Italian style of après Ski: gourmet and spa
Europeans, who take relatively long ski vacations, seem to enjoy apres ski as much as the time they spend on the slopes. When I visited Chatel last year, I saw many people enjoying the local cheese dishes, and the bar was busy until late at night.
This time I was in Italy, so of course I was looking forward to pizza and gelato, but I couldn’t wait to sample some local dishes that I had never tried before. There is so much cuisine unique to the area, such as the local dish pizzoccheri (pasta made with buckwheat), a gratin-like dish made with Italian chicory, and the herbal liqueur Braulio; as one would expect from Italy, the area is rich in Slow Food.
The Italian friend who recommended Bormio this time told me about a popular local cake shop and it didn’t disappoint: the cake was delicious, with a mild sweetness and a rich flavor of nuts and raspberries.
That friend also recommended visiting a hot spring. There was no snow on the sidewalks and it wasn’t too cold, so I decided to walk to Terme Bagni Vecchi on the outskirts of town, following a route suggested by the hotel staff. After walking through the countryside for a while, you’ll come across a building that looks like Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel.
This is a hotel with Terme Bagni Nuovi (new hot spring). This time though, I had made a reservation for Terme Bagni Vecchi (old hot spring), so I had to walk a little further. As we entered Stelvio National Park and finally climbed the steep mountain path, the old hot spring hotel building suddenly appeared in front of us.
I had booked a 5-hour session in advance, but felt like it could be quite long, so I decided to include lunch (paid separately at reception). There are many types of hot springs, from ancient Roman baths, to cascading waterfall-like hot springs, to huge bathtubs that look like outdoor pools, to hot springs in dimly lit caves, as well as saunas.
There were many rooms and places to rest, so I think 5 hours was a good length of time. While gazing vaguely at the snow-capped mountains in the distance, I couldn’t believe I had been skiing at such a high altitude just yesterday, but now was the time to relax and take it easy.
In addition to the buffet-style lunch, there was also a cocktail hour, and the food and drinks were plentiful. I think I made the right decision to walk from Bormio town to get build my appetite. If you don’t have to worry about travel, you can ski during the day and head to a hot spring at night.
It was impressive to learn that the combination of skiing and hot springs, which is common in Japan, can also be found in Italy. Thanks to my local friend for letting me know!
Useful information
In Terme Bagni Vecchi, Lunch is from 12:30 to 15:00 and cocktail hour is from 16:00 to 19:00. Lunch seems to be a buffet style or a course meal. Cocktail time was included in the bathing fee, and there was a wide variety of snacks. If you just want to enjoy the hot springs, you may not need to include lunch. There seems to be a limited number of people by the hour. It seems that the earlier you book, the cheaper the bathing fee will be.
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