FEATURE
ULTIMATE SKI
THE BIG SPLASH
Fly to: Geneva
Thighs burning and you
need a day off? Head to the
newly opened indoor tropical
paradise waterpark of Aquariaz
(
pv-holidays.com/aquariaz),
sitting at an altitude of
1,800
m in the car-free resort
of
Avoriaz
in France. This
giant park has winding rivers,
pools, waterfalls, Jacuzzis
and waterslides flanked by
climbing walls, rope swings
and glorious snowy mountains
views through the lush tropical
vegetation. There’s even a
steaming 34°C open-air spa
pool. And for those wishing to
trade the tropics for the alpine
environment, the giant 650km
Portes du Soleil ski area, one of
the largest in the world, which
covers 12 resorts in France and
Switzerland, should more than
suffice, regardless of ability.
avoriaz.com
SANCTUARY ON
THE SLOPES
Fly to: Milan
The historic town of
Bormio
in
the Lombardy Alps has been
known for its thermal baths
and spas since Roman times.
And what better way to wind
down after a day skiing the
resort’s 50km of pistes, or the
wider 250km Alta Valtellina
ski area (accessed with one
pass; skipassaltavaltellina.it)?
For the ultimate luxury,
spa resort Bagni di Bormio
(
bagnidibormio.it) offers the
five-star, pink icing Grand
Bagni Nuovi hotel, with indoor
and thermal baths, saunas,
Jacuzzi and Turkish hammam.
In the same complex, the
Hotel Bagni Vecchi has a
natural 40ºC ‘Sweating Grotto’
hidden in the mountain caves
and an outdoor pool with
superb panoramic views.
bormioski.eu
FOR STUNNING
SURROUNDINGS
Fly to: Venice
If abundant natural beauty is
a priority for you, then head
to
Val Gardena
in the spiky
Sella mountain range in the
Italian Dolomites. As part of
the Dolomiti Superski area, it
boasts 1220km of pistes linking
a number of villages that’s best
explored via the Sella Ronda
loop route. Highlights include
the very steep tree-lined
off-piste terrain in Arraba,
the 1.5km King Laurin snow
park on Alp di Siusi and the
cobweb-blasting World Cup
downhill run from Ciampinoi to
St Christina. And if you’re after
something a little more lively
after dark, the area retains
a strong Germanic influence
–
think wild, table-stomping
après ski
with the added bonus
of fine Italian food afterwards.
valgardena.it
“
Bormio has
been known
for its thermal
baths and
spas since
Roman times”
54
WIZZ MAGAZINE
DECEMBER-JANUARY 2012/13
