Skiing gourmet holidays

Not just for Christmas Bologna and Modena gourmet holidays in  winter wonderland.

by Gabriele Monti November 6th, 2012

Monte Cimone: A Place to Be During Winter for skiing and gourmet tour for  Christmas and beyond.

Have you ever thought to combine  gourmet with skiing while staying in Bologna for your Christmas holidays? Now you can! Have all the snow you ever dreamed and combine it with Parmesan production visits, balsamic vinegar and ham tours. If you are looking for an cheaper alternative to the Alps, the Cimone ski resort in the Modena province can be a nice surprise. Many kilometers of white tracks, cheap and good accommodation combined with great cuisine. Cimone is well connected from the Bologna airport and it can be reached by car in under 2 hours.

Emilia Delizia winter gourmet skiing package, includes pick up from Modena and Bologna, accommodation at a b&b, skis rental, and our 2 gourmet food tours with Parmesan visit and balsamic vinegar producer visit

parmesan cheese ageing for 12 months

 

Gourmet food and other gourmet delights before hitting the slopes.

Gastronomic tours to the producers of Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar and wine should not be missed during your visit to Mount Cimone. There are a number of traditional dairies  where they produce Parmesan cheese and many traditional balsamic vinegar producers in the nearby towns.

Before hitting the slopes Balsamic vinegar producers can be found near Spilamberto (Modena),  here you can also visit the traditional balsamic vinegar museum. Modena is also widely known for its sparkling wines such as the  famous Lambrusco. Different varieties of this grape and related DOC wines  are produced in the wineries here.
The area is  indeed the  paradise for food lovers: in fact this region is called the Pantry of Italy. Besides that, the surrounding area boasts of some of the historical treasures of Italy such as the Duomo Cathedral, the Ducal Palace in Modena, The Castello di Monte Cuccolo, Vignola Castle, and Castelvetro on the Modenese rolling hills.

The ancient town of  Fanano at the foot of Mount Cimone attracts a number of visitors every year with its open air museum of stone sculptures. Cultural significance of this area is also quite impressive. Some highly sophisticated cars such as Ferrari are produced in this area.

Where is Mount Cimone, winter and summer beauty.

Mount Cimone, also known as Monte Cimone is the picture perfect mountain. One of the highest peaks in the northern part of the Apennini range boosts beautiful scenery and modernly equipped skiing resorts in fact is nothing less than a prefect escape for winter sports lover with its splendid ski slopes. The range is also very good in summer for hiking in the green scenery.

In winter  and summer from the town of Sestola, there are lifts to carry the tourists to the summit. Also there  are many  support roads on the top that ensures easy access.

Mount Cimone is located on the northern Apennines of Italy. From the sea level, it has a height of 2,165 m which makes it the highest point in the Emilia-Romagna area. The mountain has a number of small communities around it such as Sestola, Riolunato, Fiumalbo and Fanano..

Cimone is not as famous or popular as some other ski areas in the alps. However, Cimone is quite popular as one of those rare ski destinations where you can expect quality gourmet food, cheaper accommodation and extremely friendly people.

Mount Cimone has 31 ski trails that amount to a total length of more than 50 km. The longest trail of Cimone is 3.6 km long. The season for skiers usually starts in the first week of December and continues until the middle of April. The ski resort is divided in six areas which are called  Passo del Lupo, Polle, Cimoncino, Lago della Ninfa, Montecreto and Pian del Falco. All the areas are linked with trails and lifts.

Cimone ski resort is not only an ideal place for skiers, snowboarders also have things to do here. There is a nice and big snow park in Passo del Lupo. There are two other small snow parks in Polle and Lago Ninfa. Cimone is known as the second homeland of the widely known Italian skier Alberto Tomba.

 How to Reach Cimone from Bologna airport

Cimone is conveniently accessible by road and air. First you need to reach a community at the bottom of Mount Cimone. Sestola is a perfect place for staying since it is easy to reach the ski resort from here. There is a lift from Sestola that can take you to the summit. You can also take the long traverse from Abetone pass if you are more adventurous. Both Sestola and Abetone can be reached from the airports at Bologna, Pisa and Florence. From Bologna, take the motorway A1 towards Modena.

Bologna airport is a better option considering the frequent number of flights from Bologna to other European countries including the UK. Bologna Airport is 81 km away from Mount Cimone.

What Makes Cimone Special

Mount Cimone is comparatively less known than its counterparts around Alps. But, it offers some unique features which are not available in most other famous ski destinations. Firstly, Mount Cimone has an impressive number of ski tracks and this place is not as expensive as the ones in the Alps. Moreover from here skiers have the possibly to visit the Parmesan production, balsamic vinegar and Lambrusco wineries. Cheaper accommodation is another big catch for Cimone.

During the winter and the summer season, accommodation at Sestola and Abetone can be found easily. Of course, you can also chose to stay and travel from the nearby big cities such as Modena, Bologna, Florence and Lucca. All these cities are only one hour away from the mountain. If you prefer to stay at a closer distance, you can book a room at the holiday farms. You will have well furnished apartments, rooms and delicious food.

So, you have a lot to do on your tour to Mount Cimone besides enjoying winter sports. The list of things you can do in this area is almost non-exhaustive. Sort out the things you would love to do and get ready for an action-packed winter.

 

 

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