Madonna di Campiglio

Our Take

Madonna di Campiglio sits in the Rendena Valley between the Adamello massif and the Brenta Dolomites, a positioning that gives it one of the most dramatic mountain backdrops of any Italian resort. The skiing connects to Pinzolo and Folgarida-Marilleva to form the Skirama Dolomiti -- 150km of combined pistes -- with Madonna's own area covering the Grostè, Pradalago, and 5 Laghi zones across the valley. The 3-Tre World Cup slalom hosted in December is one of the circuit's most prestigious night races. Madonna's reputation is Italy's answer to Courchevel: fashion-conscious, expensive, with an après-ski scene that takes itself seriously. The Grostè area at 2,437 meters has the best high-altitude terrain and access to the Rendena valley's widest ski zone. The Brenta Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage site provides a visual backdrop for the skiing that no amount of grooming or lift infrastructure can compete with. For Italian resort skiing with some cultural weight behind it, Madonna di Campiglio is where the money goes.

Nerd Stats

Fun Facts

• The 3-Tre World Cup slalom at Madonna di Campiglio is one of the few Alpine World Cup night races -- it's held under floodlights in December.
• Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria reportedly loved Madonna di Campiglio in the 1890s. Italian resort tourism has been attracting royalty since before it was Italian.
• The Brenta Dolomites behind the resort are UNESCO World Heritage listed -- the rock formations visible from the ski lifts are among the Alps' most dramatic.
• Madonna is connected to Pinzolo and Marilleva for 150km of combined Skirama Dolomiti terrain -- a multi-valley circuit most international visitors never complete.