Fun for the whole family. Cascina Zeledria and Chalet Spinale have phenomenal food. Would recommend Pradalago for beginner/intermediate. Recommend Cinque Laghi for intermediate/expert.
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I never really intended to ski Madonna di Campiglio because I don’t rate it as a true Powderhounds ski resort, but I went back on the strength of an Epic Pass. My home mountain is part of Epic Pass (for better or worse!), so it behoved me to see how it worked in the Skirama Dolomiti region.

Having checked out the nearby Pinzolo (which I found disappointing), I was intrigued about the gondola connection between the two. Low visibility, rain/snow mix down low, warm snow up top greeted me in Madonna. But the 16-minute-long ride was pleasant and easy to do. I charged a few piste trails in the Cinque Laghi sector before wandering across the village to ride up to Monte Spinale. I enjoy this area as it has some fall line both on & off piste, but the visibility was frightful, so I trundled about checking out some of the newer ski lifts in the resort and re-acquainting myself with the terrain. It re-enforced to me that there is indeed something (on the piste) for all abilities of skier & snowboarder throughout the resort. The many valley trails that deposit one at various parts of the town are fun, and the off-piste, whilst limited, has relatively few people riding it. However, the resort is not the best for absolute novices, with only a few small learning zones dotted around the resort (and the main one quite a distance away). Anyone looking to ski for the first time might be best looking elsewhere.

Lovers of big views (I have been a lover of them when you could see the surrounding Brenta Dolomites!), perfect piste, and nice mountain huts with great food will love Madonna. An appreciation of higher-end hotels & shopping helps too. Having an Epic Pass makes it feel a little less overpriced compared to other Italian ski resorts, but for most people that find themselves here, that will possibly be less of an issue.

I’ve rated the lifts a ’4.5’ as the resort has made numerous improvements since our last visit, but it still has one or two weaknesses, including some old, slow chairlifts that are in desperate need of replacement. Thankfully the worst of them, the Nude d’Argento double chair is slated to replaced with a 10-person gondola in 2025. And it was indeed a pleasure to ride the newish Nube d’Ora 6-seater express chair on Monte Spinale, which replaced the most awful chair on the hill since our last visit. Bravo!

Despite what seems like maddening crowds in the day car parks, on certain pistes and in some mountain huts, the lifts rarely have lines. In fact if you start early you will likely be alone for the first hour, and who doesn’t mind that!

Booking last minute, and being a tightarse, I stayed down valley beyond Pinzolo at the incredibly affordable (& rather pleasant) Hotel Rio in Caderzone. Realistically though, if coming for a full week of skiing, one should stay in the heart of the village at Madonna to get the full high-end Italian snow experience. And if you are a tightarse like me, there are loads of options away from Madonna that won’t break the bank. Just don’t stay in Marilleva 1400, its awful.

Oh, and that free ski pass was really easy to get too. Merely involved presenting the Epic Pass & some ID at a ticket window and a 7-day lift pass valid in all the Skirama Dolomiti resorts is given in return. Simples!

I don’t love Madonna di Campiglio, but I don’t hate it either. Its kind of more an ambivalence to it. It has a place in the world of skiing, but it’s just not a place that appeals to me.

Ciao for now, I’m off to ski some big mountain, freeride powder at Tonale with my free lift pass…… Thanks Vail Resorts!

See our thoughts on the pros & cons of the ski resort via the Madonna di Campiglio overview page.

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Just back from a week with my family here. Was added to Epic Pass and wanted to check it out.

I don't know why these other reviews are so average. I've skied all over Nth America & Europe and this is my favourite resort hands down. Absolutely and utterly stunning. Great Italian vibe. Humming but no lift lines. Amazing long pistes, catering for every skier level (my family are a mixture of beginner - expert). Wonderful wide long blues. Fun long rollercoaster reds. White-knuckle blacks. And the off-piste was great too! No, there's not nearly as much as say a Whistler. And it takes a little ingenuity to find. But we had a powder day and it was awesome! Just as steep and gnarly and feature-packed... as like Snowbird? And the pow lasted the entire day!

On mountain food is exceptional overall. Italians know how to do it - they hit the spritz at 10am! And the dining in Madonna is A+, and not all wallet-busting (although some of it is for sure). And yeah, the place is glam, but not exclusively so - we stayed in an airbnb for about $US1.5k for the week in the centre of town.

