A new flight is opening up Italy’s Alta Badia region to ‘coolcationers’, writes Josh Barrie
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As an occasional skier, I was a little sceptical about what the Dolomite ski resort of Alta Badia might offer in the summer. What is the place, if you’re not swooping down beautifully white pistes? No camaraderie on icy ski lifts? No après?
But the growing trend for ‘coolcations’ had me curious about visiting an Italian snowsports hotspot in the height of summer, so I hopped on board Italian airline SkyAlps’ new flight from Gatwick to Bolzano, which lies about halfway between the northern shore of Lake Garda and Alta Badia.
From the window of my low-flying turboprop plane, I could see mountains usually blanketed in snow instead lush with green meadows. Bolzano is the gateway to South Tyrol, where Italian, Austrian and Ladin – an ethnolinguistic group in the vein of Switzerland’s Romansh speakers – cultures merge.
What to do in Bolzano
I spend my first night here and visit the South Tyrolean Museum of Archaeology, which happens to be home to Europe’s oldest known ancestor.
Otzi, nicknamed the ‘Iceman’, is a naturally mummified body that was discovered on the Austria-Italy border in 1991 and believed to have lain there since between 3350BC and 3105BC.
Culture-seeking clients could bookend the museum with the Maria Himmelfahrt Cathedral, a majestic 14th-century construction with a beautifully patterned roof and storytelling frescoes within.
Cycling in Alta Badia
From Bolzano, it’s on to Alta Badia, sold in summer by operators including Inghams, Exodus Adventure Travels and Scott Dunn. The journey by car or bus is less than two hours, with regular services from Bolzano train station (from €29 one-way). The route weaves elegantly through the Italian Alps via a series of tunnels and tight bends.
In Corvara, one of the more upmarket Alta Badia locales, is the family-owned, Ladin-style Hotel Sassongher. The place might also be home to the most flamboyant bartender in the region: a theatrical man called Mr Saro who mixes one hell of a negroni.
Maybe don’t drink too much, though, because mountain biking is big in Alta Badia – it’s what the locals do when there’s no snow to ski on. There are guided tours of the nearby Pralongia plateau and e-bikes are available to rent from bases at the top of ski lifts. In fact, Corvara boasts the highest e-bike sharing scheme in the world, with a station 2,100m above sea level.
While the bikes are electric, some of the steep mountainsides require enough exercise to warrant ample refreshment. Fortunately, independently owned coffee huts can be found along each path – I stop at one and savour local apple juice with a hefty slab of strudel.
Farther on, Tyrolean restaurant Zirmstrube provides panoramic views, as well as lagers such as Forst, prosecco, a tasty pinot blanc and Ladin dishes including barley soup, ham and cheese dumplings, plus lots of speck (smoked ham) and Alpine cheeses. Elsewhere in Alta Badia are less-strenuous activities such as wine tastings and gentle walks.
Clients can also help prepare farm breakfasts by accompanying farmers to collect eggs, bake bread and gather fresh milk before sitting down with the Dolomites as a backdrop.
There is an emphasis on wholesomeness in the region: the next day, I go on a new ‘Alta Badia eco-hiker’ walk with an expert local guide, who casts a light on the fragility of the ecosystem here. It is a fairly short walk though not without charm. The dose of fresh mountain air feels enlivening, and the heavy rain on our return leg is quite refreshing after building up a sweat in the summer warmth. Happily, I don’t find a scrap of rubbish, although a couple of my companions do.
Hotel Sassongher spa
After long days of cycling and walking, nothing beats the Sassongher’s sky spa, with saunas of varying temperatures, steam rooms, a rooftop whirlpool bath and a heated pool. Should clients want to reward themselves with a massage, treatments start at about €70.
A negroni from Mr Saro offers another way to relax, making for a perfect pairing with dinner in the hotel restaurant, which leans towards traditional Italian dishes of risotto, baked fish and excellent steak, alongside an extensive wine list. Those who wish to carry on the night can listen to live music in the bar or make use of the cigar room – a typical pursuit in the Alps.
I leave Alta Badia feeling replenished. Although I was sceptical at first – and the sight of grass-covered ski slopes was initially slightly befuddling – this Alpine region is full of attractions for all seasons.
Getting there
SkyAlps launched its London-Bolzano route in December 2023 and this year is flying its first summer season from Gatwick. Flights operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with one-way fares starting at £156. From December 18, the route will operate three times per week.
skyalps.com
Where to stay
The Wes Anderson-esque Parkhotel Laurin is an old-style hotel in the centre of Bolzano. A night in a double room starts at €148 next June and July.
laurin.it
Alta Badia’s Hotel Sassongher is still run by the family that opened it. The spa facilities are excellent, and the breakfast buffet is one of the best in the region. Preferred Hotels & Resorts can book a night’s B&B from £215, based on two sharing, in summer 2025.
preferredhotels.com
Seven nights’ half-board at Hotel Col Alto in Corvara starts at £1,309, based on two sharing, and including flights from Gatwick on September 17, 2025, plus transfers.
inghams.co.uk
Ask the expert
Stefanie Irsara, trade sales, Alta Badia Brand
“As Europe’s high summer temperatures continue to make headlines, we’re seeing increased tourism to Alta Badia, seeking out the cool mountains. Summer sees visitors from Britain coming for the great hiking, e-biking and cycling and, of course, to taste the mountain food. In 2023, we saw more than 6,000 British arrivals in summer, staying for an average of four nights in the mountains – usually twinning a visit with time in Venice, Verona or Bolzano, or simply moving around different mountain regions.”
Find out more
Learn more about the region at altabadia.org and idm-suedtirol.com
PICTURES: Alta Badia Images; Alta Badia Images/Harald Whisthaler; Alex Moling
