At 1.001 meters above sea level, in Italy's Venetian Prealps, Asiago occupies an open basin on the Altopiano dei Sette Comuni, in the province of Vicenza. Meadows, woods, and hills surround the town; the view extends far and wide without immediately encountering a steep valley. The town itself is spacious: rebuilt after the First World War, it retains spacious streets and squares, perfect for strolling after returning from the snow.
Cross-country skiing is an important part of Asiago's identity. In the surrounding area, you can ski among clearings and fir trees, on short, learning loops or on routes that require several hours and good training. Downhill skiing is organized differently: near the town, Kaberlaba is particularly popular with lessons and families, while for more varied slopes, head to Melette or Monte Verena. These are distinct ski areas, accessible by road, not parts of a single, connected ski-to-door ski area.
This variety makes Asiago attractive even for a vacation with just a few days of skiing. There are snowshoe trails, an ice rink, museums, and hotels with spas; you can stay close to the center or head up to the higher woods.
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Choosing Asiago as your holiday base
Staying in town allows you to combine outings in the woods with downtown life. A couple can spend part of the day in the snow and return for ice skating or an exhibition; a family can choose a short lesson at Kaberlaba and still have time to play or visit a museum. Among the places worth exploring on foot are Piazza Carli and Piazza II Risorgimento, where during the Christmas season you'll find the Christmas Gardens, a market with crafts and local products.
Discover the best offers for a snow holiday in the best Alpine chalets and huts in the Dolomites, the best facilities immersed in the heart of the Dolomites with typical Alpine style.
For those who want to ski in the same area every day, however, accommodations close to the slopes may be preferable. The choice mainly depends on transportation: Campomulo and Le Melette are above Gallio, Verena can be reached from the Roana area, while Kaberlaba is close to Asiago. A hotel in the center makes afternoon and evening outings easier; a mountain hut at the base of the slopes allows you to start skiing without having to travel from town.
Kaberlaba and the first ski lessons
Kaberlaba is a ski area located about 3 kilometers from the center of Asiago. Its proximity to the town and the presence of the Asiago Ski School make it a favorite for those planning a vacation with children or wanting to learn to ski without having to immediately tackle a large mountain. The introductory ski areas allow for time spent on lessons and practicing skills; the artificial snow system helps with slope preparation.
Lessons aren't just for kids. The school offers group and private ski and snowboard lessons for children, teens, and adults, from beginners to those who want to improve. Families with different needs can choose separate courses, while adults starting from scratch can receive individual instruction. The school's headquarters are on Via Orthal, near the Kaberlaba complex.
The descents to Melette and Monte Verena
The Melette, above the village of Gallio
Le Melette is located in the municipality of Gallio, about a 15-minute drive from Asiago. The resort offers approximately 20 kilometers of slopes between 1.424 and 1.732 meters, with runs of varying difficulty, including black runs for expert skiers. The landscape alternates between forests and open slopes, offering views of the plateau and the distant mountains. Snowmaking systems and chairlifts serve the area; a ski school and rental shop are located near the base stations.
Here, even a break can become a pleasant part of the day. The Baita Sport & Gourmet is located at the base, while the Baita Relax & Gourmet is at the top and features a panoramic terrace. The 6-seater chairlift also transports pedestrians: non-skiers can take the lift for the view and lunch, choosing their ticket and the winter service schedule.
Mount Verena, up to 2.020 meters
For higher elevations, head to the Verena 2000 Ski Area, in the municipality of Roana. The slopes reach Mount Verena at 2.020 meters; the 15 kilometers of the ski area include runs for various levels, with practice slopes at the base and more challenging runs on the mountain. Facilities include the 6-seater Forte Verena chairlift.
The Centrale is the most iconic descent: it follows the slope next to the chairlift towards the summit and alternates between medium-steep and more difficult sections, reaching the final wall visible from the arrival point of the resort. It's a different type of skiing from the practice runs at the practice slopes and allows more experienced skiers to explore steeper slopes.
Next to the Centrale, you can try the Panoramica, a wide run with views of the Alpine range, and the Crinal. The latter starts with medium-difficulty slopes, then becomes gentler as it descends towards the plateau. It therefore requires good skiing skills for the initial section, although the skiing becomes less demanding further along.
At the base, Rifugio Verenetta offers a restaurant and rooms; Chalet Grizzly overlooks the practice slope and the sledding slope with its magic carpet. At the top is Rifugio Verena, accessible by chairlift during operation. Sleeping near the slopes, however, means staying away from the nightlife of Asiago's center: the location of your accommodations changes the type of stay.
Offers for families at Verena
Those staying at the Verena with children of all ages can also take advantage of the packages offered by Asiagoneve, a local ski holiday operator. The Mini Club is for children aged 4 to 12 and is located at the foot of the chairlift; the day can include lunch with the activity leaders at the Rifugio Verenetta. For the littlest ones, there is a paid babysitting service, to be arranged directly based on their age and length of care. The options depend on the booked package: during the Christmas holidays, the entertainment program is suspended, and evening service is not available in all hotels. These conditions are worth considering when choosing accommodations, especially when parents are counting on childcare to spend a few hours skiing.
Cross-country skiing, from the Golf Arena to the Campomulo trails
The Golf Arena allows you to discover cross-country skiing while remaining in the Asiago area. The loops wind through the golf course and surrounding woods, with itineraries for both classic and skating techniques. The Golf course is 5 kilometers long and easy; the Prunno course is 10 kilometers long, while the Barenthal course is 15 kilometers long and of medium difficulty. The school and rental shop allow you to try the sport even without owning equipment.
