Funivie Piccolo San Bernardo of La Thuile: the wild side of Mont Blanc

If you love mountain sports, the real mountain, La Thuile is a destination to add to your wish list. In winter, a vast expanse of white snow covers 152 km of slopes, in the wonderful Espace San Bernardo, an international ski area that connects the Italian side of La Thuile to the French side of La Rosière, in Savoy. The ski slopes are suitable for all levels of difficulty, from very technical ones for professionals (here is the slope n.3 Franco Berthod, the steepest in Italy and home to the women’s Ski World Cup), to medium difficulty ones, to simple tracks. In summer, however, you can experience 170 km of trails in the La Thuile Bike World.

Thanks to the ski lifts of the Funivie Piccolo San Bernardo in La Thuile, you can take your feet or your bike to high altitude with two chairlifts and choose the route that best suits you. Whether you are a professional hiker or biker or a beginner and amateur, fun and adventure are guaranteed. We are 1450 meters above sea level in an area that has just under 7 inhabitants per square kilometer-a guarantee of tranquility and ample space to enjoy nature. In addition, the lifts of La Thuile's Piccolo San Bernardo cable cars are capable of transporting more than 63,000 people every hour in winter, so you will never queue in La Thuile. 

We are in the presence of the king of all mountains, the imposing and beautiful Mont Blanc, whose snow-capped peaks stand out from any perspective you look at. La Thuile is in the Aosta Valley, one of the most surprising Italian regions, from a landscape point of view, at times it almost seems like you are walking in a dream. Nature is the master here; it imposes its rhythms and gives you beautiful scenery. The Rutor massif and its glacier that give life to the Rutorine waterfalls express the indomitable soul of La Thuile to the fullest, the many lakes that appear still as a reward after long walks or bike rides, the woods, the fauna and the infinite uncontaminated green space.

Whether you are a sport lover, a passionate of culinary traditions, or simply inclined to adventure and lover of that nature which still inspires respect, La Thuile is the perfect place. Close to the main cities of northern Italy, but also to France, (reachable through the Mont Blanc tunnel and the Little St. Bernard Pass in summer); and to Switzerland (reachable through the Great St. Bernard tunnel). Wherever you come from, reach La Thuile is easy and the highway exit is just a few kilometers away.

La Thuile is a historically popular destination for ski lovers, but let's explore together the infinite opportunities that the Piccolo San Bernardo Cableways offer for the summer period. The large bike park can be reached with your bike in tow via the two chairlifts also open in summer,  you can reach the French side of La Rosière with a cross-border route, then also using the facilities beyond the border thanks to the Espace San Bernardo bike pass. The 170 km of trails, between gravity and cycle touring, pass from the 2600 m altitude of the Belvedere area to descend for over 1200 m to the village. There are various possibilities for bike passes, morning, afternoon and daily in which you can choose your areas of interest. Along the routes you will find bike washing points, charging points, bike equipment rental points and technical assistance and also a MTB school with qualified instructors and specialized guides for MTB walks at high altitude and in the woods, all this is La Thuile bike world. There are also routes dedicated to cycle-trekking.

The La Thuile Park is considered among the most technical and challenging in Italy, here we find a Dual Slalom route, an Easy Dirt Line and a new Pump Track. Since 2014, La Thuile has hosted international Enduro and Cross Country competitions.

The history of the Funivie Piccolo San Bernardo in La Thuile began way back in 1948 when a popular shareholder group from La Thuile decided to build the first chairlift. From the days when wooden skis were used and skiers wore trousers tied to the knee to the modern and technical present, a lot of time has passed, and the company has grown over the years and has become a large ski resort. Today the Funivie Piccolo San Bernardo can count on a vast area with over 150 km of slopes, the Espace San Bernardo which connects the stations of La Thuile in the Aosta Valley to La Rosière in Savoy. 80 slopes, a single international ski pass and 38 modern and fast ski lifts - with a total hourly capacity of 63,200 people/hour.

The year 2025 marks the fortieth anniversary of the opening of the international connection, a symbol of this tourist development, which has involved both sides of the mountain, in a highly successful and collaborative Italian-French liaison.

Funivie Piccolo San Bernardo in La Thuile is also committed to the environment by introducing valid initiatives such as rechargeable chip cards to reduce the production of disposable tickets, which can be used in all the ski areas of the region for several consecutive years. Always on the green wave, Funivie Piccolo San Bernardo is committed to rationalizing energy and water resources, using a large water collection basin to provide programmed snowmaking.