By Jenny Warner
27 January 2010
Are you a regular visitor to Europe's ski slopes? If so you will have at some point considered buying a property near the pistes rather than paying the exorbitant weekly room rates charged by many chalets these days.
Many British buyers are drawn to their favoured haunts in the French Alps but few know that Italy, which is better known for its Tuscan and Umbrian holiday homes, also has a vibrant ski home market. But where to buy?
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If you think Italy is a small, niche ski home market, then think again. Its mountains are on a par with France, offering 152 ski resorts and thousands of kilometres of interlinked ski runs, round-the-year skiing plus Alpine hiking and mountain biking.
And when the snow falls its resorts offer a more relaxed and informal atmosphere when compared to France, where brusque café staff, uptight ski instructors and crowded lifts are occasional irritants.
Also, Italy's strict limits on property development in the mountains results in a more scenic European ski experience than France.
We've picked three of the lesser known Italian ski areas; the Dolomites, The Aosta Valley and the Piedmont hills, to explore why they offer an alternative to the traditional French alpine 'names' - and some of the properties on offer.
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Cortina D'Ampezzo
Where: Near Cortina, in the Dolomite mountains in north eastern Veneto.
Why: The resort, which is one of Europe's most upmarket but little known, was made fashionable in the 1981 Bond film For Your Eyes Only. Cortina is a popular place for affluent Italians to own a second home and, against a backdrop of scenic landscape, showy Italians like to shop.
Piste action: Located in a wide sunny valley, the pistes are well groomed and not too crowded, while the resort offers high-class restaurants plus shops, cafes and hotels. While more expensive than many of the other Italian resorts Cortina, which hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics, is part of the Dolomiti Super Ski pass that includes 1,200 km of runs as well as the Sella Ronda, which is a 65km ring of runs all the way around the mountain.
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The Aosta Valley
Where: In the north west of the country, in the shadows of some of the highest mountains in Europe, including Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn
Why: Its long ski season, which runs from November to April and glacier skiing is available almost all year round.
Piste action: The most popular resort in this valley is Courmayeur, which is on the opposite side of Mont Blanc to the French resort of Chamonix. Courmayeur is known as one of the best all round resorts as it offers a little of everything, from skiing to suit all skiing abilities to its fantastic location, good Italian eateries, fun nightlife and its car free alpine village centre. When the snow melts, Italy's inaugural National Park, the Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso, offers plenty of hiking, mountain biking, and sight seeing as well as culture including Baroque art and churches.
What can I buy: A three-bedroom apartment in Courmayeur.
Price: £863,000.
More information: http://primelocation.com/international-property/details/id/IFIG999000124
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Via Lattea (the 'milky way')
Where: To the west of Aosta Valley, Via Lattea is in the West Piedmont region of the Italian alps and.
Why: It is one of the country's largest ski areas
Piste Action: It has all the equipment and other benefits that flowed from hosting the 2006 Winter Olympics including faster, modern ski lifts and gondolas; an improved trail network and better snow making facilities. Its resorts cover a ski area of 400 km spread over 140 slopes and has lifts that knit the region together. Its high point is 2,800m where the popular resort of Sestrière offers ice climbing, a skating rink, husky dog rides and snowmobiling. However, despite Sestrière's great snow, friendly après ski and delicious locally produced food, the majority of the accommodation here consists of hotels and the occasional dated apartment block from the sixties.
What can I buy: Four-bedroom chalet in the Piedmont region.
Price: £1.49m
More information: http://primelocation.com/international-property/details/id/JAIN999003120
Italy's strict limits on property development in the mountains results in a more scenic European ski experience than France.