For trained cross-country skiers, Campomulo, above Gallio, offers much longer excursions. The Campomulo trail, easy and marked in green, is 5 kilometers long and winds through the valley with ups and downs, clearings, and forested sections. The Moline trail, red and of medium difficulty, is 20 kilometers long; the black Ortigara trail, 29,5 kilometers long with a 570-meter elevation gain, is classified as very difficult. These itineraries should be chosen based on stamina as well as technique.
The starting point at the Campomulo Base Refuge combines skiing facilities with those for a warm break. The network covers a wide area: before tackling longer routes, it's important to check which trails are groomed and open, especially after new snowfalls.
Walking in the snow and playing with the children
In Campomulo, walking trails offer their own distinct offerings, distinct from the cross-country skiing trails. Groomed snowshoe and winter hiking trails depart from the base refuge: the one to the Altar of Pope John Paul II is 1,8 kilometers, while the Monte Longara–Monte Baldo trail is 5 kilometers. The choice between a short outing and a longer hike can therefore be made without moving to another area. In the sections near the cross-country ski trails, follow the pedestrian signs, avoiding walking on skiers' tracks.
For children, the Snow Fun Park in Campomulo offers bobsleigh and sled runs and a magic carpet for getting back up. A snow playground is different from a freestyle snow park: here, people come to slide and play, even without knowing how to ski. For Kinderpark entertainment and admission, please consult the center's offers for the week of your stay.
Snowshoeing can also provide insight into the history of the plateau. Guide Altopiano offers an outing to Forte Campolongo, a Great War fortification at 1.720 meters, along the old military road through fir and beech trees. The route takes about 3 hours and has a 250-meter climb; in snow, it's classified as medium difficulty (WT2) and is suitable for adults and children. Therefore, it's not the same short walk as a short hike with very young children. The guide will adapt the excursion to the prevailing conditions.
The Country After the Snow: Ice, Art, and Flavors
The Pala Hodegart is one of the places that expresses Asiago's passion for sport, even away from the rink. The ice rink is open to the public for skating during special sessions and hosts hockey games; lessons are available to learn or improve your skating skills. It's a family activity to enjoy together, while an evening in the stands allows you to experience a deeply-held tradition in the town.
The Le Carceri Museum offers a different kind of experience. The former prisons have been converted into a space for temporary exhibitions, preserving the original cell layout: the works are displayed in the rooms of a building whose history remains recognizable. The exhibition and opening hours vary with the museum's schedule.
To learn about the animals that inhabit the woods, visit the Patrizio Rigoni Natural History Museum. Its dioramas, reconstructions of the plateau's environments, take you from mixed forests to spruce and fir forests, all the way to pastures and higher elevations. Visitors can encounter capercaillie, black woodpeckers, and other animals depicted in their natural habitat, with stories accessible even to children. The museum organizes activities and visits during the winter, following a monthly schedule; it's a chance to continue exploring what you saw on a hike in the warmth.
Cheeses and visits to the dairy
At the table, Asiago cheese at various ages is the most immediately familiar product, along with cured meats, Rotzo potatoes, honey, and jams from the plateau. The gastronomic experience can also continue outside the restaurants with a purchase from a local dairy: the Pennar Dairy sells its own Asiago DOP cheeses.
The connection between cheese and landscape is best understood upon entering the Pennar Dairy: the milk comes from member farmers on the Altopiano dei Sette Comuni, and the cheeses mature on fir boards. For the Asiago DOP with the Prodotto della Montagna label, the processing and aging takes place in the mountains. The dairy organizes visits by appointment on weekday afternoons, a chance to learn about the production process before choosing what to take home. It's an activity that fits in even on a non-skiing holiday, connecting the clearings and mountain huts of the plateau to the flavors encountered at the table.
Hotels for couples and families
Those seeking a peaceful stay with a sense of well-being should consider the Meltar Boutique Hotel, a converted Cimbrian farmhouse within the Asiago Golf Club. The property features a spa and the small Meltarino restaurant; the Longalaita restaurant is located in the golf clubhouse. This hospitality is rooted in the landscape of meadows and woods, unlike a hotel in the town center or a room right at the base of a golf course.
Downtown, the Relax Hotel Erica offers accommodations near the pedestrian street, with services designed for families. The afternoon Baby Club welcomes children over 3 years old with a childminder, games, and workshops; children's menus and babysitting are available upon request. The wellness center's multifunctional pool has time slots where parents and children can use it together. For younger children, the playroom requires the presence of an adult: this way, hotel accommodations are organized according to the children's ages, as well as around ski lessons.
Airports and how to get to Asiago
The nearest airports are Verona, about 105 kilometers away, Venice Marco Polo, about 110 kilometers away, and Treviso, about 130 kilometers away. From these airports, you can continue to Asiago by rental car or pre-booked transfer. From the A31 motorway, exit at Piovene Rocchette and follow the Costo provincial road; the final stretch of the journey is on a mountain road.
Asiago does not have a train station. Public transportation takes you first to Vicenza, Bassano del Grappa, or Thiene, then continues by bus to the plateau. Those arriving by plane should check the entire schedule of connections to the Asiago stop, especially if you're flying in the evening. The tourist airport on the plateau serves light aircraft and does not replace the three airports for scheduled flights.
1 Popular Comments
We discovered Asiago with the Asiagoneve package and we have been returning with my family for 4 years already. Ideal for families, it has the advantage that in addition to hotel accommodation, the ski pass, ski school and many services for children are already included in the price. Very good Teacher Elena!