The Italy mountain resort that finally proves ski breaks can be relaxing too
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You may well know the type. My family includes several of them; those skiers who revel in breathless tales of bravery down some black run or – even better – a couloir. We're obviously thrilled to hear all about it, no matter how many times, but none of it sounds remotely fun. Call me old-fashioned, but I thought the whole point of skiing is that it should be fun.
I can assure you, I am not that person. There is a funny little TikTok doing the rounds that shows the four types of skiers. One is of someone who is gliding serenely down the mountain without making any use of her poles whatsoever. That is me.
I love skiing as much as anything in my life, but it is because it allows me to enjoy the quiet calm of the chairlift taking me to the top of a mountain and staying there for as long as possible, to enjoy the transformative effect of standing on snow-capped peaks under a clear blue sky. Skiing is a means to an end, and if I make my way back down with my dignity intact and without injury, I am in a state of pure joy.
And so, two thirds of the way through a particularly grey and wet English January, I headed off for a long weekend to Corvara, part of the wider Alta Badia resort in the Dolomites. My first time skiing in Italy, I'm hoping to get above the clouds, drink Aperol spritz and red wine and eat plenty of pasta in an effort to make it through to spring.
open image in gallery Corvara
A winding drive into the Dolomites' increasingly spectacular rock formations eventually ends at Hotel Sassongher, a five-star retreat that has been run by the same family since 1933. There is no luxury spared for skiers, from its roof-top Jacuzzi, sauna with panoramic views and an indoor pool, to enormous four-poster beds and balconies overlooking the cobble-stoned village and slopes beyond.
open image in gallery Hotel Sassongher
It's getting dark by the time we've settled in, and we're just in time for an aperitif in the wood-panelled bar, pianist in the corner, with suited staff greeting guests like old friends – which it turns out they are, having repeatedly stayed here over the years.
We start the evening with a local Prosecco before heading up a floor to one of the three traditional Ladin stubes, where dinner begins with lobster pasta followed by rack of lamb with artichoke. We enjoy a bottle or two of a local pinot noir and end with tiramisu selected from a long table heaving with elaborate desserts.
open image in gallery Hotel Sassongher's restaurant overlooking the mountains
We haven't even hit the slopes yet and this break is turning out exactly as I had hoped – basically a gourmet safari through the Dolomites, with skiing filling the gaps between meals.
The Alta Badia region makes up one of the largest ski areas in the world and includes the popular Sellaronda circuit, which can be completed in a day and provides a route through the Dolomites' most spectacular scenery.
But for those looking for a little more relaxation, Corvara is known for its network of gentle, wide blues while also offering some of the best restaurants on the slopes in the Alps, attracting Michelin-starred chefs and food fanatics from all over the world.
open image in gallery A picnic on the slopes by Dream Beyond, which creates luxury, personalised experiences across Italy. (Dream Beyond)
The combination means new and intermediate skiers who are more comfortable on some of the easier slopes are still able to reach some of the best restaurants in the area.
The region's centuries-old Ladin cuisine is celebrated here. There's 'la panicia', (barley soup), 'turtres' (fried pastries filled with spinach or cabbage) and 'cajincí' (ravioli stuffed with spinach and cottage cheese with melted butter).
The slope-side restaurant scene is showcased by the yearly A Taste for Skiing initiative, with this year's lineup including Massimiliano Alajmo, Valeria Piccini and Viviana Varese, whose restaurants have all been awarded Michelin stars, and who are all taking to the slopes to showcase their skills in the many mountain restaurants.
After a morning guided around the slopes by instructors from Dream Beyond, which offers personalised itineraries across the whole of Italy, including the Dolomites, and knows all the best spots to eat and ski, we arrive at Piz Arlara. The family-run restaurant is nestled at 2,040m above Corvara with blue runs in and out, and with deck chairs to recline in while overlooking surely one of the Alps' most spectacular views.
open image in gallery Enjoying an Aperol spritz before lunch at Piz Arlara
Among the dishes it offers are various types of dumplings, spätzle, homemade ravioli, beef goulash and turtres, as well as homemade pasta, ribs and shanks, rösti and polenta from Storo. Ingredients are mostly of regional origin, such as speck, South Tyrolean cured meats and cheeses, and the game is provided by a trusted local hunter.
I start with a plate of meat and cheese, Aperol spritz in hand, before the main event of venison pasta matched with another local pinot noir. As the afternoon slips by, the decision is made to head back down by the chairlift just metres away. There are also blue and red route options for those who are still feeling energetic.
The late afternoon is spent pretending we still need to recover in the Jacuzzi, watching the mountains turn pink in the sunset.
Fortunately, all that extra fresh air has created an appetite by 8pm, and we're expected back in the stube. Tonight's menu includes beef fillet studded with lard. Reasoning that I would have no excuse for ever ordering this anywhere other than high up a mountain, but still with a slight trepidation from a life of too many kale smoothies, I go for it. It's like cutting through butter, with a taste I don't think I'll ever forget.
open image in gallery The jacuzzi at Hotel Sassongher
We make the most of our final morning skiing in fresh snow that is still gently falling, with the slopes a little quieter after the blue sky and sunshine of the days before. We're refreshed, restored and confident we'll never feel hungry again.
However the hotel has no intention of sending us on our way without a proper Sunday lunch. Our final feast is spaghetti with 'tomatoes from Napoli!' and a glass of pinot noir, of course, followed by coffee and a tray of little desserts that one in our party decides are so good she decides to attempt to take hers back to London for her family to experience.
Thank you Corvara. You are, to me, everything skiing should be.
How to plan your trip
Stays at Hotel Sassongher (sassongher.it/en) start from €280 per night (two sharing) on a half-board basis.
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