On the border between Romagna and Tuscany, a few kilometres from the Emilia-Romagna Riviera, the small but attractive Balze ski resort extends into the area of the municipality of Verghereto, right on the slopes of Mount Fumaiolo (1,407 metres).
The village takes its name from the peak that overlooks it, Balze, from which visitors can enjoy an extraordinary panoramic view that stretches from the Romagna coast on one side to Mount Amiata on the other, from the Sibillini mountains and Gran Sasso in the south right up to the imposing Alpine peaks to the north.
Those who choose Balze for a winter holiday, as well as having the opportunity to ski on the nearby slopes of Mount Fumaiolo, are sure to be enchanted by the majesty of its snow-capped peaks.
The ski and snowboarding slopes of Mount Fumaiolo have the special feature of starting from the highest point of the mountain that can be reached by vehicles and then descending to the opposite side. You simply need to park your car, put on your skis and set off down the mountain, unlike more common resorts where you need to first take a ski lift to get to the top of the piste.
With slopes of various levels of difficulty, this pretty ski resort is popular with cross-country skiers: a 5-km trail of medium difficulty near the summit of Mount Fumaiolo leads to the source of the River Tiber.
The ski resort has only one ski lift that serves three red pistes for Alpine skiing (one 1-km slope and two 800-m slopes) with artificial snow. Plus, since 2009, snowboarders can amuse themselves at Fumipark, a very technical and complete terrain park that includes jumps, boxes and rails.
There is no shortage of ski and snowboarding schools for all levels, with specialised instructors to help everyone, even people who are differently abled, to learn how to do these sports.
Hospitality is provided by various accommodation facilities. The area around Fumaiolo is perfect for those who want to come into direct contact with nature. There are many opportunities to do sports: hiking and horse riding excursions, snowshoeing (even at night), with downhill and cross-country skiing trails, snowmobiling and mountain biking, but also activities such as free climbing on the spectacular cliff of Moia and the wall of Montalto, used as a climbing school area.
In addition to the winter period, the area offers several leisure and recreation options throughout the year, with numerous hiking routes that allow visitors to explore the beauty of the surrounding natural areas, through the beech and coniferous forests.
