The high altitude resort of Cervinia boasts some pretty impressive scenery, set against a breathtaking glacial backdrop and dominated by the mighty Matterhorn.

It is the gateway to some of the best skiing in the Alps. It has some of the highest and longest, well-groomed pistes that are easy enough for the average intermediate skier and has several good mountain restaurants to break your journey and enjoy the stunning views. The slopes link to Zermatt in Switzerland and to Valtournenche, further down on the other side of the valley. Its new cable car allows spectacular views over the mountainside during your ride to Monta Rosà

The village lacks the charm of some of its alpine neighbours but its compact, car free centre has some good bars and decent restaurants. Its après ski and nightlife is subdued, but there are still some lively spots that will pose a challenge.

It is a good resort for beginners with nursery slopes in the village and at Plan Maison. Intermediate skiers have an extensive choice of long open runs that offer the chance to ski all day without ever repeating the same piste twice. Most of the resorts red runs are misleading and would be classified as blue elsewhere. The skiing is more limited for the more advanced skier but there is a new black run the ‘Cervino Black’ in the Cretaz ski area and some good black pistes if you ski over to Zermatt.

It has miles of long sunny gentle runs, especially in the late season. The resort has good snow throughout the winter and well into the spring. It is considered to be an ideal resort for families.

The area under Mt Cervino, the “City of Rocks” where the boulders are balanced on one another like sculptures creating a magical atmosphere, has been designated to a new way to enjoy skiing, ‘slow ski’, take a deep breath, to follow the slow rhythm of time and get away from it all to enjoy the panorama that surrounds you. The slow ski concept is that of the mind and soul, relaxing and regenerating.

Off-mountain activities include horse riding, paragliding, quad biking, kite skiing, ice karting, ski mountaineering, snow shoeing, snow dinghies, snow biking, air boarding, snowmobiling and heli skiing.