Prato Nevoso Begins Construction on Piedmont's First Eight-Seat Chairlift

A resort in Italy's northwest just broke ground on the biggest infrastructure investment the Piedmont ski region has ever seen.

Prato Nevoso, situated in the Ligurian Alps of northwest Italy, has begun construction on a new high-speed eight-seat detachable chairlift - the first of its kind in the Piedmont region. The lift will serve the resort's Conca area near the village and is expected to be operational for the 2026-27 season.

What the new chairlift looks like

The new lift replaces Blu, a four-seat chairlift that has been running since 2000. It will cover 1,120 metres of terrain with a ride time of around four minutes and ten seconds. Features include a bubble for wind protection, a magic carpet loading zone, and a detachable design for easier loading and unloading at both ends.

Construction crews have already completed the bottom lift station and installed the support poles, with excavation now underway for the valley station.

What happens to the old lift

The Blu chairlift isn't being scrapped. Its components will be relocated to the Gavo Valley near the peak of Mondolè, where it will be reinstalled to open new terrain. It's a sensible approach - the old lift gets a second life in a location where a high-speed replacement isn't needed, while the resort's main access area gets a significant upgrade.

The €60 million plan behind it

The chairlift is one part of a €60 million investment plan running from 2026 to 2028 - the most extensive development programme ever launched by a resort in Piedmont. Key elements include:

• Snowmaking upgrades capable of getting slopes fully operational within around 36 hours
• A new water reservoir in the Cudano area to support the snowmaking system
• New beginner areas with conveyor lifts
• Expansion of the Prato Nevoso Village family entertainment park, including an alpine coaster with a lift system designed for year-round use
• 12 ski-in/ski-out housing units and two chalets under construction
• A new hotel and upgraded sports complex with tennis courts

A resort that knows how to invest

This isn't the first time Prato Nevoso has moved ahead of the regional curve. In 2019, the resort installed the Piedmont region's first 10-seat gondola - a Porsche-designed system manufactured by Bartholet, known as La Rossa.

Prato Nevoso is part of the broader Mondolè Ski area, which also includes Artesina and Frabosa Soprana. Across all three resorts, the area covers 105 kilometres of in-bounds terrain served by 24 lifts.

Worth knowing: the snow record here

The name Prato Nevoso translates loosely to "Snowy Valley," and the 2025-26 season backed that up. While large parts of the Alps had a difficult year for snowfall, Prato Nevoso recorded 998 centimetres across the season - nearly ten metres of snow. It's the kind of snowfall record that draws attention from powder-focused skiers, and combined with a major infrastructure uplift arriving for 2026-27, the resort is making a compelling case for a place on more people's radar.