Pila is located in the north-west of Italy and is part of the famous ski region of Valle d’Aosta. This resort is distinguished by the convenient location of the slopes and is recommended for family holidays. A fairly wide selection of routes allows skiers to easily determine the skiing areas, and soft fluffy snow ensures complete comfort and safety of this process. All slopes are carefully looked after throughout the season, and a modern system of lifts provides tourists with quick movement between areas. Due to the fact that Pila is located in very picturesque places, during the ascents, resort guests can enjoy the magnificent beauty of the Alpine peaks. Clean mountain air, combined with dense pine forest massifs, makes the local atmosphere extremely relaxed, which affects the increase in tone and guarantees good physical condition throughout the day.

Pila is a modern resort, built as a single pedestrian zone, the ski slopes pass right through the city. The architecture is unique: chalets are adjacent to large multi-storey buildings, typical of French resorts. Some old buildings have also been preserved.

You can diversify your stay at the ski resort by taking an exciting excursion to the surroundings of Pila, where there are many interesting historical monuments. In addition, there are ways to have fun in the resort area, for example, by visiting a local disco or enjoying traditional Italian cuisine in one of the local restaurants.

Pila ski resort, located at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level in the Aosta Valley, is more popular among connoisseurs, as well as professional skiers. There are much more “sporty”, difficult slopes here, and the small, homely area along with the calm atmosphere make this resort quite suitable for serious sports purposes. The resort offers opportunities for snowboarding in halfpipes, ice skating, paragliding and many other sports activities. However, this does not mean that you should not come to this resort with your family, on the contrary – in the modern town of Pila there is a very interesting skiing area equipped with a children’s slope, a play area with imitation of “bobsleigh” pipes and other winter sports areas. All activities are located in close proximity to the city center. Pila also has a club for children under 12 years old.

Climate of Pyla resort.

The Pyla ski resort is located in the Alpine climate zone. Accordingly, the climate depends on the height of the mountains – at the foot of the slopes it is moderate. But at the peaks, the weather conditions are usually very severe.

This region has a rather long winter – constant precipitation in the form of snow is observed here, as a rule, already in early November. At certain altitudes, snowfalls can be very heavy. While the snow on the ski slopes lasts for several months, it lies permanently on the mountain tops. The air temperature in the Pila resort in the winter months can drop to -15°C. The influx of visitors is observed here from November to March.

Summer in this area, in turn, is short and quite cool. Warm weather usually lasts from July to September, but in September there is often rain.

How to get there

The valley is connected to Central Europe by two tunnel motorways, from which a network of excellent roads branches off. From Switzerland, people travel here through the Grand Saint Bernard Tunnel, and from France – through the tunnel under the Mont Blanc massif. Here are located the world-famous resorts Breul-Cervinia and Monte Rosa, Courmayeur and Pila, La Thuile and Saint-Vincent. Courmayeur, Saint-Vincent and the very small Valtournenche are also famous for their healing thermal springs.

Perhaps a special role was played by the fact that in 2005 the Italian Bormio hosted the Alpine Skiing World Championships, and the 2006 Winter Olympics were also held in Italy – in Turin.

The nearest airports are Turin (about 120 km), Milan (about 200 km), Geneva (about 100 km).

For snowboarders, some resorts have board parks and half pipes.

The ski season lasts from mid-December to the end of April.

Slopes of Mont Blanc

If the trip to Pila is from other European countries, then First you need to overcome the Great St. Bernard Tunnel, and then navigate the SS 26 highway to Aosta and, further, the Gressan-Pila highway.

The Alpine resort of Pila, located at an altitude of 1,441 m, is recognized as a very comfortable and compact skiing region with conveniently interconnected slopes and cable cars. Tourists often come to Pila with the whole family, as there are few difficult slopes here, and the level of service allows vacationers of all ages to feel comfortable. It is also worth noting that at this resort you can buy a single ski pass, which gives the right to ski not only in Pila, but also on the slopes of Monte Rosa, Cervinia, La Thuile and Courmayeur.

