Ravascletto
Ravascletto is a resort in the province of Udine, close to the border with Austria. It’s a charming resort, with lovely rural, rustic architecture that’s very typical of this area.
We were all very impressed with the picturesque resort and lovely tree-lined runs. We skied for a couple of hours and went to the top of the resort where you can get a picture above the clouds, a truly magical moment for everyone.
After this we made our way back to the resort centre to visit the Hotel Sportur, which boasts a lovely big entrance and a welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel comfortable from the moment you step in. There are lots of great facilities for school groups, including an area for a disco and other evening activities.
This is a fantastic choice of resort for mixed-ability groups, as there are some great nursery slopes and some challenging black runs too.
Sella Nevea
The Kanin-Sella Nevea ski resort offers the exciting opportunity to ski in both Italy and Slovenia. The skiing is best suited to beginners and intermediates, with the village of Sella Nevea boasting a fantastic beginners’ area with a magic carpet and drag-lift. And Bovec, on the Slovenian side, is one of the country’s largest winter sports resorts.
As we stayed overnight in Sella Nevea, we took full advantage and went up to get the first lifts, so we could experience the fresh tracks - we were not disappointed!
We started with a lovely blue run with natural rollers, which was great fun and felt fantastic to ski on, before we took the gondola over into Slovenia. The two sides of the mountain were great, and the conditions were fantastic all the way through to lunchtime.
We took the home run down at our own speeds which we all thoroughly enjoyed, getting to have some fun skiing down the lovely long run from Slovenia back into Italy and the resort centre.
Piancavallo
Piancavallo is a World Cup resort and has something of a reputation as a destination for serious skiers. Having said that, it’s still quite a small, safe resort with an authentic ‘Italian’ atmosphere, which our school groups love.
When we arrived in Piancavallo, we quickly had a tour of the Hotel Regina, where we were staying, which is a lovely hotel with great rooms.
We then had the opportunity to try out the night skiing - an activity which is definitely not to be missed!
Getting to take part in the torchlit descent was phenomenal. And even if you were a lower intermediate, you’d be able to take part in this, as you go nice and slowly down the piste.
We hovered at the back to see the flames making a lovely snake down the mountain, which is a sight we won’t forget.
Even if you don’t ski, you’re able to stand at the bar where it finishes to watch this, as there’s a little ski show after the torchlit descent with flares, light up jackets and a beautiful firework show.
In the morning we got up early again to ski Piancavallo, starting off with a lovely Alpine breakfast of yoghurt and muesli.
The slopes didn’t disappoint, and we enjoyed great conditions. We even got to try out the slope used for the Snowboard World Cup which took place in the resort on 25th and 26th January 2020.
We skied for a few hours with our guide, who was fantastic and really helped us to discover all that the resort has to offer. He was from the ski school that our school groups use and having him with really helped us better understand how the resort works.
We then visited the Hotel Stella Montis. This is a big hotel with many separate areas, which means that groups can have their own space to congregate within the hotel. Other fantastic facilities for groups include a great sports hall and even a disco room.
Stopover in Venice
Once we finished skiing, we began our return journey to Venice Airport. On the way we called in to a fantastic outlet centre, which is a great option for an activity to break up the journey home if you’re flying out of Venice.
We took the train from the outskirts of Venice in to the centre, crossing over the Venice Railroad Bridge, which runs parallel to the famous Ponte della Libertà. This epic journey across the lagoon to Venice is a sight worth seeing a thousand times over!
We toured Venice by water taxi, quickly jumping off to take a picture of the Banksy artwork we spotted on one of the walls.
And then we had a lovely dinner before taking a stroll back through the city, all of us completely in awe of how beautiful it is.
We can definitely recommend taking the time to enjoy a stopover in Venice on your school ski trip to Italy.
Want to visit one of these hidden gems?
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