Wonderfully family-friendly – skiing in Carezza

We have not managed much by way of winter sports in recent winters, as the children were still too small to really enjoy the snow. But this year our little girl is all ready for winter - as of course is her older brother. To make sure our first winter trip together does not end up in complete chaos (as has happened before with me in charge), my wife and I agree that I should check out some of the ski areas with a “quick and dirty” self-test. If it then all works out, we will have to bring everything with us: skis, sledge, pushchair, child carrier - everything that makes winter in the mountains magical, sports-oriented and family-compatible. So it’s on with the self-test.

It is just a short drive from Bolzano to Nova Levante and I am soon sitting in the cable car looking out over the Catinaccio massif. There is also a bus service every half-hour from Bolzano to the valley station, a good alternative to the car for anyone else coming up after.

I am happily whisked up to the Laurin lounge on the comfortable seats of the Laurin II chair lift: the journey makes it clear why the mountains possess an eternal beauty. The slopes look extremely inviting from this vantage point, but so does the “Lounge Burger”: so I opt for an early lunch, enjoy the sun on my face, relax in my lounge chair and wait for my burger.

Sharp edges are a must and, after the short turns on the black piste below the Laurin Lounge, I decide for something less challenging. There is a network of red and blue runs connecting the Nigra and Costalunga passes, all with the Dolomites as a backdrop. What more could a skier want?

I stop for a brief rest at the Hennenstall ski hut and have a drink. The bizarre rock towers of the Latemar massif seem almost close enough to touch. King Laurin’s Kinderland, a play area for the kids, is located just a few hundred metres above and easily accessible on skis or on foot, meaning Mum and Dad are free to arrange their parental duties as they wish. 

I absolutely have to take a few pictures of the snow park below the Ochsenhütte refuge for my son. He can hardly wait for his first visit. It will be a new experience for me too, as when I was his age “snow park” was still a unknown term.

After skiing several more pistes and taking snapshots for the family back home I can now return in a relaxed frame of mind. The first, overwhelming conclusion of my self-test is that the rest of the bunch can look forward to a day’s skiing up at Carezza. Everything is within easy reach, whether by toboggan, in hiking boots or on skis. It is ideal for a varied winter outing with the family: everybody can be together, yet there is something for everyone to enjoy! Nor is there any shortage of panoramic views or sunshine. #welovewinter #carezza #familyinthesnow

Family outings in winter are no easy matter, as making sure everyone has fun together requires careful planning. The Carezza ski area offers families a range of activities that other winter destinations struggle to match - both on and off the slopes – not to mention numerous services and good accessibility. And of course mountain scenery that is guaranteed to delight everyone as the sun goes down!