Very few people have heard about Moena, or even know the Val di Fassa in which
it’s set. But if you want your skiing smooth, your mountains crinkly and a
deluxe holiday for the price of a cheap chalet in the big-name resorts, then
listen up.
It wasn’t always like this. In the 1930s, Moena was an A-list destination for
aristocrats, industrialists and Vatican officials. They arrived in
chauffeur-driven cars, wore black tie for dinner and stayed for a fortnight
over Christmas; but they disappeared after the war, and the town has never
regained the glamour they brought with them.
Skiing has changed, after all. These days, ski-in, ski-out convenience is
prized above character, and a reputation for life-threatening terrain is an
essential part of a resort’s allure. Moena offers neither. Now, it’s just a
small town you bypass on the way to Canazei, at the far end of the valley —
the only place in these parts with anything like an international profile.
But if you base yourself in Moena and commute each day to its local slopes,
you’re in for a treat. This is classic Dolomite country: vast citadels of
rock rise above the forests; nearby, flatter, rolling plateaux provide the
perfect viewing platforms.
These are the slopes you actually ski on, and they’re heaven-sent for
low-stress cruising, punctuated by exquisite espressi and the odd indulgent
bombardino (a dangerously moreish cocktail of egg liqueur, whisky and rum,
warmed up and topped with cream).
Then, when you’ve had your fill of scenic splendour, you and your friends line
yourselves up at the top of one of the steeper runs and swoop back down into
the valleys like fighter pilots peeling off into an attack. If that sounds
OTT, then you must never have skied fast on an empty piste in the sunshine.
It makes you feel like a superhero.
There’s a lot of that kind of skiing here because the best thing about Moena’s
obscurity is the lack of on-piste crowds. Everyone is up at the far end of
the valley, processing around a famous ski circuit known as the Sella Ronda,
while you enjoy the kind of empty slopes you usually find only in the
American Rockies. Just at weekends, when the locals come out to play, is
there anything like the normal level of Alpine traffic.
Food is the final element of Moena’s appeal. There’s a general rule of thumb
that good cooking costs less in Italy than it does anywhere else in the
Alps, and it seems particularly true here. A good lunch can be had for the
price of chicken and chips in France, and if your budget will stretch to
about £45 a head, including wine, then you can afford the kind of memorable,
blowout meal from which you can hang an entire holiday.
Rifugio Fuciade, above the Passo San Pellegrino, is the place to do it. It can
only be reached by snowmobile, but it’s utterly worth the chilly,
open-topped journey. Specialities include venison with juniper berries and
cream, and the stinky local cheese, puzzone, dipped in mustard-seed chutney.
Don’t forget to order a bottle of the local fizz, called Ferrari, to get
things started. After all, you’re going to need something to toast your good
fortune.
Need to know
A handful of tour operators feature towns further up the Val di Fassa,
especially Canazei, which links into the Sella Ronda. These include Crystal (0871
231 2256, www.crystalski.co.uk )
and Neilson (0844 879 8155, neilson.co.uk
).
But if you want to stay in Moena itself, you’ll need to put together your own
trip. Fly to Verona (about two hours’ drive away) with British Airways (0844
493 0777, ba.com ). Or try Brescia,
Treviso or Innsbruck; they are a similar distance.
Car hire is essential. With Carrentals.co.uk
, a medium-sized car for a week in January costs from £171. Rent snow chains
when you pick up the car — £30 per week. Or try Auto Europe (0800
358 1229, auto-europe.co.uk ).
The self-catering specialist Interhome (020 8780 6633, interhome.co.uk
) has a two-bedroom apartment in town (ref: IT3544.150.1), which sleeps four
and costs £172pp for a week, arriving on January 16. Or try the comfortable
four-star Hotel Dolomiti (00 39 0462 573218, hoteldolomitimoena.it
), which costs from £72pp a night, half-board, based on a one-week stay,
arriving on January 16.
More information: www.fassa.com.
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