Why Tuscany is a skier’s paradise

Tuscany is renowned as being one of Italy’s main tourist destinations during the summer, famous for hot days, olive groves and ancient hillside villages. But winter in Tuscany offers something very special. The mountains laden with crisp white snow attracts skiers and snowboarders from all over the world.

Mount Amiata

This mountain is Italy’s highest and most impressive extinct volcano, situated 500 kilometres to the south of the mecca of skiing, the Dolomites. From the top of Mount Amiata, with its monumental iron cross, you can see as far as the beautiful Lake Trasimeno.

Mount Amiata offers 15km of ski runs, from the small resort of Prato delle Macinaie, through one of the largest beech forests in Europe. It is a truly peaceful area with picture perfect views in all directions.

Abetone

Montagna Pistoiese comes alive with the arrival of the snow, to welcome swathes of winter sports fans. The Abetone skiing area is amongst the biggest in Italy and is most famous for the variety of winter sports it offers, the sheer quality of the slopes, and the quality of Après Ski venues and activities.

There are over 50 Kilometres of perfectly kept runs, ranging from beginners to advanced, allowing everyone to enjoy the beauties of the area. Easy tree-lined runs are great for families, and for the daredevils there are extreme steeps and four snow parks that will challenge you.

The peaks range from 1,200 to 1,950 metres, with stunning vistas. There are four main centres, Val di Luce, la Doganaccia, la Casetta dei Pulledrari and last but not least la Selletta.

Facilities include cross-country pistes, areas set aside solely for snowboarding, dedicated nursery runs, and special children’s areas. Snow cannons allow for skiing from December until April, combined with fast new chair lifts and gondolas.

Passo Due Santi

Passo Due Santi is on the border of Tuscany, and one of the most beautiful ski resorts in the Apennines, with views of the Ligurian and Tuscan coast and sea.

Careggine

Located in the middle of the Apuan Alps, Careggine is a well-frequented tourist attraction in the summer. But it also has a ski resort fully-equipped for alpine skiing. One advantage of this area is that it can be accessed in less than an hour from main highways and also the railway system.