Cervinia ski resort guide & reviews Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in Cervinia
Overview
Ski holidays in Cervinia - a high altitude resort at 2050m bordering with Zermatt in Switzerland. The resort is dominated by the iconic Matterhon mountain which is where the summer skiing takes place at 3883m.
The town is car free in the centre and the streets are lined with shops, bars and restaurants. Other than the skiing in the winter, the resort has a sports centre, bowling alley and ice skating rink.
Après-ski
The nightlife is fairly relaxed and is more about enjoying the local cuisine in the many restaurants around the centre of the resort. However, there are some 30 bars which do get very lively such as Lo Yeti and the Dragon Bar. Weekends are especially crowded when the locals from Turin and Milan escape the city.
Cervinia ski area guide
The Breuil-Cervinia Valtournenche Zermatt area is one of the largest in the Alps with 350km of pistes across three valleys in Italy and Switzerland. The vertical is huge and ranges from 3883m down to 1524m in Valtournenche.
Snow is guaranteed in Cervinia and not just because of the glacier up on Plateau Rosa but also because 178km of pistes across the whole area have snow-cannons.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 2050m |
| Top lift | 3883m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 350 |
| Longest run | 17 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 13 km |
| Season | Dec - May |
| Snowboard parks | 1 |
| Heli Skiing | ✔ |
| Summer skiing | ✔ |
| Glacier skiing | ✔ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Lively & Fun |
Beginners
There are many wide, open and gentle pistes around Cervinia for beginners. The village nursery slope has a long moving carpet and chairlift and this is where complete beginners start and progress to the excellent flat area around Plan Maison and the gentle blue runs above.
Intermediate
A paradise for intermediates especially if you like touring with literally more piste than you could possibly cover in a week when you venture over in to Zermatt. One of our favourite runs is the 13km cruise down in to Valtournenche that has superb scenery.
Advanced
Not too much for experts on the Cervinia side hence the exodus to Zermatt where the terrain gets considerably steeper and the off-piste will challenge any expert. Heli-skiing is therefore very popular as the back-country trails flowing off the high peaks are some of the best in the Alps.
Snowboarding
As Cervinia has many wide and gentle pistes and few draglifts, it is an ideal resort for beginner and early intermediate boarders. However, there are some long, flat parts particularly around Plan Maison so be prepared for some walking! More advanced boarders will enjoy the terrain park as it's one of the best in Italy.
Things to see &do in Cervinia
- Tobogganing
- Ice skating
- Ice carting
- Snowshoeing
- Hand-gliding
- Parapenting
Children
Cervinia has some excellent childrens clubs which provide half and full day care with skiing lessons if required.
Our view on Cervinia
We think Cervinia is a great family resort with the kid's especially well looked after. You are spoilt for choice in terms of where to ski and during the summer, the resort transforms itself in to a fun and action packed adventure resort.
- Try the Matterhorn ski safari which takes you through 10000m of vertical without sking the same run twice
- Ski over to Zermatt for the day but don't forget to take your international lift pass
- If you like good food then why not try one of the mountain restaurants for lunch or even dinner (and sled back in to town after!) Remember to book in advance as they tend to get extremely busy in peak season
Ski resorts similar to Cervinia include Zermatt across the border in Switzerland and Chatel in the Portes du Soleil, France. Both resorts offer exceptional opportunities for touring and are ideal for intermediate skiers.
