Sestriere

In the early 1930s, before skiing became a more egalitarian sport, the patriarch of the FIAT automobile dynasty had this resort built to cater to the elite. The town has two distinctive tower hotels and ski facilities that have been developed into some of the best in the Alps. It lacks the charm of older Alpine centers, overdevelopment has added some eyesores, and the mountains don't have the striking beauty of those in Valle d'Aosta, but skiers do have an excellent choice of trails, some of which cross the border into France.