alta Valtellina are ideal for ski tourers and snowshoers, with numerous trails around the Stelvio National Park. Cross-country skiers will love the tranquil setting of Stelvio National Park.
Then there are the thrills of activities from dog sledding and ice climbing, to ice skating and curling. Try the biathlon trail in Valdidentro, experience the rush of fat biking on the snow or the exhilaration of paragliding, or go tobogganing in Val di Rezzalo – the pearl of the Stelvio National Park. You can also go sledging at night! Eat dinner at the refuge and then hit the slope, down through the forest, with just a headlamp to light the way.
Bormio is also the village with the oldest history in the Alps, proud of its ancient traditions kept alive today, through its museums, exhibitions and the historic Roman baths. A holiday in Bormio offers the chance to experience its culture along with its natural wonders.
Bormio in numbers
4 ski areas
130km of pistes
44 ski lifts
2 World Championship pistes
1 lift pass to ski
3 winter ski areas
For more information about skiing Bormio this winter go to bormio.eu
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