Cervinia is a gateway into one of Europe's highest skiing areas
A picturesque resort, Cervinia is a gem in the Italian the ski scene - and it welcomes plenty of Brits each year.
Perched high up in the Aosta Valley, it has an incredibly reliable snow record, taking top spot in Iglu Ski’s top snow sure resorts in Italy.
It’s also got easy access to a great ski area that crosses the border into Switzerland, offering hundreds of kilometres of slopes to get stuck into.
While it’s not a party town like Val Thorens or St Anton, it still has its fair share of lively spots. It’s also not a glitzy resort like the Dolomiti resorts of Cortina or Corvara, instead offering a more traditional mountain experience.
Keep reading to find out the key reasons why Cervinia is a great ski resort to visit this winter.
READ MORE: If you're looking for a large ski area, Les Arcs could be a great pick. Find out all the reasons why Les Arcs is a great ski resort.
Meanwhile, why not check out Austria? Discover all the best reasons why you should visit St Anton.
1. Very strong snow conditions all winter
As we’ve mentioned already, Cervinia is probably Italy’s most reliable resort for snow. The town is situated at an impressive 2,050m altitude, with slopes ranging from 1,562 to 3,899m, making it some of Europe’s highest skiing.
Snowfall is really strong in Cervinia - over the past 11 years, December has seen an average of 37cm a week, with the following four months averaging at 40cm, 38cm, 47cm and 41cm. These March and April stats are particularly impressive, making for a great pick when other resorts might start getting slushy.
If trends continue, you’ll also likely get at least 3 days per week of snowfall - and possibly 4 in March and April.
2. Fantastic links into a huge ski area
Cervinia is one of three resorts which make up the massive Matterhorn Ski Paradise area. It boasts 360km of slopes, completely connected by 54 slick ski lifts - making it Italy’s third largest ski area.
Valtournenche is an easy ski from Cervinia, while you can also take the new, glass-floored cable car over the border into Switzerland’s Zermatt, which has 55% of the overall runs in the Matterhorn Ski Paradise.
One of the benefits of staying in Cervinia is that it is much cheaper than upmarket Zermatt, but you can still get quick access to all of its slopes.
Cervinia is a great choice if you love skiing in the sunshine
3. Great for sunny skiing
Cervinia is a great pick if you’re looking for some sun-kissed action. While we can’t guarantee the rays will come out in full force, it ranked top in Iglu Ski’s best Italian ski resorts for April skiing.
Factors for this included the number of sun days, for which it is joint top, while its snowfall in April is comfortably the highest in Italy, meaning the runs should stay in good condition. Cervinia is also largely south-facing, meaning if the weather does turn pleasant, expect long lunches on sunny terraces - although this obviously brings some slush into play particularly on the busy lower slopes.
Cruising around the slopes while soaked in sun is one of life’s wonderful experiences - and Cervinia is a great place to enjoy it.
4. Cervinia is great for all abilities of skier
If you’re in a group with a range of skiing abilities, then you’re in luck here.
Beginners have it good thanks to the hefty amount of blues which are found around the Plan Maison and Salette areas, while there’s also a dedicated nursery area for you to practise in. Cervinia also has its fair share of top quality ski schools that’ll have you learning the ropes rapidly. There are 30 blues to tackle in the local area.
Cervinia is ideal for intermediates - it’s full of wide, gentle runs with plenty of reds (75 in the local area), including the world’s longest red run, which stretches from the Klein Matterhorn to Valtournenche for an enjoyable 22km. The fantastic Ventina red run from Plateau Rosa should be on your list.
Advanced skiers are also at home, although that’s largely thanks to the outstanding links to the other side of the mountain in Zermatt. There are 26 blacks in Cervinia, and Zermatt adds an extra 15 blacks - although the Swiss side is very varied and the reds tend to offer more challenges than those on the Italian side. One to look out for is the Furggen black run, which is very steep and packed with moguls for a good workout.
The Matterhorn is a truly unforgettable sight
5. The views are breathtaking
Cervinia really is a resort that’ll live long in your memory, thanks to the magnificent Matterhorn mountain. This pyramid-shaped powerhouse is visible from the vast majority of slopes in Cervinia, looming magically over the many skiers.
The same can be said in Zermatt, where the Matterhorn is (or at least was…) a household sight for the Swiss. That’s because the iconic mountain is the same one that used to appear on the famous Toblerone packaging - and the chocolate is shaped like the iconic mountain itself.
Sadly though, the packaging changed in late 2023, because some of the chocolate’s production was moved to Slovakia, meaning the product can’t use Swiss iconography any more - Toblerone’s imagery is now a more generic Alpine summit.
6. There’s top glacier skiing (and Europe’s highest museum!)
The Matterhorn Ski Paradise is home to the Plateau Rosa glacier. The training ground of the Swiss national skiing team, it has huge open spaces to cruise around, offering wonderful views on a clear day - to access it, you can get on the Matterhorn Glacier II cable car.
Some of the notable runs to tackle include Run 7, which lasts for a whopping 11km and ends in Cervinia, known for its absolutely beautiful scenery. Others include Run 80, an easy red, and Run 6, a nice one which goes to the Theodul Pass, a stunning setting which marks the border between Italy and Switzerland.
Meanwhile, in the same location, the Plateau Rosa Museum of Work gives you a chance to learn all about how the ski lift infrastructure was remarkably built to get humans skiing up on the glacier. Located at 3,500m, you can look at the actual gear and materials used in the original lifts, with audio aspects to it as well. Entrance is free with your lift pass!
7. (Kind of) home to the highest ice cave in Europe
This one’s technically in Zermatt, but since it’s still in the Matterhorn Ski Paradise, it’s very easy to access from Cervinia. After riding the Small Matterhorn cable car to the top, you’ll then be faced with a magical 50m-long tunnel which eventually opens out into the 15m-deep cave.
There’s a whole world of tunnels, pathways, incredible ice sculptures and stalactites. But that’s not all - there’s also a bar and a whole sledge run that you can slide down on a cushion. The detail on the walls is sensational, and the whole experience is quite remarkable - just remember to dress up warm!
Discover how great Cervinia is for yourself
If the idea of a trip to Cervinia and its wonderful ski area sounds enticing to you, then you’re in the right place. We’re the UK’s largest ski travel agency, and for the last 25 years we’ve been finding our loyal customers the best deals to get out on the slopes.
Many of our sales staff have been to Cervinia (and they’ve all done seasons somewhere in the mountains!), so they’re really well-placed to advise you on the perfect accommodation and extras for you.
Check out the best Cervinia ski deals to get you started. If you’ve been put in charge of booking for a group and you’re not sure where to begin, then read our group booking guide to help reassure you and point you in the right direction.
