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The Dolomites and the surrounding regions are popular for extending the summer. When it's already getting autumnal elsewhere, the sunny days still seem endlessly long here. This is probably why this region is still considered an insider tip when it comes to winter vacations: Italy isn't automatically associated with skiing. Yet Northern Italy is home to some of the most beautiful ski resorts in Europe, with an extremely high snow guarantee from December to March. The winter sun conjures up a glistening glow on the slopes and the sky shines an immaculate blue. So why soak up the sun in the Caribbean when you can spend your winter vacation here with a tan guaranteed?

Matteo Colombo

Northern Italy stands for dolce vita in the mountains. While in other places you are fobbed off with fast food in mountain huts, in this region it's a matter of national pride to use high-quality regional products. In the most rustic huts, the food will amaze you: from bacon dumplings to Schlupfkrapfen, but also fresh fish from our own farm, such as at the Comici Hütte. Feasting and sport are not a contradiction in terms. This is another reason why Northern Italy stands out from the winter offerings. Currently, there are 17 starred restaurants in this region, which is remarkable.

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The super ski resort

The region also focuses on quality when it comes to training: Ski instructors have to complete a two-year training course before they can call themselves Maestro di sci. The range of slopes is gigantic: 1,200 kilometers are groomed; after all, the ski association Dolomiti Superski is the largest ski association network in the world. The infrastructure in the region is also impressive: You can use all lifts with a single ski pass.

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What you shouldn't miss is Kronplatz at 2,275 meters - a winter sports paradise that's also ideal for children and families with its gentle hills and wide slopes. At the same time, there are five black pistes in one go, guaranteeing adventurous descents, which is typical for this region: Olympic slopes are next to family slopes, so there's something for everyone. You simply split up for a few hours so that everyone gets their money's worth. Northern Italy has an additional advantage for winter lovers: not every region in Italy has Easter vacations. The ski slopes are much less crowded in spring than in neighboring countries.

© stefano@stefanobutturini.it

Almost 30 ski areas leave nothing to be desired, in Schnalstal and in Sulden you can even ski on glaciers. The most exciting slopes: Gran Risa is one of the most technically interesting and challenging runs in the Alta Badia ski area. In Gröden, the elite meet on the notoriously bumpy Saslong slope. On the Schnalstal Glacier you are at an altitude of 3,200 meters, the eight-kilometre-long, so called, smuggler's run, is famous. The Holzriese descent in the Sesto Dolomites has a gradient of up to 71 percent and takes you past the picturesque Three Peaks. Fancy another record? With around 1,800 kilometers of trails, Northern Italy is a cross-country skiing Eldorado. The snow-covered landscape is also ideal for ski tours.

Luxury and hospitality

© Gustav Willeit

And where do you stay? If you are looking for sophisticated flair, head to Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Olympic town with an international jet-set atmosphere. The Alpe di Siusi, the largest high plateau in Europe, offers a wide range of accommodation. Northern Italy is not only special because of its culinary delights, but also because of its flair for high-quality architecture. Nowhere else, you'll discover so many fascinating and unusual buildings that fit perfectly into the rugged mountain landscape. High-quality materials are standard. Large glass fronts provide a view of the main protagonist: a spectacular landscape, which is particularly dramatic in winter.

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But you can also combine city and skiing: You can stroll and dine in Bolzano and go skiing in sunny Eggental, where you'll find small and quaint villages that are not overrun by tourists. Deutschnofen, for example, not only offers a fantastic panorama of Rosengarten, Latemar and the twin mountains Schwarzhorn and Weißhorn, but is also the sunniest village in the region with 2,360 hours of sunshine. Wellness in Northern Italy is on a level of its own: the absolute eye-catcher is the new spa of the Alpin Panorama Hotel Hubertus, which blends in with the mountain landscape in terms of its choice of colors and materials. It seems to float and stand on its head. But also in the newly opened COMO Alpina Dolomites on the Seiser Alm, the wellness area is so minimalist and luxurious that you don't actually want to leave the hotel. This includes the 22-metre-long indoor-outdoor pool and hay baths inspired by Northern Italian tradition.

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A winter vacation in Northern Italy is not just about classic skiing. Hotels such as the Forestis with its so called forest cuisine are luxurious hideaways in the mountains where you can enjoy the peace and quiet. Here, you'll get to enjoy long walks, yoga classes, healthy and high-quality food with a view of the mountains: Northern Italy is a place to arrive, switch off and recharge your batteries. It's a winter landscape as it used to be.

Read more: Gourmet tips in the Dolomites