The Gressoney ski resort is located at the foot of the Monte Rosa mountain range, which separates Italy and Switzerland with its 14 four-thousanders. Eight centuries ago, the valley was settled by representatives of the Walserr Germanic people, who moved from the northern Vallese valley. To this day, local residents adhere to their traditions: they speak an old German dialect that almost no one understands, they dress in national costumes and live in “stadel”-style houses. There are two main villages in the valley: Gressoney-La Trinite (1637 m) and Gressoney-Saint-Jean (1387 m).
You can get on your skis right at the door of the hotel and start the descent. Gressoney attracts lovers of skiing all day. For those who want to come to the mountains for downhill skiing, this place is very suitable for this. Freeriders love to ski between trees and jump off rocky islands. In Gressoney there is a cheap special pass to the lifts with easy pistes. The level of comfort, the quality of the tracks, the service – all this is at the highest level.
Where to stay
Apartments and hotels from 2 to 4 stars are connected to lifts and other sports structures thanks to the convenient “skibus” service, with stops opposite the hotels. Most hotel structures are equipped with hydromassage and saunas, and some have health centers.
Hotel Gran Baita 3-star hotel
Hotel Gran Baita is a historic mountain chalet in Gressoney-Saint-Jean, 300 meters from Savoy Castle. The hotel has a restaurant. Rooms with a panoramic view are decorated in a country style. The Monte Rosa ski bus stops nearby.
Free parking and free Wi-Fi in public areas are provided. Rooms at Hotel Gran Baita are furnished with wooden furniture. The rooms also have a liquid crystal TV and parquet or carpet flooring.
A sweet and savory breakfast is served every morning. The Gran Baita’s restaurant offers vegetarian dishes, mountain cuisine and vintage local wines. Snacks are served at the bar.
Albergo Alpenrose 3-star hotel
Albergo Alpenrose is less than 2 km from the center of Gressone-Saint-Jean. The Weissmatten ski school and ski slopes are 50 meters from the hotel. Ski buses stop in front of the hotel and take guests to the slopes of Monte Rosa.
Hotel Alpenrose is 300 meters from the Sporthaus. Cross-country skiing tracks pass not far from the apartments. Cycling facilities and wine tasting tours are also available.
The rooms of the Alpenrose Hotel are equipped with satellite TV and an independent heating system.
The hotel’s restaurant serves local and national dishes. Vegetarian and children’s meals are also prepared.
Hotel Jolanda Sport 4-star hotel
Located next to the ski lifts on the slopes of Punta Yolanda, this hotel has a spa and a restaurant serving dishes from the Aosta region. The hotel has a ski storage room. Its Alpine-style rooms come with free Wi-Fi and an LCD TV with satellite channels.
In the rooms of the Jolanda Sport Hotel, the walls are covered with wood, and you can see exposed beams under the ceiling. Soft bathrobes and slippers are prepared for guests in each room. Some rooms with a balcony have a four-poster bed.
The hotel serves a buffet breakfast every day. In the restaurant you will be offered both local specialties and classic dishes of Italian cuisine.
In the health center you can visit a sauna, a gym and a swimming pool. Massage treatments are available.
It takes 1.5 hours to drive from the hotel to Aosta or Turin on the A5 Autostrada Torino-Aosta.
TH Gressoney la Trinitè Monboso Hotel 4-star hotel
The four-star hotel with panoramic views of the Alps and the Aosta Valley is located in the commune of Gressone La Trinite, a few meters from the Betta FORCOM and Gabiet ski lifts. A gym and a health center are at guests’ disposal.
Guests at Monboso TH Resorts can enjoy a disco, a cinema and a bar with live piano music. The restaurant serves Italian, regional and international cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Cozy and comfortable rooms with carpeting are equipped with a TV and a safe. The private bathroom is equipped with a hairdryer.
TH Resorts Monboso offers a ski school, ski storage, a mini club and an entertainment area for children. In summer, guests can relax on the sun terrace.
History of Gressoney
The history of the Gressoney resort is connected with German emigrants who came here in the 8th century. To this day, the inhabitants of this town adhere to the ancient Germanic tradition.
Easy customs clearance and natural beauty have been attracting tourists since the 18th century, but Gressoney became famous as a resort in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Great interest is associated with Margarita of Savoy, the Italian queen, wife of Umberto I. She usually spent the summer here from 1889 to 1925, she loved mountaineering. In 1893, the queen climbed to the top of Punta Nifetta (altitude about 4,600 meters above sea level), and there she founded the highest mountain shelter in Europe, perpetuating the name of the beautiful queen in its name. Gressoney preserves the atmosphere and spirit of the German people.
