A cable car from the village of Assergi brings me up to enjoy 22km of downhill slopes and more than 60km of cross-country trails. It’s quite high here, between 1,115m and 2,235m and there are 11 pistes, a mix of red and blue and four ski lifts. Interestingly Mussolini was imprisoned in 1943 in the Hotel Campo Imperatore before he was rescued by the Germans in a daring raid. Campo Felice This is a small resort 83km south, set in a vast natural basin, surrounded by five mountains over 2,000m high. There are 40km of slopes (31km downhill, 10km cross-country), 21 trails and 15 lifts. The wide Campo Felice base has gentle slopes, ideal for beginners. Several intermediate runs (blue and red) fan across both sides of the mountain. The longest black descent is an invigorating 2.5km. Ovindoli Monte Magnola Located in the Sirente-Velino Regional Park, the Ovindoli ski resort not only offers great skiing slopes but also fantastic scenery. There are 35km of slopes with 6 blue, 8 red and 7 black with 11 lifts and 50km of cross-country trails. Due to its northern exposure the ski season runs from December to May and there’s an abundance of snow. Beginners and learners slopes are in two areas – at the base and higher up at 1900m in the Amphitheatre Bowl. There are 6 runs designated easy varying between 350m and 1km. Ovindoli is home to Europe’s longest ‘magic carpet’ lift – perfect for beginners. A chair lift takes you up to Monte Magnola to the highest point of the resort at an altitude of 2056m. If you’re an advanced skier, don’t miss out on the spectacular 4km l Pistone slope off the Monte Freddo lift Tip: Buy the Ski Pass dei Parchi which covers three areas – Campo Felice, Ovindoli and Campo Imperatore. Read more: https://www.thetravelmagazine.net/ski-guide-abruzzo-italy.html#ixzz63zrSDyUM Follow us: @TravelMagazine on Twitter | TheTravelMagazine on Facebook