Free time and sports
Pistoia is a place to live all year round. The Apennines that frame the city offer a setting where art and nature combine extremely well. In summer, a vast network of paths and roads enable horse-riding, mountain-biking and trekking enthusiasts to discover the suggestive mountainous and hilly countryside, or you can try your hand at canoe sailing and sport fishing in the torrents and little lakes. In winter, the Pistoia Apennines transform into a white paradise where Nordic skiing, snowboarding, carving and skiing enthusiasts can venture upon ever new routes. Abetone is the heart of the skiing district and the most important winter sports resort in Central Italy, known and admired all over the world for the beauty and variety of its slopes, and the glory of its great champions, like Zeno Colò, Celina Seghi and Vittorio Chierroni.

Over 80 kilometres of slopes, many of which have artificial snow and lighting for night skiing, are distributed over four splendid valleys that are connected to each other by numerous lifts: ski-lifts, cable cars, chair lifts, cableways and also several baby-lifts for the younger ones and beginners.

Events of great national and international importance are held on the slopes of Pistoia’s white Apennine circuit: there is the “Coppa Europa”, “Coppa Foemina”, “Master”, “Carving Cup” and “Pinocchio sugli Sci”, a true world skiing championship for youngsters aged 8 to 15 years old, which launched great champions like Deborah Compagnoni, Isolde Kostner, Lara Magoni, Jure Kosir, Mario Reiter, Hurska Hrovat and many others. In spring there is the Pistoia- Abetone race.

Sports facilities
Pistoia and its territory offer visitors many opportunities to enjoy themselves at various sports facilities: football and fivea- side football pitches, tennis courts, multi-purpose courts for volleyball and basketball, an athletics track, skating rinks and several gyms.

Pistoia has a stadium and a leisure centre, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a firing ground. Enthusiasts can play golf, a few kilometres from Pistoia, in Monsummano Terme, at one of the most important and interesting 18-hole golf courses, even on a competitive level.

The area of Pistoia can also be explored on mountain bikes, which are the ideal way to discover the characteristic corners of the city and surrounding area. There are several stables in the area and you can organise trips on horseback along the many routes immersed in nature that surround the city, stopping off at characteristic places, rich in art and culture, where you can maybe sample the local products.

Whereas for those who love cars, Pistoia offers several special events, such as, for example the Abeti Rally and the Lima- Abetone car race.