Three valleys around Monte Civetta in the Dolomites, with Alleghe, Selva di Cadore and Zoldo sharing a lift network beneath one of the most striking rock faces in the range.

Alleghe sits on a lake formed by a landslide in the eighteenth century, which freezes in winter and is used for skating, and the village around it has kept an ordinary Italian life.

The skiing is mostly intermediate and quiet, with long runs and remarkably few people compared with the Sella circuit an hour away. It is part of Dolomiti Superski, so a bigger day is always available.

Prices are noticeably lower than in Cortina or Alta Badia, and the Civetta wall itself is the reason photographers come to this valley.