Sestriere Ski Resort, Ski City in the Milky Way

The ski region has four major ski resorts, the Claviere, the Cesana-Sansicario, the Sauze d'Oulx, and the Sestriere. The Claviere ski resort is ideal for families in which the parents are teaching the young ones how to ski.

Romantic couples that enjoy the private rustic settings prefer the Cesana-Sansicario ski resort. Groups of people who loved a lively après ski would go to the Sauze d'Oulx ski resort. The serious skiers, however, who demand challenging pistes as well as comfortable amenities, the ski resort of Sestriere is the superior choice. The Sestriere was built in the 1930s. As innovations and improvements are implemented every year, the Sestriere is always a new ski resort.

At the Sestriere ski resort, the skiers will have access to 105 ski runs that total to about 400 kilometers. About half of these runs are designed for intermediate skiers. For example, the ski runs in the Monti della Luna area go through the woods with the widths perfectly suited for those who love to combine pleasure and challenge in skiing. There is a total of 15 kilometers of cross-country trails and a snow park. The longest ski run is about five kilometers, which means extended skiing fun. Sestriere is also the location of the famous Giovanni Alberto Agnelli piste, the ski run used by the Alpine World Championships in 1997. The same ski run is open for nighttime skiing until 10 pm.

Amenity-wise, the Sestriere ski resort is both inclusive and state-of-the-art. The resort was purposely built with skiers in mind. There are numerous hotels, restaurants, and shops. The cost of hotel accommodations is average but the skiers can reduce their expenses by renting apartments. Various international cuisines can be enjoyed from any of the 33 restaurants and 30 bars. There are shops for ski equipment and boutiques for those who are keen on Italian fashion. And if skiers wanted alternatives to skiing, the new ski resort has facilities for bowling, paragliding, ice-skating, and even golf. Of course, the gym is well outfitted with physical fitness equipment, including sauna tubs.

Within the new ski resort of Sestriere, there are 92 lifts, of which the lowest is at 1,840 meters, and the highest is at 2,840 meters. The Sestriere's open season is from December to April, when the snow conditions are excellent.

The snow is natural because the Sestriere is located at 2,035 meters above sea level, and right at the foot of the Sises Mountain. The Sestriere ski resort is also flanked by Mount Fraiteve and Mount Banchetta. To reach the new ski resort of Sestriere, skiers can come in through the international airport of Turin (or Torino, as the Italians like to call it).

Then the skiers can either use the bus or the shuttle to reach the resort area. For a shorter bus ride, the skiers can ride a train first to reach Oulx and then get on a bus to Sestriere. If coming from France, the skiers can take the train from Paris to reach Turin.