Sella Nevea Ski Resort (& Kanin) Italy (& Slovenia)
In the Julian Alps of north-east Italy, the ski resort of Sella Nevea is linked with Slovenia's Kanin-Bovec. A storm chasing location, it has massive powder skiing potential in the right weather cycles. Sadly the lifts on the Slovenian side of the mountain have closed since season 23/24. The reasons are murky, but there is alot of scuttlebut about lift maintenance issues & financial impropriety. Expecations of Kanin-Bovec ever operating lifts again are low, but the on the Italian side, Sella Nevea lifts are in great shape and continue to operate.
Whilst not super high altitude, it is the highest ski reesort in the region. Sella Nevea can receive masses of snowfall, quite often later in the season as evidenced in the late 20/21 season when the base was still 420cm during the start of May, with lifts still turning until the first weekend of June! An off-piste freeride attitude pervades the ski area, particularly on the Italian side, not unlike Alagna in the Monterosa. The combination of a deep alpine snowpack & adventurous spirit has definite appeal for Powderhounds. For more piste trails & a race vibe, nearby Tarvisio ski resort has you covered, plus it has the incredible Monte Lussari Sanctuary to check out, perched atop the mountain.
The ski terrain is cold north-aspect on the Italian side, and sunny south-aspect on the Slovenian side, which you can still ride, but will need to skin your way back up to the border. Whilst limited in overall piste trail length, the skiable vertical of over 1,020m on the Italian side provides a lot of scope for shenanigans.
Before we get the chance to ski it, check out the ski trail map for Sella Nevea (& Kanin) below.
Lift passes are very affordably priced. When it was still operating lift passes were available for one or both ski areas. At the moment it is Sella Nevea only! Outside the main winter season, the daily lift pass price is so cheap its practically free!
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Where is Sella Nevea Italy?
The Sella Nevea ski resort’s Italian base is in the Friuli Venezia Giulia (Udine) region of far north-eastern Italy on the border with Slovenia. By road, Venice is 200km (2½hr) to the south-west, Salzburg is 250km (3hr) north, and the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana is only 120km (1¾hr) to the east. If it ever opens again, note the Kanin base is near the town of Bovec across the range in Slovenia, intriguingly further away by road from Ljubljana (13km/2hr).
The closest gateway airports are Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU), Trieste (TRS), Venice (VCE) or Salzburg (SZG). There are plenty of flights coming to these airports from around Europe & the UK, with the smallest number of flights being to Trieste. To get to the resort from an airport you could get a pricey private transfer, but we suggest getting a rental car and linking it on ski safari with other Italian resorts (like in the Dolomites) or Austria's Nassfeld.
Sella Nevea Accommodation
A limited number of accommodations are available at the Sella Nevea resort base village of Passo Sella Nevea or in the nearby (14km away) town of Tarvisio. On the Slovenian side of the resort, Bovec is the place to rest your head, but until the ski lifts here start operating again, there is probably no point.
Search & book here for all Sella Nevea ski accommodation.
Review
The Powderhounds will endeavour to review Kanin-Sella Nevea next season. More information will come after our visit. Stay tuned for our sparkling repartee, new photos & insights.
See how the European ski resorts compare on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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