Guide to Cervinia, Italian Alps

Cervinia (officially named Breuil - Cervinia) is a very high altitude ski resort, situated on the Italian side of the Matterhorn, or Cervino, which is its Italian name. The resort attracts many international skiers, especially from Britain, while at the weekend the residents of Turin and Milan flock to Cervinia via the Autostrada. Cervinia boasts one of best snow records in Italy and the skiing is especially suited to beginners and intermediates. The links to Zermatt and Valtournenche opens up a huge skiing area. It is now possible to access and ski on trails of up to 22km long down from the top of the Klein Matterhorn down to Valtournenche, with an incredible drop of 2350 m. The town itself is modern, with many good pubs and restaurants and very friendly people.

Mountain Information Cervinia

	Resort Altitude	2050 m
	Vertical Drop	1430 m
	Top Lift	3480 m
	Lifts	16
	Total Runs	59 (180 km)
	Longest Run	22 km
	Advanced Runs	7
	Intermediate Runs	36
	Beginner	16
	Cross Country	8 km

Getting to Cervinia

The quickest and cheapest way to travel to Cervinia ski resort is to first find one of the many cheap flights to Turin or Milan Bergamo . Turin airport is the nearest to Cervino, about 75 miles (2 hrs) away, followed by Milan at 117 miles and Geneva at 135 miles. The closest train station is Chatillon (17 miles), with coach transfer to the resort. There are good coach connections between Aosta, Turin, Milan, Geneva and Cervinia. By hire car, take the A5 Torino-Aosta motorway, exit at Chatillon St Vincent and follow the signs to Cervinia. From Geneva come through the Mont Blanc tunnel or via the Great St. Bernard tunnel.

Accommodation in Cervinia

Cervina’s stock of apartments is somewhat limited but often offer bargains. There are several rental agencies in the town. The Hermitage hotel is loved by everyone, the Europa hotel is clean, modern and has great food. Chalets are not so common in Italy. There is plenty of basic accommodation available with Bed & Breakfast being a particularly good choice, as well as affordable hotels. Budget travellers will find that using B&B accommodation together with reasonably priced restaurants can work out as a good option.

Bars, restaurants and apres ski in Cervinia

The nightlife is great and very British, with lots of cheap beer, happy hours, karaoke etc. The Yeti and Etoile are the really cool places, the Garage disco even has minibuses to drop you home at the end of the night. Try the Samovar Tea Room for drinks, tea and pastries, Le Bistrot de L’Abbé is a rustic wine bar.

Activities in Cervinia

Cervinia has a natural ice-skating rink and bowling alleys. Other outdoor activities include hang gliding, mountaineering, ice-climbing, horse riding, tobogganing, skidoos. Indoor activities include a fitness centre, climbing wall, an Olympic-sized pool in the Hotel Cristallo is open to the public. Day trips can easily be made to Geneva, Lausanne, Milan or Turin. On January 30/31 every year, the Feast of Sant’Orso takes place in Aosta, one of the largest craft fairs in Italy.