Sledging in South Tyrol

In Armin Zöggeler country, you can try your hand at sledging without any aspirations to become an Olympic champion, and it’s a lot more fun. Sledging in South Tyrol is a popular sport – often first tried out in childhood. Farmhouses usually have a gentle slope round the back where children can run around and play in the snow, climb up, slide down and build their own snow ramps, while mums can sit out in the warm sun and relax with a good book and a cup of tea made from dried herbs from the farm garden.
Often, tracks up to the farm’s mountain pastures can serve as winding sledge runs. An hour or two’s walk up in the fresh mountain air will reward guests with views for miles around. After a well-deserved snack in the rustic mountain hut, a fun sledge ride back down through picturesque winter woodland awaits.

There are also well prepared and protected sledge runs in the ski resorts for sledgers big and small, which may be easily reached by cable car. Sledges can usually be hired right from the farm or at a mountain hut. In the morning, a healthy farmhouse breakfast with lots of farm produce is served. Freshly baked farm bread, milk from the farm cows, home-made joghurt and fruity marmalade will be waiting on the carefully laid table in the rustic farm ‘stube’. If only every morning could start like this!

Moonlight sledging beneath a starry sky is a particular highlight for night owls. Whoshing down towards the valley through peaceful winter woodland after a home-made mulled wine is a really unique experience. Some farms also hold romantic post-sledging walks by torch light.

> Fun in the snow right from the farm: farms next to sledge runs