Ski lift (Pila, Italy)

Infrastructure

Pila is a great place not only for skiing, but also an excellent starting point for traveling around the region. In addition, the slopes of the resort offer fabulous views of the majestic Mont Blanc and other mountain peaks surrounding the Valle d’Aosta. A wide selection of hotels allows guests to decide on a place to stay based on their preferences and financial capabilities. All hotels are located in close proximity to the lifts, so guests do not need much time to get to the ski areas.

The resort offers vacationers 5 *** hotels, 3 ** hotels, 1 ** hotel, a town of the Valtour system. In total, the resort can accommodate 2,000 guests. Most hotels and guesthouses are located directly on the slope.

The main thing is to choose where to stay: here or in Aosta itself, where the atmosphere of the old town has been preserved. In Aosta, most hotels are ***, they are located in the center. There is a **** hotel, a casino. It is easier to get to other resorts of the valley from Aosta.

After skiing, you can enjoy dishes of unique Italian cuisine in 20 restaurants and bars open until late. For those who want to dance, there are 4 discos in the city. There are many shops. Aosta and Pila are mainly visited by Italians, so communication in restaurants and cafes can be difficult – other languages are not widely spoken in Italy.

An organized infrastructure, which allows for a large number of restaurants, cafes and entertainment venues, does not allow tourists to get bored in the evening. Thus, Pila meets the highest requirements and is rightfully considered one of the most visited ski resorts in Valle d’Aosta.

Pila is a group of hotels located on the mountain near the lifts and slopes. The resort is very young, so it is equipped with the most modern lifts. The tourist infrastructure is excellent: there are shops, equipment rental points, underground garages.

A huge selection of accommodation – in Courmayeur alone there are 62 hotels of different categories. Hotels and cottages, villas and apartments – the type of accommodation can be chosen taking into account one important circumstance: prices in the valley are higher than in other resorts in Italy. The most economical accommodation option is in the city of Aosta itself, but booking a place in a hotel or apartment, of course, is necessary in advance.

There are plenty of opportunities in the valley to do other sports – swimming pools and ice rinks are in almost every town. The thermal springs in Valtournenche or San Vincente are also a must-visit. And the cuisine will not disappoint you anywhere.

Don’t forget about another interesting option in the Val d’Aosta valley – skiing at the Pila resort, which is connected to the city of Aosta by a lift. Although this skiing area is quite small (70 km of slopes), it is quite interesting for all categories of skiers. Accommodation in Pila or in Aosta is for those who value nightlife, shopping as much as skiing and cannot imagine a quality vacation without city life.

Resort altitude (m) 1800

Maximum altitude of slopes (m): 2752

Number of slopes: 20

Length of slopes (km): 70

Green: 0
Blue: 8
Red: 52
Black: 10

Number of lifts: 13

Gelada: 2
Chairs: 9
Cables: 2

Capacity (people / h): 16300

Number of cross-country trails (km): 8

Skiing areas

There are 4 “black” trails suitable for professional skiers. There are also 4 “blue” slopes. There are about 30 “red” trails here. The most interesting slopes, where trained skiers feel good, are Grimondet, La Barma, Pre-Noire and Chamolet. Slightly better prepared tourists can ride the Tra-Cruise, Resselin and Cuis-1 trails. And fans of steep snowboarding descents will be perfectly suited to the half-pipes and boarder parks available here. Those tourists who cannot imagine a winter vacation without freeriding will be able to ride in the pine forest near the Du Bois trail and to the left of the Chamolet ski lift.

Pilas ski resort indicators

The vast majority of the slopes at Pilas resort are designed for intermediate skiers. At the same time, there are enough training routes for beginners and good slopes where real “pros” can fully show themselves. All the slopes are located at an altitude of 1800 to 2800 meters above sea level. The difference in altitude is quite significant, which actively attracts freeride fans here. As already noted, Couis 1, Resselin and Tra Creuisa stand out among the most difficult ski routes. These trails are recommended exclusively for experts, and only well-trained skiers can go down them. As for the slopes of medium difficulty, Grimondet, Chamole, Pre Noir and La Barma are ideal for this category. Beginners should start with Grimod and Chatelaine. These are quite gentle and long trails that allow inexperienced skiers to fully adapt to the environment and stimulate further development. Snowboarders are given the opportunity to improve their skills in specially designated fan parks with a half-pipe. Cross-country skiers are also not left without attention and have a couple of dozen kilometers of flat ski trails at their disposal. Special trails are equipped for sledding fans. A skating rink is located next to the resort area. In Pila, the interests of all winter sports fans, regardless of gender and age, are taken into account.

