Outdoor Pursuits
With the Alps right on the doorstep, it's easy to spend a weekend on the pistes from Milan, Turin, Bologna or Venice, and the Abruzzi mountains offer some skiing reachable from Rome or Naples in resorts such as Campo Felice and Roccardo; tourist offices should have details of resorts in their areas. Settimane Bianche (White Weeks), a package of accommodation in a ski resort, can be excellent value and are relatively easy to arrange. Contact the regional tourist offices in Val d'Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige or your chosen resort in autumn for brochures: these specify prices, participating hotels and contact details; then you book your accommodation direct and arrange your own transport. Extras such as equipment rental and lift passes are equally inexpensive, with a three-day pass costing between GBP84,000-140,000/?43.34-72.24. Snow can be unreliable on this southerly, sunnier side of the Alps, but snow cannon keep a guaranteed core of pistes open. In summer, the hiking and climbing are second to none. Mountain-biking has also taken off in a big way in the last five years with plenty of rental outlets (charging about GBP30,000/?15.49 a day), and the added advantage that some cable-car companies offer special deals whereby they take the slog out of getting the bike up and you get to freewheel down. Waterskiing, sailing and windsurfing are also popular at seaside resorts as well as on Lake Garda , with equipment and lessons easy to arrange. Swimming in anything but the sea is harder than you might imagine - there are few municipal pools (note that swimming caps are often obligatory), but you can always make the occasional hotel with a pool a priority. Ustica, off Sicily's northern coast, hosts an annual marine festival from mid-June through to August: activities, exhibitions and events take place on both land and sea. Canoeing and kayaking have boomed in recent years, particularly in the mountain areas of the North. The Amici del Fiume has a Web site ( www.services.csi.it/~fiume ) with useful links, though not all the pages are translated into English. The use of gym facilities or tennis courts usually entails acquiring club membership. In country areas it's becoming increasingly easy to find stables offering riding lessons or holidays - agriturismo agencies and local tourist offices can help with arrangements.
South ItalyLeila says "the southern coast of italy" www.italiana.co.ukClaire McDonough says "Italiana.co.uk was formed in late 2005 to offer a unique reference point on everything about italian food and drink.
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