5 ski destinations to avoid overtourism in the mountains From Friuli Venezia Giulia to Calabria

Do you remember that rush of adrenaline that runs through your body when you carve a turn on freshly groomed snow in the morning? Perhaps not, because in recent years ski resorts have become so crowded that finding a patch of slope all to yourself is nearly impossible — but this sport comes at a price that goes beyond the cost of a ski holiday. That price is paid by mountain communities, in the form of traffic, land consumption, and pressure on water and energy resources. Snow arrives later and later, falls more and more erratically, the season grows ever shorter, and the flow of visitors ever more concentrated — in other words, overtourism. 

But there is good news. You don't necessarily have to give up skiing to imagine a slightly more sustainable way of experiencing the mountains. One option is to look beyond the most famous destinations and choose the small ski areas scattered across the peninsula, where the kilometres of runs don't reach three figures but the crowds (and the costs) are considerably lower. Italy offers a wide and varied range of options, and for this occasion we have chosen five, from the Piedmontese Alps to Calabria, by way of Abruzzo and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Artesina, Piedmont

In Artesina, in the province of Cuneo, you ski across 60 kilometres of runs at the foot of Monte Mondolè (2,400 m) in the Maritime Alps. And if that's not enough, you can extend your range: Artesina is part of the Mondolè Ski area, which links the resort to Frabosa Soprana and Prato Nevoso — the very place that made headlines last year for its exceptional snowfall — for a total of 130 kilometres of runs. Slopes for everyone, from the Bosco delle Fate for children to steep black runs for tight-turn carving. Few flashy venues, nothing too glitzy — a resort for those who want to ski on excellent snow without queuing at the lifts. The scenery? Among the most southerly in the Alps, but no less rugged or sweeping for that. 

Maiella, Abruzzo

A jewel of the Apennines, the Maiella massif, with the village of Roccacaramanico, holds the unofficial record for snowfall in a 24-hour period, which exceeded three metres back in 1961. The Passolanciano-Maielletta ski area is nestled among limestone cliffs and wooded slopes, with skiing up to nearly 2,000 metres in altitude. The kilometres of runs are not many — around fifteen — but the Abruzzo mountains lend themselves very well to snowshoeing and ski mountaineering too, even for beginners, provided they are properly guided by courses and Mountain Guides. And there's nothing to stop you spending a few days in the Maiella and then moving on to the Gran Sasso, in the historic Campo Imperatore ski area. What's more, on clear days you can see the Adriatic Sea from the slopes, and in the Maiella, mountains go hand in hand with picture-postcard villages, pastry shops, and arrosticini.

Sella Nevea, Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Nestled between the Canin massif and the Montasio group, Sella Nevea is the queen of the Julian Alps. It boasts around ten kilometres of runs on the Italian side and a wide range of possibilities for off-piste skiing, ski mountaineering, and freeride. The lifts at Sella Nevea were once connected to those of Monte Canin/Bovec in Slovenia. The link is currently closed, but on the Slovenian side projects are under way to restore the lifts to service, with a possible reopening in the 2029/2030 season. The Canin is one of the most important karst areas in Italy, and the subsoil is a veritable labyrinth of caves carved out by water. On the surface, snow blankets the characteristic landscape of sinkholes and depressions, creating scenes of breathtaking beauty. Here, skiing takes on a more alpine dimension: the runs unfold in a high-mountain environment, among rock faces, forests, and wide open slopes. 

Gambarie d'Aspromonte, Calabria