Why we love skiing in Bormio

As our date to leave Milan looms closer, we visited the Italian Alps one more time for ten days of skiing.

View of the mountain and the town of Bormio from our apartment.

We considered trying somewhere new like the Dolomites, but in the end we couldn't resist returning to Bormio.

Outside the apartment on our second morning after a fresh snowfall.

This time we rented an apartment which turned out to be a great decision.  Not only was it an easy ten minute walk through town to the main ski lifts, but it was cosy and very comfortable.  Even better, it was owned by a friendly father and son team, Lucio and Luca. 

Homemade Pizzoccheri!

We learned that Lucio is a great cook.  On Saturday night I answered an unexpected knock on the door of our apartment.  There was Lucio with a pot of steaming, freshly cooked pizzoccheri, the traditional pasta dish served in the Valtellina, which he'd whipped up for his guests.  Having previously enjoyed this hearty cheesey pasta dish in several restaurants of Bormio and Grosio, we were delighted to taste Lucio's creation.  Our verdict - it was the best pizzoccheri we've had, ever! (Okay that's only a score based on three previous tastings).  The following day when we thanked Lucio for such a delicious surprise, he described that his secret ingredient was butter - really fresh local butter bought from a shop on the edge of town where they sell their own dairy produce.  Sadly it looks as though Stefano won't be replicating this recipe at home.

It's these sorts of traditions that continue as part of everyday life in Bormio. Even though it is a busy ski and tourist town, old-fashioned ways of hospitality and generosity still exist.  Like the complimentary shot of grappa to farewell skiers after a lunchtime stop on the slopes for a slice of pizza.

And the delicious krapfen donuts that they still bake in the pasticceria which was too conveniently located along my path back to the apartment after a hard morning of skiing.

While we enjoyed many days skiing the famously long runs on Bormio mountain, we also discovered the neighbouring town of Santa Caterina.

Only a short bus ride up the valley from Bormio, Santa Caterina offered sunny, open runs and some fantastic views of the mountains above the treeline.

Once again we loved visiting Bormio.  This time it was just a little harder to leave as sadly we won't be back next season.  We will miss having the Alps only a short train ride away.  

Arrivederci Bormio.  Speriamo che non sia l'ultima volta.

Where we stayed:
We stayed in this lovely one bedroom apartment which I found on Airbnb CLICK HERE. In the low season apartment rentals in Bormio are well priced.

Transport directions
Regional trains from Milano Centrale to Tirano leave once an hour.  Buses connect with most trains, so the entire journey is only about three and half hours.  Train and bus ticket combined was less than 15E per person one way.

Only 212 kms from Milan but another world

It was only three and half hours from Milan, but as we exited the tunnel through the Alps suddenly the train stations became graffiti-less, the sun shone, the euro became almost irrelevant, and chocolate emerged as a topic of serious conversation. Oh, and there was snow, mountains and mountains of snow. The pristine beauty of Zermatt felt like another world.

Our week's holiday in Zermatt had been planned while we were in Australia.  Friends who had lived in Switzerland for several years recommended it as one of their favourite places to ski.  Thanks to them a large group made their way from Sydney for two weeks of skiing and we joined them from Milan.

Thanks Barb for this photo and your insider's knowledge of Zermatt.

Zermatt lived up to its reputation as a winter paradise. It is nestled high in the Swiss Alps, below the Matterhorn, which looms over the ski fields and provides endlessly spectacular views.

Reaching the ski slopes is a model of Swiss efficiency.  As well as cable cars and gondolas there is also a rapid funicular train which feeds two huge elevators opening directly onto the Sunnegga ski field.  Skiers reach the chairlifts and gondolas high on the mountain in less than six minutes. 

While the Sunnegga funicular seems almost space age, the Swiss also take great pride in their old-fashioned railways.  The Gornergrat Bahn is a cog railway that has been operating for over a hundred years. It runs all year round and in winter it is included in the price of a lift pass.

This love of old and new transport modes isn't restricted to the mountain. The traditional character of Zermatt has been carefully protected. In 1966 the town made a decision to protect its unique mountain environment by banning all conventional motor vehicles, permitting only electric buses, taxis and a few private electric vehicles. Horse-drawn drays and bicycles are also part of the transport system ensuring that the spectacular views of the Matterhorn and its surrounding peaks are never draped in a polluted haze.  

Swiss traditions like fondue, 

and curling, that cold weather version of lawn bowls,

are still important parts of life in Zermatt, alongside fast trains,

 and breath-taking gondolas.

Thanks Beth for this great shot.

On top of the efficiency of the Swiss, the beauty of the mountains, the crisp clean air, and the incredible snow, it was the joy of spending time with our friends from home that transported us to another world for a wonderfully surreal week. 

Buon viaggio!

Ferragosto = serious relaxation

Beautiful Bormio

Don't bother coming to Milan in August, as you'll find nobody at home. In the week before Ferragosto, a public holiday on the 15th August dedicated to relaxation since Roman times, Stephano made the crucial discovery that his office, like most of Milan, would be closed for the entire week. As the summer heat intensifies the Milanese leave, and by the time of Ferragosto, the place is all but deserted.  We decided to use this opportunity to escape to the cool of the mountains for a dose of relaxation and "wellness". Our destination was Bormio, in the Alta Valtellina region of Italy that borders Switzerland. 

After an easy three and a half hour train and bus trip from Milan, we arrived in Bormio to discover quaint cobblestoned streets and gorgeous window boxes fronting charming hotels. The town was buzzing with cyclists and motorbike riders who came for the steep mountain passes. In winter it’s skiers who come for the thrills. Bormio is famous for hosting the toughest downhill ski race in the World Cup competition.  However, what attracted us most were the tranquil walks through lush meadows and scented pine forests, oh, and most important of all, the temperature.

 

 







If you mention to anyone from Milan that you're planning to holiday in Bormio you are sure to get two recommendations.
"You must try the pizzoccheri and sciatt, and do make time to visit the hot springs wellness resorts." So we did.

After a meal of the traditional Valtellina specialties, "wellness" was a concept far from our thoughts.  To aid our recovery, and reduce our feelings of "whaleness", we avoided the hot spa. Instead we took the Bernina Express to St Mortiz. A spectacular train journey!

 In St Moritz our heads were turned by the pristine luxury,

the tempting slabs of chocolate, which on any other day we might have purchased,

and the scene of fellow travellers who had obviously over indulged.

Perhaps more victims of pizzocherri and scaitt? 

So on returning to our hotel there was only one thing left to do: venture into the "wellness and beauty centre". Saunas, Turkish steam baths, tropical scented showers, buckets of fresh ice and a long soak in the bubbling spa tub. We finally enjoyed some serious relaxation in Bormio.

 



 Looking hot, hot, hot Stefano!
Addio fino a quando la nostra prossima tappa Grosio.