Val Di Sole: Unmatched Italian History, Landscape And Skiing

Some of the better-known towns in the Val di Sole region of Italy include Croviana, Dimaro, Male, Vermiglio and Pejo. If your holiday search involves history and culture, you'll be happy to know that within these towns are some of the oldest European histories. The first recorded history starts thousands of years before Christ when the Celts came and made the valley their home. Next, the Rhaetians and Romans set up their respectable empires, taming the valley into something livable and productive.

After the Franks and bishops of Trento passed their rule here, the place succumbed to Austro-Hungarian supremacy. With the passing of both World Wars, Val di Sole has encountered some of the most illustrious historical events in the world. Today, visitors can visit these fortresses and bastions to relive the days of castles, fortifications, churches and treasures. Val di Sole has one of the topmost concentrated records of living history in Italy.

Within the valley there's so much to see. You'll find the St. Maria church at Pellizzano worth your time. Or, you can venture to the old town of Male with its Museo della Civilta Solandra and Parish church. A day-trip to the St. Agata in Commezzadura or an active day-hike or cross-country ski from Croviana to Dimaro will illustrate the living history of the Val di Sole region.

If you're more into architecture and castles, you won't want to miss the Castle of Ossana and Parco della Pace or Pejo's troubled past. A quick stop at Cusiano to the painted cycle dedication to St. Maria Maddalena is worth a snapshot for the photo album too. With all this history plus skiing, the Val di Sole remains one of the hottest Italian winter spots.

If you're more into searching out nature over history, Val di Sole can keep you from idleness. There is the Adamello Brenta Natural Park to the south and the Stelvio National Park to the north, where over 35% of the land is still protected. Together, these two parks are the Val di Sole natural wonders. The Adamello Brenta Natural Park, for instance, houses an alpine wilderness and brown bears. The Stelvio National Park is much larger and runs from the Peio to Rabbi valley. The park boasts some of the largest populations of wild animals in all of Italy and perhaps all of Europe.

Once you've tasted the history and natural beauty that is Val di Sole, Italy, you'll enjoy the mountains and valleys even more by skiing and other snow activities. The ski area offers over 380 kilometers of ski runs at a fraction of other Alp resorts. Downhill skiing, ski mountaineering (see below), cross-country skiing (55 kilometers worth), snowshoeing and Nordic excursions make Val di Sole unbounded. Plus, it's really easy to search out the lifts by way of the Dolomiti Express train once you've bought the Superskirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta Ski Pass. The Val di Sole ski area goes as low as 1,000 meters to over 2,400 meters. There are plenty of runs, cable cars, shuttles and hotels here to accommodate tens of thousands of skiers per hour.

The Val di Sole ski area in Italy includes some of the best skiing around. Though you may have heard this before, read on before you cast doubt. The Folgarida-Marilleva ski area is perfect for Alpine skiers. Snowboarders are treated well here with enough space to practice. This area connects with the Madonna di Campiglio giving views of the Brenta Dolomites and makes for over 120 kilometers of skiing.

Positioned near the Stelvio National Park, Pejo is ideal for families. Here, you can ride from Monte Vioz to beyond the town and get right back on the lift for another take. Finally, the Passo Tonale is one of the few places in Italy where you can ski on a glacier in the fall- or spring-time. Plus, if there's not enough natural snow, the snow cannons can make plenty of artificial snow in no time.

If downhill skiing and following the pistes have you moaning, try your skills at ski mountaineering. The peaks are thickly covered in snow and the surrounding mountains traverse for miles in all directions. Though ski mountaineering is practiced here, this doesn't mean the valleys should be approached with any less caution. In fact, it's required that before you venture off that you notify the Alpine guides in case a search party need be called out. These guides can accompany you on any excursion through the valley and can supply maps, technical information and highly accurate snow conditions. The guides will be able to best set up a suitable itinerary giving the conditions deep in the valley.