Campo Imperatore

Q: Is Campo Imperatore suitable for beginners?

On the right day, yes — the plateau is open and gentle and there is space everywhere. The problem is the wrong day: it is high and completely exposed, superb under a clear sky and unskiable when cloud sits on the plateau or the wind gets up, and the cable car from Fonte Cerreto stops in bad weather. Ask a local instructor about the forecast before committing to the drive from Rome, around two hours, or L'Aquila, about 45 minutes.

Gran Sasso, AbruzzoSee it on the map

Region

Gran Sasso, Abruzzo

Country

Italy

Local time

Europe/Rome

Currency

EUR

Campo Imperatore is a vast high plateau on the flank of the Gran Sasso, the highest massif in the Apennines, and its emptiness has earned it the nickname *little Tibet*. It has been used as a film location for exactly that reason.

The hotel at the top is where Mussolini was held prisoner in 1943 before the German raid that freed him. There is also an astronomical observatory. The skiing is open, exposed and unlike anywhere else in Italy.

Last reviewed 14 September 2026

Best suited to

Intermediates
Off-piste and freeride
Beginners

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Where lessons start

Open and exposed: superb on a clear day, unskiable when the cloud sits on the plateau. Ask a local instructor about the forecast before committing to the drive.

Getting there

L'Aquila is around 45 minutes, Rome about two hours. A cable car climbs from Fonte Cerreto.

See it on the map

Qualifications required in Italy

Teaching skiing or snowboarding for payment in Italy is a regulated profession: an instructor must hold the Maestro di sci, registered in the regional albo. Instructors listed as certified on Alpine Pal have either sent theirs to us for review or are vouched for by the ski school that invited them.

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Campo Imperatore: common questions

Is Campo Imperatore suitable for beginners?

On the right day, yes — the plateau is open and gentle and there is space everywhere. The problem is the wrong day: it is high and completely exposed, superb under a clear sky and unskiable when cloud sits on the plateau or the wind gets up, and the cable car from Fonte Cerreto stops in bad weather. Ask a local instructor about the forecast before committing to the drive from Rome, around two hours, or L'Aquila, about 45 minutes.