Madonna di Campiglio, Italy
Nestled between the rocky spires of the Brenta Dolomites, a landscape of such unparalleled beauty that UNESCO has named it a World Heritage site, and the sparkling expanse of the glacier atop the historic Adamello-Presanella mountain range, the site of the highest front of the First World War, Madonna di Campiglio, at an altitude of 1550m, is one of the most famous tourist destinations of all the Alps.
Air as crisp as a fine champagne. Expanses of soft snow rising up to meet clear blue skies above solitary spires of rock. This heavenly spot for skiing features thrilling slopes and high-tech lift systems that take you from an altitude of 850 meters (2,790 ft) on up to 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) before you ski down into the heart of Madonna di Campiglio and just a few steps from the leading hotels. The most famous of these ski runs, the Canalone Miramonti, the site of a prestigious, historic stop on the Alpine Ski World Cup calendar, includes floodlights that allow you to keep on skiing when the stars come out, for an experience that will take your breath away.
Madonna di Campiglio lies at the heart of Trentino’s largest ski area, one that features 150 kilometers (93 miles) of interconnected runs encompassing the three ski resorts in Madonna di Campiglio, Pinzolo and Folgarida-Marileva. The first two are connected by the modern, panoramic Pinzolo-Campiglio Express, a gondola lift that will get you from one resort to the other in just 16 minutes as you enjoy spectacular views over the stunning Adamello-Brenta Nature Park.
From Pinzolo’s Doss del Sabion, the Pinzolo-Campiglio Express runs to Madonna di Campiglio’s 5 Laghi (5 Lakes) just to the north of the legendary Canalone Miramonti. The lift covers a distance of nearly five kilometers (3 miles) and an elevation gain of 1,100 meters (3,600 ft) and has two intermediate stations in addition to the start and finish.
As much as 95% of the runs are covered by artificial snow systems, and skiers can choose from among 100 runs (incl. 42 beginner, 37 intermediate and 21 expert runs). For boarders, the area features four snowboard parks, including the Ursus Snow Park in Grostè, which is considered one of the Alps’ top five of its kind.
This unified ski area is covered by a single ski pass, and every year the lift operators conduct maintenance and upgrades to ensure the lifts meet modern standards for efficiency and give skiers the best possible experience on Italian snow.