Cruising the Alps:
Sports Facilities
Livigno
The paradise of tax-free shopping
Livigno, at 1815 meters of altitude, know also as "the little Tibet",
is situated in the center of a long plateau, which is wedged in the Swiss
Canton Grigione (Engadine Valley).
Since 1815, during Napoleonic times,
it has been the paradise of tax-free shopping. The town, once inhabited
by the Walser population, is made up only of wooden chalets. The town develops
along a 10 km axis and is framed by the peaks of the Monte della Neve and
those of the Blesaccia. The only drawback is the cold, temperatures can
drop to 25°C below zero but, to make up for it, there is an abundance
of snow all winter round.
It is a cross-country skier's haven with its 58
km of trails running along the plateau, which can also be ridden
across on horse-drawn sleds. Telemark is widely practised.
Every year Livigno hosts the annual World Championship of Paraski, a breathtaking
event that combines Skydiving for Accuracy and Giant Slalom Racing. To know more about
this event, follow this link.
The slopes
Livigno has the three skiing areas, of which only two are linked. The recently
renovated ski-lifts have there departure points along the town's main road
and can be reached with a free bus service. The Monte Sponda versant (2514
meters) has two steep runs, with a 40% gradient, which are used for international
Giant races. The Mottolino is a rather scenic run which is 3 km long and
200 meters wide. The black run on the Monte della Neve is very technical.
To reach the bottom of the valley the back-country deviation, in the middle
of the woods, is recommended. The Polvere slope, at 3000 meters, is scenic
and very pleasant.
Cross-country lovers can ski, to their hearts content,
on the trails of the Ski-Promenade which begins in the center of town and
branches out in 2,3,5,8 and 30 km loops. These are the trails where the
1987 World Champion, Maurilio de Zolf, trained.
Break-points
The most typical alpine shelter is the Tea del Plan located
on the ski-school's slope. It is an old, renovated alpine hut where one
can eat "polenta taragna" (buck wheat and corn polenta with the
local magnuca cheese) besides the usual snacks and sandwiches filled with
"bresaola" (salt dried beef) or "speck" (cured, smoked
ham).
Springtime Telemark during the Skieda
The age-old gestures and rituals of the primordial skiing technique find
a ideal stage on the snowy expanses of Livigno. Every year the Tourist Office
organizes the Skieda. It is a series of sports events which repropose the flavour and
atmosphere of times past. Always on skis, of course!
For information contact the Tourist Office.
  
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