Bardonecchia

Bardonecchia, Italy

Rated: 4/5 (from 6 ratings)

Bardonecchia

Situated at the Italian entrance to the Frejus tunnel, this was one of the early popular Italian destinations (visitors included the last Italian king, Umberto). It is now enjoying a renaissance and hosted snowboarding events at the 2006 Winter Olympics. The rail link is also a major attraction for environmentally-conscious skiers. There are two bus-linked main ski areas - below Mt Jafferau (2807m) and a second area accessed from outside the town.

Summary

The Italian ski resort of Bardonecchia is in the Italian Alps at an altitude of 1,310m, with 140km of marked runs.

Bardonecchia has direct access to 140km of downhill skiing, with 49 marked pistes, served by a total of 21 ski lifts.

With ski lifts as high as 2,750m, skiing and snowboarding is assured throughout the season.

Bardonecchia Overview

Bardonecchia is a traditional border town in the sunny Susa Valley of Italy's Piedmont region. Near to the French border, on the Italian side of the Frejus Tunnel, Bardonecchia has grown from a typical mountain town into a cosmopolitan holiday resort where visitors can still wander along ancient cobbled streets and enjoy the weekly market that's been going on since medieval times.

The Piedmont Valley is steeped in history and tradition, in the Middle Ages the main travellers in this area were pilgrims, soldiers, wine merchants, cattle dealers and artists en route to western Europe. Frescoes painted by travelling artists from the 15th and 16th century are well preserved in the chapels around the area - some of which can only be reached on skis in the winter.

The nearby Mont Cenis Alpine Pass 2082m/6831ft was one of the great invasion routes and it was Napoleon's troops who built the first road through the Pass in 1810. When the Frejus Tunnel was built in 1871 it was the first rock tunnel of its kind, pioneering many techniques and representing a landmark in engineering. At 13km/8 miles it is still one of the world's longest railroad tunnels.

Italy's skiing originated in Piedmont which translates as foot of the mountain, and Bardonecchia was one of the country's first ski resorts. Established in 1934, it was two Norwegian brothers, the Smiths who came here and built there first ski jump at Campo Smith (Smith's Field) which explains how the area got its name. The area is spread over three areas; Campo Smith, Melezet and Jafferau together providing 140km of pistes. Campo Smith, in the middle is considered the main area and is fully lift linked to neighbouring Melezet. Jafferau is a five minute bus ride away and a free bus pass is provided with the lift ticket.

Rated by many in the top ten of Italian ski resorts, it was host to snowboarding events at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

 Notable Ski Runs

The longest possible descent in Bardonecchia is 6km long and the most difficult run is the 'Vallon Cros', which is 6km in length.

Skiing

Skiing in Italy originated in the Piedmont region and Bardonecchia was one of the country's first ski areas. It now rates as one of the top ten Italian resorts with an excellent snow record, most of its slopes are north/north-west facing so the snow tends to last longer (south-facing slopes get more sun).

The skiing is spread over three areas - Melezet, Jafferau and Campo Smith, the main area where the base facilities are located. The resort itself is at 1312m with the skiing extending up to 2800m at the top of Jafferau and a total of 100km (63 miles) of pistes, the majority of which are intermediate.

The main beginner slopes are on the lower slopes of Campo Smith and Melezet which are fully lift linked. Snow cannons ensure good snow cover both at the beginning and end of the season. These areas have a good variety of terrain ranging from wide open clearings to treelined forest trails and cruisers will find plenty to enjoy on the long, wide motorway runs. The Jafferau area is also included on the lift pass, its skiing is varied with a good mix of terrain ideally suited to those who enjoy cruising with some great open motorway runs.

For freestylers the Olympic Park at Melezet has plenty of challenges to enjoy.

There is a free skier bus service around the area which takes around five minutes from Campo Smith to Jafferau where the pistes are slightly more difficult. It has a treeless bowl with bumps and good off-piste as well as wide trails and narrower runs through the trees.

There are a variety of pistes to suit all levels of skier ability, from Beginner to Expert.

Snowboarding

There's plenty of long, wide cruising runs on Colomion and Melezet while if you're into steeps and bumps then Jafferau is the area to head for. A 130m long Olympic Pipe opened for the 2006 Turin Olympics. The Olympic Snowpark has 14 rails, a box, 12 jumps and two boardercross courses. There's also a beginners area with kicker, big air and DJ music.

Aprés Ski

Excellent choice of restaurants serving delicious pasta dishes and local specialities. Nightlife in the local bars is friendly and relaxed becoming more lively at the weekends.