Bormio ski resort guide & reviews Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in Bormio
Resort review
Ski holidays in Bormio, Italy - this is one of the most beautiful ski resorts in the Italian Alps with it's stunning medieval town. Bormio lies at 1225m at the top of the Valtellina valley which starts at the top of Lake Como and winds it's way towards the 3000m peaks of the Stelvio National Park.
The historic old town is worth a visit even if you are not on a ski holiday. The streets are lined with many shops, cafes and restaurants and its easy to spend an afternoon wandering around taking in the history.
Spa & Wellbeing
Bormio is one of the top spa resorts in the Alps with it's natural hot springs dating back to Roman times. The spa hotels in Bormio are famous throughout the world and include the Bagni Vecchi Spa, Bagni Nuovi Resort and Bormio Terme spas which all offer wonderful days of relaxation and wellbeing.
Children
As with all Italian ski resorts, children are worshipped and Bormio is no different with plenty of organised activities to keep them entertained during your ski or summer holiday.
| Key information (local area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1225m |
| Top lift | 3102m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 50 |
| Longest run | 14 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 50 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 3 |
| Heli Skiing | ✘ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✔ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Relaxed & Lively |
Bormio Ski Area
The ski terrain is fairly large and varied with 160km of pistes and 50km of cross-country trails when you include the ski areas of:
- Santa Caterina (20min down the valley with 40km of pistes)
- San Colombano (30km of piste)
- Livigno (30 min)
They are not connected by lift but the shuttle buess between the resorts are frequent.
Santa Caterina, San Colombano and Livigno are included in the Alta Valtellina lift pass and accessed via free ski bus. Another ski resort not too far away is Valdidentro which has 30km of pistes but is not included in the Valtellina lift pass.
Beginners
Beginners will find a good selection of nursery slopes half-way up the mountain and the ski school is excellent.
Intermediate
Bormio is tailor made for intermediate skiers and boarders with some long reds to cruise in the sunshine. However, there are not that many options unless you take the free bus out to the Val di Dentro-San Colombano area or make a day trip to Santa Caterina or Livigno. The pistes in Bormio are generally uncrowded and ideal for those long carving turns. One of the best runs is the long red starting at the Valletta peak at 3000m and going right in to the resort at 1225m!
Advanced
Experts may be a tiny bit disappointed but there is some great off piste especially if you make the trip up to the Stelvio Pass area where you can go summer skiing.
Snowboarding
There are 3 snow parks for intermediate and expert boarders to try out and some varied off-piste around the 4 ski areas. For first timers, the slopes are too steep to make the experience enjoyable although for the first 2-3 days, you will spend most of the time on the nursery slopes learning the basics.
Things to see & do in Bormio
- Ice skating
- Snowshoeing
- Husky sleigh riding
- Ice climbing
- Parapenting
Après-ski
Bormio has a relaxed nightlife with the focus more on quality dining although there are the usual lively après-ski bars you find in most ski resorts.
Our view on Bormio
We think Bormio is a great ski resort to visit any time of the year and is perfect for families with so many things to do to keep everyone entertained.
- A good day out is a trip to the glitzy resort of St Moritz over the Swiss border. The journey takes about an hour with some stunning scenery along the way. St Moritz is famous for it's chic shops and restaurants as well as some excellent skiing terrain
- For some serious pampering, visit one of Bormio's amazing spas where you can get the latest treatments plus relax in one of the hot pools
- If you are visiting in the summer, you could take a drive up to The Stelvio pass - the drive and scenery is fantastic and once there, you could do some summer skiing or take a guided glacier walk
If you like Bormio with it's spas and medieval old town then you may also like to look at Cortina in the Italian Dolomites and Leukerbad in the Valais region of the Swiss Alps which is famous for it's thermal spas.
