PHOTO: © JENS VOEGELE I 360-KOMMUNIKATION
Mark Nicholls meets Italian ski champion Florian Eisath to talk about racing and running a “boutique-style” ski resort in the Dolomites.
The Carezza Ski Area sits between Cortina and Bolzano in the Rosengarten mountain range where the stunning Dolomites glow a warm red at dawn and dusk.
It may be small with 40km of piste and affectionately labelled a “boutique-style ski resort”, but it hosts a mix of easy blues, steep reds and blacks down from the highest point at 2314m above sea level.
Carezza also has a racing pedigree and is now run by Florian Eisath, a three-time Italian champion and Giant Slalom specialist who represented Italy at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang.
“The area is one of the most historic for winter activities,” he tells me over a light lunch in the Laurin’s Lounge restaurant at the top of the slope. “At the end of the 19th century it was connected with the route from Bolzano to Cortina and known as one of the most beautiful places along the road.”
Missed opportunities
After World War Two the shift towards tourism continued; the first lifts were built in the 1950s and expanded in the 1960s with new hotels added, creating a ski area for people from Bolzano and beyond.
However, with separate companies running the lifts and slopes with little cohesion, there were “missed investment opportunities” and by the 2000s the resort was struggling. It was at this point that his family took a major interest.
Florian Eisath PHOTO: © JENS VOEGELE I 360-KOMMUNIKATION
His mother Monika was born in nearby Moseralm and his father George had strong alpine connections through the snow-making systems business TechnoAlpin. From the sale of shares in that company, the family invested in the ski area and a hotel.
Eisath explained how they now run most of the lifts, which have been renewed alongside improved snowmaking facilities “to deliver a good skier experience”.
“We do rely on snowmaking,” he said, “but the season starts at the end of November and runs until late March or into April.
“Carezza, for me, is one of the most beautiful resorts in the world. The Dolomites are special because you ski close to the mountains but you also have an open view across the valley.
“We are a boutique-style ski resort. We are not too big but once people are here they realise there is more to ski than they think. It is perfect for children and families and across the whole resort there is a variety of different slopes.”
Race career
Florian Eisath © PHOTO ELVIS GP PIAZZI
As a racer, Eisath reflects on the “disappointing” 2014 season as a turning point when he began to look towards his future and an increased role in the resort.
Yet he bounced back in 2015 for his most successful season with good form peaking with selection for Italy at the Olympics in Pyeongchang in 2018.
In GS, his best performance was 3rd place on his home slope of Alta Badia in 2016 – a career high point – and from 2015-2018 he was in the world top 10 and a leading Italian GS skier for several seasons.
He stepped down from racing after the Olympics, having been Italian Champion three times in 2006, 2011 and 2015, won European Cup races and competed at World Cup level and in the Lauberhorn and Hahnenkamm races.
He is now focussed on running the ski area in the Rosengarten mountain range between the Tires, Eggental and Fassa valleys.
PHOTO: © www.wisthaler.com – Harald Wisthaler
It is also close to other resorts in the Dolomites for skiers who seek a change of scene.
Healthy mind and body
I stayed at the five-star Cyprianerhof hotel, which is a short walk from the lift access to the Carezza Ski Area.
The 85-room hotel offers a whole range of energetic and active programmes from guided snow-shoeing across remote terrain, winter hiking and alpine and cross country skiing to climbing, hiking and mountain biking in the summer.
Located near the village of Tires, a few miles from Bolzano, the family-run hotel encourages guests to enjoy invigorating activities and then return to the comfort of sumptuous rooms, marvellous dining experiences and a spa and pool as well as four different sauna and steam room experiences.
Cyprianerhof hotel
Co-owner Michael Damian explained: “It is a combination of going outside, having exercise and fresh air, and then coming back to relax in the hotel. Our guests love it and see how healthy it is for the mind and for the body.”
Sounds like a perfect combination.
FACTBOX:
Accommodation: The Cyprianerhof hotel in Tires is around 30 minutes from Bolzano. For more information, breaks and rates, visit cyprianerhof.com
Carezza Ski Area: Lift passes are 58-63 euro a day. For more information, visit carezza.it
Flights: Mark Nicholls flew from Bolzano direct to the UK with Sky Alps, visit skyalps.com
Categories: Italy, News, Resort News & Reports