Cross-country skiing is an alternative to alpine skiing for those who prefer more intense physical exercise and skiing at slower speeds.

For anyone wishing to spend a skiing week or weekend, the Lombardy valleys offer plenty of opportunities by providing sports facilities and equipment so that people can practice winter sports safely and with great enjoyment.

Cross-country skiing is a sport that gives you a chance to enjoy the landscapes around the tracks, adding the thrill of a very close contact with nature to the sporting activity.

One of the most famous Lombardy skiing resorts is the Ponte di Legno - Tonale, which includes the Tonale Pass, the Presena Glacier, Ponte di Legno and Temù. It has the most slopes and the most modern ski lifts with approximately 50 km of cross-country tracks, with altitudes between 1150 and 3100 metres above sea level.

In Valtellina, the skiing network includes the villages of Madesimo, Campodolcino, Motta, Montespluga and the Lei Valley with 18 km of track specially prepared for skiers who wish to engage in cross-country skiing.

In Santa Caterina Valfurva, in Alta Valtellina, cross-country skiing is practised through the woods on two circuits of 5 and 10 km, with hills and slopes and considerable changes in altitude. The track also has a tough downhill stretch that is particularly appreciated by expert cross-country skiers.

Picturesque outings along cross-country tracks can be made in Lanzada, in Valmalenco, where the circuit runs round a frozen lake.

In the Brembana Valley there are a number of tracks, for differing skill levels and lengths, including the ones in Carona and Foppolo, which is 3 km long and lit even at night.

In Pian di Bobbio, in Valtorta, the Rododendro cross-country skiing track is a very taxing one, full of up hill and downhill stretches and it has also hosted the Italian Master Championships (2006) and the Italian Open Championships (2005). Two tracks of 2.5 and 5 kilometres that will be very enjoyable even for the less expert skiers.