Roccaraso is a town in the province of L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region. Roccaraso is well known for its ski resort. It is structured around the Mountains of Roccaraso, subgroup of Mont Greek (2.283 m), the Piano Aremogna and Pizzalto, connected directly to the plants of Rivisondoli-Monte Pratello (2.012 m), the heart of the largest ski area in central and southern Italy.
Alto Sangro ski area
Roccaraso ski area is also known as Alto Sangro and is the largest ski area in Central Italy. There are over 100 kms of groomed pistes and state-of-the-art snowmaking facilities to rival many in the Alps. Aremogna, Pizzalto and Monte Pratello are ski areas, each providing an entry point, that have been joined up with modern, fast lifts. From Roccaraso, the ski resorts of Rivisondoli, Pescocostanzo and Pescasseroli are all within easy reach.
Roccaraso is in fact the resort at its base with the entry points of Aremogna and Pizza easily accessible just 10 minutes drive up the mountain. Linked to these area is Monte Pratello near Rivisondoli making one large linked-up area. On the same ski pass you also have 8kms of runs and a snowpark at nearby Pescocostanzo.
In the last couple of years there have been new additions to the lifts with a new gondola and a new chairlift meaning it’s even easier to reach the slopes, although Roccaraso is rarely busy outside Italian holiday season. The ski area continues to invest in their lifts and ski runs and work will start on a new gondola in April 2020.
The mountain is great for all levels of skier with nursery slopes, easy blues, cruising reds and also some blacks for the experts. The slopes are wide, sunny and well groomed. One of the joys of skiing in this part of Europe is that the tree line is higher, meaning it’s easier to ski in the trees when weather conditions are bad. Also, the trees are beech forest and not pine which give the mountains a very different aspect to the Alps.
Beginners and learners will love the 43kms of green and blue runs in Roccaraso which vary in length from 100m to 5 kms. The ski school is excellent with several English speaking instructors and there are ski school meeting places and learner areas at the base of five chair lifts.
Approximately 20kms of piste on 11 designated runs await advanced skiers including steep, thigh-burning runs down to Pizzalto and Lago d’Avoli. On a clear day, the run from the top station of Toppe del Tesoro brings into view the magnificent spectacle of the distant Gran Sasso, the highest peak in the Apennines.
Roccaraso village
Roccaraso provides a great number of leisure facilities, from ice skating and hockey rinks to indoor swimming pools, bowling pitches and cinemas. The town's principal shopping streets are lined with boutiques, bars, and restaurants, the latter serving typical cuisine of the Abruzzo.
Roccaraso, also called the "Cortina of the South".
