Pragelato - village

Pragelato is a very pretty village with beautiful wooden and stone buildings set in some truly stunning mountain scenery. Old and new blend harmoniously here. The village is a well-kept secret of the Italian Alps. 

Accommodation

There are 6 hotels and 10 apartment complexes, the most upmarket of which is the 5* Kempinski Pragelato Village (00 39 012 274 00 11).

Construction started in 2003 for the Turin Winter Olympics and is a cluster of lodges set in the woods on the hillside just above the main village.

Walkways lead from the main reception area to the 97 suites that are all housed within ‘individual’ chalets. All are well furnished, while some are truly luxurious.

Otherwise there is a cluster of hotels in the main village all up to a good standard. The 3* Villa Plinia (00 39 012 278 931), with 17 rooms, is a good choice. There is very little, if any, budget accommodation.

Non-ski

Non-skiers have plenty of options. There are wellness facilities, and the Kempinski Pragelato Village has a superb range of treatments. La Mineralia (00 39 012 274 00 11)  has a full range using products by Daniela Steiner with saunas, steam room, pool and hot tubs. There’s even an ingenious jet stream of water that you can swim against if you want to a bit of exercise.

The picturesque village also has plenty of shops and restaurants. Many have wonderful sun terraces if you just want to gaze at the mountains and watch the world pass by.

As well as cross-country skiing there is snowshoeing in the nearby national park, which is well worth a try. The village has an ice rink and bowling. If you are feeling slightly more adventurous you can even do 4-wheel ice-driving on a special track nearby.

Childcare

Probably the best childcare is at the Village Resort complex. The “Casa Pinocchio” is for children aged 6 weeks to 12 years. It is open 9am to 7pm, 5 days per week. There are specialist nannies and child minders with the facilities spread over 2 floors.