3 places to visit in Calabria in winter

If you think Calabria is a region to be experienced only in summer, you are wrong! Come and discover the most beautiful places to visit in Calabria in winter.

From ski slopes to snowshoeing, from urban trekking to museums and theatre seasons, passing through traditions and folklore, Christmas markets and seasonal gastronomic products, Calabria in winter conquers you as much as in summer.

What are you waiting for? Come and discover now what to see in winter in Calabria.  

Still think Calabria only offers seaside tourism? Winter in Calabria is a magical season, precisely because of the easiness with which, in the same day, it is possible to go from a skiing weekend at high altitude to a candlelit dinner in front of the stormy sea.

There are many places and sporting activities to be practised in the open air during the winter season, starting with the mountain resorts that, in addition to skiing, offer adults and children the opportunity to enjoy snowshoeing in the woods. 

Calabria in winter does not fail to pamper you with delicious tastings in front of the fireplace. This is the perfect opportunity to taste the typical products of a spicy and tasty cuisine that knows how to "warm up" the palate and offer its winter delicacies on a nice chopping board, with many PDO and PGI products.

Winter in Calabria is also made up of popular traditions, starting with Christmas traditions, which give you direct contact with local communities that still preserve the rituals and folklore of yesteryear.

Let's discover the unseen face of Calabria and what to see in winter in 3 tips...    

Ready to ski in Calabria in winter?

The Sila National Park and the Aspromonte National Park are waiting for you and the whole family to spend a snowsports winter in Calabria.

The Sila offers several ski slopes, located between the ski area of Lorica, in the municipality of San Giovanni in Fiore, and Camigliatello Silano, in the municipality of Spezzano della Sila (both in the province of Cosenza), as well as those in the Crotone area, in the suggestive Villaggio Palumbo, a mountain hamlet in the municipality of Cotronei.

In the same locations you can try your hand at other winter sports such as snowboarding, ice skating and the legendary snowshoeing in the woods (both day and night), suitable for all ages. Not to be missed is a ride on the Historical Train of Sila, which operates by reservation all year round.

Among the places to visit in Calabria in winter, ski lovers cannot miss a ‘slope with a sea view’ along the vertiginous tracks of Gambarie d'Aspromonte, the ski resort in the municipality of Santo Stefano in Aspromonte (RC), in the heart of the Aspromonte National Park.

The list of places to visit in Calabria in winter certainly includes the provincial capital cities, rich in works of art in the region's main museums and theatres, which offer a rich programme of events in the winter season.

Any suggestions for a themed urban trek?

• Cosenza and contemporary art
• Discovering Catanzaro, urban trekking in the regional capital
• Weekend in Crotone, the "City of Pythagoras"
• A trip to Vibo Valentia, from ancient Hipponion to the present day
• Reggio Calabria and the Riace Bronzes, between history and curiosities

If, on the other hand, your passion is small villages, Calabria in winter is the right place to discover them all: not only the 15 of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, but also the lesser-known ones that preserve ancient traditions and rituals, such as the villages that are home to Calabria's 3 ethnolinguistic minorities (Albanian, Occitan, and Grecanic).

Between traditional festivals, typical costumes and sacred rituals, the ethnolinguistic minority villages are among the perfect places to visit in Calabria in winter, for those who love ‘slow’ experiences and the intimacy created with the locals.

Want to know more?

• Albanians of Calabria, an itinerary among the Arbëreshë communities
• Journey to Guardia Piemontese, among the Occitans of Calabria
• Journey through Bovesìa, among the Greeks of Calabria

Lastly, Calabria in winter offers the magic of events and festivals linked to the Christmas tradition and the festivals of PDO and PGI products linked to seasonality.

Don't miss the tour of Calabria's Living Cribs or the attractions offered by the Christmas Markets held in many locations, from the sea to the mountains.

Discover all Calabrian Christmas traditions and choose the places to visit in Calabria in winter that are right for you!