Piancavallo

Piancavallo is the most popular place for snow in Friuli Venezia Giulia: it’s less than an hour from Pordenone and under two hours from Venice. For snowboarders it has more to offer than you’d expect: a well-organized park, runs with a nice flow, snowmaking on every run, and prices that make the big Alpine resorts look expensive. It was the first ski resort in Italy to install snowmaking, back in the 1960s, and you can still tell it’s a carefully run resort.

Why Go Snowboarding

Piancavallo punches above its weight for snowboarders. The main draw is the Snowboard Funk Park, with four lines of increasing difficulty and a serious sound system. Outside the park there are two sectors, Tremol and Sauc, with varied terrain through fir woods and open slopes: on fresh snow, the Sauc sector has fun changes in pitch. The 525 m of vertical isn’t much, but the runs are laid out so you can ride them without stopping, and 14 km is enough for a full day. If you like drawing turns on open slopes, head for the Tremol runs. With snowmaking across the whole resort and a season that usually runs from December to late March, conditions are almost always good.

Terrain & Slopes

You ride from 1,280 to 1,805 m, with 525 m of vertical and 14 km of marked runs. The longest run is 3 km, and the most technical is the Sauc Buddia, which will keep even aggressive riders happy. The terrain suits intermediates best, with fun variations in the Tremol and Sauc sectors. There are six lifts, and lift lines are rarely a problem. The resort also has two dedicated areas, one for snowboarders and one for kids, and 26 km of cross-country trails. For off-piste, after a snowfall the woods between the two sectors have a few good lines.

Snowpark

The Snowboard Funk Park is the heart of Piancavallo’s freestyle scene. It sits in a sunny clearing among the fir trees and is split into four lines of increasing difficulty, so every rider finds their level: you start on the beginner line with mellow rails and straight boxes and work up to the harder features, with kickers (jumps) and technical boxes. Sessions run to music from the 8,000-watt sound system. It’s one of the original parks in northeastern Italy, and you can tell the features are well looked after.

Getting There

By car from Pordenone, take the SS251 toward Aviano and then the provincial road: about 40 minutes. From Venice it’s about 90 minutes on the A28, Pordenone Nord exit. In season there are buses from Pordenone and Aviano. By train, get off at Pordenone and continue by bus or taxi. There are large free parking lots at the base area.

Tips

On weekends Piancavallo fills up with families from northeastern Italy: arrive early to avoid lift lines on busy Sundays. The season usually ends in late March, earlier than many Alpine resorts, so plan ahead. A day ticket costs about the regional average. The rental shops at the base are well stocked. Next to the slopes there’s an Alpine Coaster, a good option for anyone in your group who doesn’t ski or ride.