Sestriere

Our Take

Sestriere was built by Giovanni Agnelli (of Fiat) in 1934 as a purpose-designed ski resort -- the first in Italy with purpose-built hotels designed by Vittorio Bonadè Bottino, including the distinctive twin cylindrical tower hotels that define the village's visual identity. Sitting at 2,035 meters, it's the highest village in the Italian Alps and the anchor of the Via Lattea circuit's 400km of linked terrain connecting to France via Montgenèvre. The skiing is primarily intermediate, with the Banchetta and Monte Fraiteve sectors providing the high-altitude terrain and cross-circuit connections. The 2006 Turin Winter Olympics used Sestriere for giant slalom and slalom events, and the racing infrastructure is still in regular competition use. The resort's Fiat heritage is everywhere: the tower hotels are Fiat corporate design, the road infrastructure was funded by Agnelli, and the whole enterprise reflects an early-20th-century industrial patron's idea of what skiing should be. The village is functional rather than charming, but the skiing and circuit access are serious.

Nerd Stats

Fun Facts

• Sestriere was designed and built by FIAT founder Giovanni Agnelli in 1934 -- the cylindrical twin towers were his architect's vision of the modern ski resort.
• At 2,035 meters, Sestriere is the highest village in the Italian Alps -- reliable snow and cold temperatures that lower-elevation competitors can't match.
• The 2006 Turin Olympics' GS and slalom events were held at Sestriere -- the same courses are marked with World Cup timing gates.
• Via Lattea's French connection at Montgenèvre means Sestriere guests can ski into France without changing resorts.