Geographical position of Gressoney
Gressoney is located next to Monte Rosa mountain in Valle del Lys. Gressoney-Saint-Jean is located at an altitude of about 1,400 meters and the village of Gressoney-La Trinot is located at an altitude of about 1,640 meters. The valleys Sesia, Ayas and Lys belong to the Monte Rosa region.
Climate of Gressoney
The climate is like that of many alpine regions: summer is cool and winter is harsh. From October to March, there are heavy snowfalls both on the plains and in the mountainous areas. The season lasts from December 1 to April 25.
Description of Gressoney ski slopes and services
Gressoney is surrounded by impressive mountain peaks in a thriving resort area. Everything – both the service and the tracks are at the highest level. At the resort, you can engage in any type of skiing, everything is organized for this. The maximum height of the skiing area is 3550 m, the number of slopes: blue – 7, red – 20, black – 5, the total length of the slopes – 180 km, the number of lifts – 17.
The characteristics of the tracks for children and beginners are an ideal resort, it has convenient lifts and smooth, wide slopes. Snowboarders love this resort. The resort has about 200 kilometers of various tracks. Freeriding, heli-skiing, off-piste routes are also at the service of tourists. The new cabin lift connects the Staffal station of the Gressoney resort with the Champolyuk resort and the village of Alanya (Piedmont).
The longest track begins to stretch from Passo del Salata to Gressoney 14 kilometers. Its smooth, wide slopes are suitable for children and beginners. There are off-road routes. Funiculars and lifts take tourists to any point in Gressoney. Good “blue” descents in the Champoliuk and Antanyon areas. Interesting and treacherous descents for professionals lead to the Alanya-Valsesia valley and to Stafal. Professionals will be able to demonstrate their excellent riding skills on difficult terrains and steep drops of the Balm extreme descent. The “dark” highways of Sehorn-Gabiet and Schauma descend into the valley of Gressoney-Saint John.
Many rich opportunities in Monte Rosa for freeriders. Off-piste descents and vast expanses of wilderness lead to the Gressoney valley and other areas of the plain. Due to the avalanche danger of the area, off-piste skiing without an experienced guide is not recommended. There is no snowboard park in Monte Rosa, so snowboarders will be able to ride only on different slopes.
Sights of Gressoney
Sights of history and architecture: Queen Margarita Castle, with the park that surrounds it, it was built in 1840, became the residence of Queen Margarita in 1904 and was her until 1925; the villa of the Beck Pessoz noble family (Villa Margherita), built in 1833, was the residence of Queen Margarita from 1899 to 1904; the bridge was built in 1540, a classic of the architecture of those centuries; chapels of the 17th-18th centuries (The chapels); churches / monasteries: the church located in the center of the city, built in 1515, was expanded in 1735
Tourists are recommended to visit the botanical garden. In it you can see the wealth of the entire alpine flora. At the resort, you can visit the Museum of Alpine Fauna (Gressonay Sina Jean).
There is a beautiful Lake Hover. An ice rink is built on it in winter, and tracks for cross-country skiing are laid along the shores.
Various excursions can be made from Gressoney , starting with hiking and ending with high mountain climbing.
Places for entertainment and shopping in Gressoney
After visiting the historical sites, tourists can engage in active recreation, for example, ice skating on Lake Hover, or cross-country skiing on a 25-kilometer local track. Next to the center is a sports center equipped with the latest technology. In addition, Gressoney has everything you need for: archery, mountain biking, golf, tennis, rock climbing, swimming in the pool, horseback riding, paragliding, mountain biking.
Alpine guides will be able to offer interesting programs for freeriding, ice climbing, ski mountaineering, and quiet walks on snowshoes. The resort has one cross-country skiing school and two alpine skiing schools, more than 100 instructors who help to improve the technique of snowboarding and alpine skiing.
Night clubs, bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops are open in the evening. In the evening, after skiing, you can stroll through the streets of the historic centers of Gressoney-la-Trinite and Gressoney-Saint-Jean and visit the numerous shops for traditional products or gifts for relatives and friends. Tourists will be able to spend a good evening, enjoying Gressoney and Valdostan dishes in the hospitable and warm atmosphere of the restaurants.
How to get there
The nearest train station to Gressoney is Pont San Martin, from where it is a 2-hour drive to Turin Airport and a 3-hour drive to Milan Airport.
Conclusion
Most tourists consider Gressoney to be the best ski resort in Europe. The service and the tracks made are at a high level. Tracks of any difficulty category. Gressoney is well suited for those who are just starting to learn to ski downhill and for children. Experienced instructors help you learn to ride. Tourists can visit various attractions and have a good rest after skiing.
The ski slopes are beautiful, the interesting history of the resort and the magnificence of the surrounding mountains – all this makes the ski resort a great place in Italy for a sports and exciting vacation.