Italy, Europe
Cimone
Cimone: Emilia Romagna's largest ski resort with 50km interconnected terrain, 20 lifts, and skiing to 2,165m on the Northern Apennines' highest peak.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
13 Dec 2025
Closes
6 Apr 2026
Days open
114
Annual snow
4m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Cimone dominates the Northern Apennines as Emilia Romagna's largest ski destination, with 50km of interconnected terrain sprawling across the region's highest peak at 2,165m. This expansive resort encompasses six distinct skiing sectors—Passo del Lupo, Lago della Ninfa, Le Polle, Cimoncino, Montecreto, and Pian del Falco—all accessible with a single ski pass. The resort's exceptional width and natural terrain conformation create ideal conditions for intermediate and advanced skiers, while comprehensive snowmaking coverage across 50km ensures reliable conditions throughout the season.
With 20 modern lifts including an aerial tram, six-person chairs, and quad chairs efficiently transporting skiers across the mountain's three faces, Cimone delivers a sophisticated Apennine skiing experience within the protected Frignano Regional Park setting. The resort's position straddling the Emilia-Tuscany border at elevations between 900m and 1,976m creates distinctive terrain rarely found in Italian Apennine destinations, combining extensive vertical drops with the trademark wide pistes that characterise this historic mountain.
1076m
Vertical
25
Runs
50 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
The Terrain
25 runs across 50 km of piste
Cimone spreads 25 runs across 50 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 50%, with 8 beginner runs to find your feet and 5 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
25
runs
25 runs across 4 grades
Beginner8 runs · 30%
Intermediate13 runs · 50%
Advanced5 runs · 20%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Cimone
Cimone typically operates from mid-December through early April, with peak conditions concentrated in January through March when the resort benefits from its elevated Northern Apennine position. The comprehensive snowmaking system covering the entire 50km of terrain provides exceptional reliability throughout the season, supplementing natural snowfall that averages 350cm annually. The resort's elevation span from 900m to 1,976m creates varied snow conditions, with upper slopes maintaining excellent coverage while lower runs benefit from extensive artificial snow infrastructure.
Monte Cimone's position as the highest peak in the Northern Apennines exposes the resort to consistent weather systems, though clear days reveal extraordinary panoramic views extending from the Alps to the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. The predominantly intermediate terrain with 50% red runs appeals particularly during stable midwinter periods, while the 30% beginner terrain at lower elevations remains accessible even during marginal snow years. The resort's protected position within Frignano Regional Park creates a distinctive microclimate that often preserves snow quality when other Apennine destinations struggle.
Season 2025 - 2026
13 Dec 2025
Opens
6 Apr 2026
Closes
114
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Cimone, and where to stay
Located in Modena province at the heart of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, Cimone sits approximately 100km from Bologna and 150km from Florence, making it the most accessible major ski destination for both cities. The historic mountain villages of Sestola, Fanano, Riolunato, and Montecreto provide comprehensive accommodation and dining options at the resort's base, offering authentic Emilia Romagna hospitality and traditional cuisine including tigelle flatbread, gnocco fritto, and fresh tortellini. Bologna Airport provides the primary international gateway just 90 minutes away, while Florence Airport offers alternative access for visitors combining Tuscan cultural experiences with Northern Apennine skiing.
The resort's strategic position along the regional border delivers cultural diversity, with valley towns reflecting both Emilian and Tuscan influences in their architecture, cuisine, and local traditions. This distinctive location within the High Modenese Apennines Regional Park surrounds visitors with protected beech and coniferous forests, providing scenic beauty and environmental significance beyond the skiing. The nearby cities of Modena and Bologna offer exceptional cultural attractions, world-renowned restaurants, and the legendary automotive heritage of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati factories, creating opportunities for comprehensive Italian experiences beyond the slopes.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Cimone, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert
A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.
26 Aug 2026
Cimone Lift System
The lift infrastructure at Cimone features 20 installations strategically positioned across the resort's six interconnected sectors, moving skiers efficiently through 1,076m of vertical terrain. The centrepiece aerial tram from Passo del Lupo ascends to Pian Cavallaro, serving as the primary access point to the upper mountain and offering spectacular panoramic views during the ascent. The modern lift fleet includes two six-person chairlifts, four quad chairs, and a triple chair that complement single and double chairs serving specific terrain zones, while six surface lifts provide access to beginner areas and strategic connecting routes.
This comprehensive network eliminates bottlenecks while maintaining steady uphill capacity across the resort's extensive 50km of terrain. The lift system's thoughtful distribution across Monte Cimone's three mountain faces ensures skiers can easily navigate between sectors, accessing everything from the challenging black run Direttissima dropping 1.7km with significant vertical to the family-friendly areas at Lago della Ninfa and the freestyle terrain park. Multiple base area access points from Sestola, Fanano, Montecreto, and Riolunato provide flexible entry into the system.
20lifts across 7 types
1
Aerial Tram
2
6-Person Chairs
4
Quad Chairs
1
Triple Chair
5
Double Chairs
1
Single Chair
6
Surface Lifts
Cimone lift system
Cimone is served by 20 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Cimone intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.