Sights

One of the main objects in the vicinity of the village is the historical and cultural center of the region – Aosta. It is located just 20 minutes by cable car from Pila and is full of various attractions, as well as architectural monuments of past years. Since the Roman era, the Arch of Emperor Augustus has been preserved here, and the Praetorian Gate and the building of the Roman amphitheater have not lost their grandeur. A massive stone bridge still runs across the Dora Baltea River to this day, as if a symbol of past centuries. Of the medieval architectural objects, the collegiate church of Sant’Orso stands out, the somewhat gloomy, but still attracting attention, the monastery of Santa Caterina, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, with its museum, the massive chapel of San Grata and the city hall building. All these buildings hold memories of the past and are a great opportunity to capture the city’s historical landscapes in the camera’s memory, which is what numerous tourists who regularly visit these places do.

Given that the Valle d’Aosta region is not gigantic in size and is the smallest in this part of Italy, it can be explored well in a fairly short period of time. For lovers of antiquity, the historical castles concentrated in these places are of particular interest. One of them is the Fenis Castle, built in 1242. Today it is a museum where you can see the armory with the military arsenal of those times exhibited in it, a reservoir for collecting rainwater, servants’ quarters and living rooms where influential people spent their leisure time. In the same area is the Isson Castle, which is even older than Fenis. At one time it was the residence of the bishop of Aosta. First of all, Isson is famous for its unique fountain, which resembles a pomegranate tree in shape. Not far from it stand two more medieval castles, Sarre and Verres, in the halls of the latter, a massive costumed carnival is held annually, which each time gathers a significant number of people.

Fenis Castle, Italy

The region is mainly famous for its natural values. Around the majestic Gran Paradiso mountain, for example, there is a large national park. The park was originally created to protect from extinction a very rare species of Alpine mountain goats, the population of which was greatly reduced by uncontrolled hunting in the 19th century. In addition to these rare animals, the reserve can also be found in many rare species of birds, in particular eagles. Gran Paradiso is also known as a habitat for ermines. The vast territory of the national park covers more than 700 square kilometers. There are large glaciers, dense forests, and picturesque alpine meadows, beloved by many visitors as places for picnics and walks.

Another magnificent mountain in this region is Monte Rosa. The name of this peak is translated from Italian as “pink mountain”. And indeed, when the sun is reflected in the large glaciers, the face of the mountain begins to beautifully shimmer with all shades of pink and purple.

All these attractions give vacationers the opportunity to take part in a variety of interesting excursions. Some trips are organized directly from Pila, but for most the starting point is Aosta. In addition to mountain castles and national reserves, resort guests can visit Milan and Turin.

Places for entertainment and shopping in the resort of Pila.

In addition to a wide selection of ski slopes, this small resort offers its guests a lot of other entertainment. The tourist infrastructure is very well developed here: numerous hotels, guesthouses and campsites are ready to welcome guests, and in the evenings cozy bars and cafes open their doors. Visitors are also offered beauty salons, spa centers and shops. Shopping opportunities here, however, are not very wide, but for profitable and pleasant purchases you can go to the neighboring city of Aosta or, even better, go for a day to Milan or Turin.

Висновок

Піла – чудовий варіант відпочинку для сімей з дітьми. А також для початківців лижників. Для професіоналів місцеві спуски можуть здатися нудними, але велика кількість легких і захоплюючих трас ідеально підходить для залучення до гірськолижного спорту дітей і просто новачків в цій області. Також будь-якому туристові припаде до душі чарівність місцевої природи, а вчинені в перервах між заняттями спортом захоплюючі поїздки надовго залишаться в пам’яті приємними спогадами.