Pila Village

Pila Ski Resort

The early years of the 20th century saw some summer tourism, but the first real winter visitors arrived in 1949 when the chairlift connecting Les Fleurs with Pila was built. Modern day Pila is a relaxing resort, popular with British skiers, and the resort’s altitude (1,800m-2,000m) is high enough to ensure good snow conditions and good skiing up to 2,752m throughout the season. The ski area and the resort fills up with Italians at weekends, but peak periods and weekends aside it’s relatively quiet during the week and queuing for the lifts is not a problem.

Friendly, affordable and family friendly, modern day Pila is relatively small and has two main centres, the first of which was built at 1,800m and served by the Aosta gondola, a 20 minute ride from the city of Aosta. Pila has several good restaurants, a choice of friendly, informal bars and a small number of shops for those essential purchases including ski equipment for purchase and rental. The second focal point, Pila 200, is at 2,000m where there are several large hotels and apartments and a selection of bars, restaurants and shops, built around a central piazza. From Pila to Pila 2000 is about a 15 minute walk, but the return leg can easily be skied.

Much of Pila’s accommodation is ski-in, ski-out and the wide, gentle nursery slopes are conveniently situated near the centre of the village. This, and the fact that village is both small and quiet with relaxed family-friendly apres ski, makes Pila an excellent base for families and beginners, as well as for intermediate skiers and boarders who don’t want to ski all day, every day. The resort is almost entirely traffic-free so if you come by car, leave it in the parking area or down at Aosta. The resort is small enough that you probably won’t use the ski buses much, but it’s an efficient service if you do.

Ski hire in Pila

There is a reasonable choice of ski rental shops in Pila, but their prices are quite high if you simply walk into them when you arrive. Some hotels and tour operators have recommended shops, but they rarely offer the best value. Generally, if you want to save money, you’re much better off booking in advance, which also means your equipment should be fully prepared and ready for you. The Skiset outlet in Pila gives discounts of up to 50% if you book online in advance. You can check the location, the equipment available and the discounted prices here.

Aosta

You can also stay down the mountain in the town of Aosta. This old town has a cultural dimension that surpasses any other skiing destination, complete with 25 historical monuments (at least one of which dates back to Roman times), several medieval and baroque churches, an elegant piazza and plenty of cobbled alleyways. Aosta is also a cheaper place to stay in and makes a handy base for visiting other ski resorts in the region like Monterosa, Cervinia, Courmayeur and La Thuile, because it’s a transport hub. The downside is that it’s a 20 minute gondola ride away, and the last lift down and up is early in the evening (usually 5pm but check). Driving between Aosta and Pila takes much longer: it’s an 18km journey on a twisty mountain road. 

Further Information

For information on hotels and apartments, see our Pila Accommodation section.

For general Tourism information, see the tourist office.

Pila Tourist Office
Ufficio del Turismo Pila
Loc. Pila11020 GRESSAN (AO)
Tel: +39 0165 521008
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.pilaturismo.it