Folgaria sits on a broad, high mountain plateau in the Trentino region of northern Italy. It's a town at around 1,200m with wide, walkable streets, a centre full of cafes, bakeries, and small shops, and an unhurried pace where afternoons run into long lunches and evening strolls. Its open, elevated setting means the plateau catches a lot of sun and stays bright through the day, with gentle wooded slopes rising on either side. There's a distinctive local heritage here too. The plateau was settled long ago by the Cimbri, a Germanic-speaking people whose culture still shapes daily life, and you'll notice it in the traditional wooden architecture, the local festivals, and the cooking, giving Folgaria a flavour all of its own.

Up on the mountain, the skiing rises up to about 1,850m, and is as easy-goingand welcoming as the town below. There's more than 100 kilometres of pistes and around 50 runs spread across the plateau, and most of it the terrain is wide, gentle, and beautifully groomed. Beginners have a generous spread of easy blue runs and dedicated learning areas to build confidence on, while intermediates can roam across long, rolling cruisers that let you carry speed and cover real distance. There's a handful of steep reds and a few blacks for stronger skiers wanting to test themselves, though the mountain is at heart an easy place to ski. Folgaria’s slopes get plenty of light while staying cold enough to hold their snow, and with extensive snowmaking backing up what falls, the season runs dependably from late November into early April.

There's plenty to enjoy beyond the downhill runs, too. Folgaria has one of Trentino's finest cross-country networks, with around 80km of trails winding through the forest, and there's more besides, from snowshoeing and sledging to a husky-sledding centre. The food is a highlight in its own right, with hearty Trentino mountain dishes like polenta, cheeses, and dumplings, and Cimbrian heritage lending a central-European accent to the local cooking. The plateau carries a deep layer of history as well. The front lines of the First World War ran right across these mountains, and the forts, trenches, and memorials scattered through the landscape make for a fascinating way to spend a day off the slopes. All in all, Folgaria is a welcoming holiday destination, with good food, real history, and gentle slopes that suit almost everyone.

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