The entrance sign to Nevelandia sledding area in Piancavallo, Italy. Weekday admission costs 7 euros per person, and the entrance price rises to 10 euros per person on weekends. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
During a day of sledding and throwing snowballs with my family in the ski resort town of Piancavallo, Italy, we followed up the boisterousness with a walk down a serene snow-covered trail.
The trees swayed in the light breeze and there was no sound except that of my feet breaking through the surface of the snow. The Dolomite Mountains getaway’s blend of options is just what I needed for some winter relaxation.
We haven’t seen a lot of snow here in the two years of my deployment to Aviano Air Base, so activities involving powder require a drive north, which was less than 30 minutes in our case.
Visitors gather their sleds at the bottom of a hill in Piancavallo, Italy, on Dec. 31, 2024. The resort area in the Dolomite Mountains offers a range of winter recreation opportunities. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
The trip offers panoramic views of Aviano and the surrounding area as the elevation climbs. Most visitors hit the ski slopes, but my goal was to get some sledding action for the first time in more than five years.
I thought navigating to the right spot would be easy, but not so. Had it not been for the parking signs, I may have missed where we needed to go for the sledding area.
A temperature hovering around 33 degrees made conditions perfect for the recreation we had in mind. With a bit of snowmelt, the sledding runs were prevented from turning into luge tracks, and the soft powder was easily molded into snowballs and snowmen.
An area called Nevelandia has over 6 acres of fenced-off sledding hills varying in suitability for people of different ages. Note that any sleds brought from home must have hand brakes. On-site rentals are available if necessary.
Liliana Erickson, 11, slides down a hill in Piancavallo, Italy. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
Ezra Erickson, 6, goes sledding in Piancavallo, Italy, a mountain resort area about a 30-minute drive from Aviano Air Base. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
As an alternative to paying 10 euros per person to enter Nevelandia, you can walk around the park area and head to the slopes of a bigger hillside that may have once been used for skiing and go sledding for free.
Sledding there is not limited to just the one area. You can climb higher to get more speed, but watch out for hazards. If you don’t pay attention to your track, you could end up airborne after hitting a mound of snow on the way down or you could find yourself heading straight toward the tree line.
We picked the open area for the sledding. My children, ages 6 and 11, had a blast and can’t wait to go back.
The crowds on the mountain were small enough that there was plenty of space for everyone to sled. Most of the families with little kids were inside Nevelandia.
Footsteps show the usage of one of the mountain paths in Piancavallo, Italy, on Dec. 31, 2024. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
Past the sledding hill are paths leading into the solitude of the woods. I set off down one of the unmarked trails, and in almost no time the yelling of sled riders faded away.
Although my forest jaunt lasted only 30 minutes or so, I could have walked for hours. But with the sun beginning to set, we did not want to be caught in the dark, so we headed back into the open areas where people were.
We drove down the mountain before the temperature dipped too much, our alpine excursion all but complete.
It was so much fun that I am already looking forward to reliving the wintry wow moments all over again.
Piancavallo mountain resort area
Tourist office address: Via Collalto 1, Piancavallo, Italy
Hours: Tourist office is open daily, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; 1-5:30 p.m.; and 8:30 p.m.-12 a.m. Nevelandia is open weekdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and weekends 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: Parking is free. Nevelandia admission is 7 euros per person Monday through Friday and 10 euros per person on weekends. Sled rental is 10 euros every day.
Information: Phone: +39 0434 655191, Online: turismofvg.it
