Skiarea di Piancavallo: Snow sports with sea views

Of all the winter destinations in the region, the Piancavallo ski zone has a feature that makes it unique, for snow sports enthusiasts: Skiing or walking on its snow capped peaks in great weather. You can view the Friulian plain that stretches out at your feet, until your view dips into the blue of the Adriatic Sea.

If you like to enjoy outdoor activities, you’ll love this home of sports: in addition to alpine and Nordic skiing, you can go freestyle, venturing out on as many excursions as possible, including ski mountaineering, Nordic walking, or snow walking, or skate about on the stadium ice rink. If feeling daring you can experience the thrill of hang gliding, launching yourself into the clouds at 1091 metres off Mount Castaldia.

The Piancavallo ski zone, which has hosted European Cup and World Cup competitions, offers about 25 km of slopes for alpine skiing that are always passable, thanks to programmed snow coverage. It is suitable for any category of skier. If you are an expert, the most daring routes in the area are the Salomon track and the National, more than 3 and a half kilometres long. The slopes that descend from Mont Sauc are also ideal for putting your technique to the test.

The up to date facilities all start at the foot of the Monte Cavallo massif. 

The slopes near the town are decidedly easier, they would be for beginners, for the little ones and for those who need to regain confidence with their skis. They are even equipped with a series of easy use conveyor belts, and are very close to the school camp areas, where the teachers usually give lessons.  

Do you like to keep going? Get your gear ready: you’ll find the Piancavallo slopes at an altitude of 1267 metres near the sports centre and the ice rink. There is more than 12 kilometres of route, including a 1.5 kilometre illuminated track with programmed snow and a competitive circuit of almost 4 kilometres.

If on the other hand you prefer more secluded areas for ski mountaineering, from Piancavallo there are 3 routes not to be missed. 2 quite accessible tracks towards the Giais fork and Spizzat, and a third decidedly more demanding towards Cornier.

Surrounded by a sun-exposed fir tree forest, the Snowboard funk park of Piancavallo is a riders paradise. Divided into four different lines sorted by degrees of difficult, from the rails, the bins and easier sections, up to kickers, and boxes for the most demanding maneuvers. With an 8000 watt sound system to get the show going. 

For children there is Nevelandia di Piancavallo, not to confuse with the nearby Sappada: 25 thousand square metres of amusement park equipped with 3 moving walkways, a ski area, a sled  and bobsleigh zone, one for snow tubing and a fenced in area reserved for small children.

If you still haven't had enough activity options, you can try an adrenaline pumping tour on an Alpine coaster, or bob rail that runs next to the Salomon slope, or have a skate inside on the ice rink. In the nearby sport venue Palasport, there are 4 playing areas, regulation football fields, tennis courts, a bowling green and mini golf for indoor activities.

Have you got an appetite? To recover your strength, let yourself be tempted by the local specialities: if you have never tasted it try Pitina, cured sheep, goat or game meat with an intense flavour, an IGP and slow food product. Then deepen your knowledge of malga cheeses, dumplings, mushroom dishes, snow radicchio or game. Finally, indulge in the king of desserts, the irresistible tiramisu.