My only concern is that, now it's Vail (accessible by Vail Epic Pass), it will slowly lose its charm and become a crowded mess. Go quick!
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We just got back from Madonna for our first time. We stayed for an entire week so we had the opportunity to really try to take in all of the details we could.

A few short bullet points describe the overall experience we had:
- When we started seeing fur coats and hats everywhere, we immediately knew we weren’t rich enough to really experience the best of what the village dining scene had to offer.
- I was floored at what a 4-day pass cost for one adult and one 10-year old (around 500 Euros‼️).
- The many many runs directly into town were a very cool option to have to go from 2k+ meters directly into the streets of town.
- After a fresh snowfall day, the terminus of the Grosté lift is hands down where all the big off-piste fun is to be had.
- Drink on the Mountain was always fantastic; however, food was very hit or miss. Had some incredible 7 euro Parma Ham and Rucola sandwiches in one spot and some absolutely terrible 13 euro bland Wursts (let’s be honest Hot Dogs) at another spot.
- Ski school Laghi that I chucked my kids into was way more forward leaning than a Swiss Ski School generally is.
- The Italian way of life is chaotic. From driving, to parking, to starting a line for a drink, either adjust accordingly or suffer. A positive swing to this, the Italians did not seem to be too crazy about getting to first chair on any day including powder days. If you can resist the urge to sleep an extra hour, it’s a guarantee you’ll be rewarded with quiet morning slopes.
- There are random periods in which the slopes open at 0730 as opposed to 0830. Keep an eye out for these for some early dawn runs.

Overall our visit was pretty good but the swanky vibes the village itself gave off put me off a bit. I am the last person on Earth who cares about fashion so constantly being faced with tourists who did was a minor inconvenience for me. Having said that, the powder that I got into at 2200 plus meters above Grosté was absolutely serene and I could not fathom why the lifts weren’t completely swarmed with people. I didn’t even have to fist fight anyone to grab the 2nd car headed towards the top.

Madonna is pretty cool and the slope quality i thought was really really awesome; however, the cost of a ticket there combined with it being more than 6 hours from my home probably prevents me from going again. The ritzy scene in town just wasn’t for me. I’m much more down with humble Austrian vibes with a ridiculous Après Ski bar.
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Madonna di Campiglio looks alot funner than it was. Sure it was fun, just not FUN! Smaller than it seems, flatter than it appears, we nonetheless had a good few days there after a bit of fresh snow. More of a family piste skiers resort than a powder seekers nirvana, it is easy to sit back, watch the beautiful people stroll by in the classy village or just sip a spritzer up high whilst gawping at the gorgeous mountains. I'd go back if only to use the lifts to get up high and explore the Brenta Dolomites backcountry on skis ....
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A ski trip to Madonna di Campiglio conjures up a genteel image of a snow clad village deep in a valley, perfect pistes, sunshine, spectacular mountains, fur clad promenaders and a few Aperol Spritzers before some fine Italian dining. Funny thing is that the image is mostly true. Just look at the photos in the overview and with this review.

But there is always more to a place than a few photos can show, especially when one visits at the absolute height of the season in the second week of February.

Arriving in Madonna di Campiglio for the first time on a day trip, we joined a small procession of vehicles that bumbled about the pretty town looking for a place to park. Confusion reigns – the town is not car friendly in winter. First lesson learnt. Even though there are numerous sensational ski lifts directly in the town, day trippers need to look elsewhere to park.

Backtracked to the base of the Groste gondola. A small parking fee allowed us to prop within 50m of the lift. Great facilities are immediately obvious. Accommodation, restaurant, café, ski storage, ticket office, skier bridge across the road to another linking lift & of course the mandatory après ski yurt. Let the skiing begin....

The highest terrain in the resort faces northwest and has wonderful snow quality. Reaching just over 2500m, the terrain at Passo Grostè is sadly lacking in any pitch but is perfect for beginners, lower intermediates & those wanting to huck a few jumps in the ‘Ursus’ Snowpark. Ursus is of course named after the brown bears that inhabit the mountains here. The modern lifts, terrain park, excellent mountain restaurant (Stoppani) & classic Rifugio Graffer, combine well with the cold, dry snow & gobsmacking views to provide a stellar ski experience. We skied fresh low angle untracked lines in 20cm+ of powder a full day after the last snow. A nice endorsement for the mountain.

Passo Grostè is a good staging point to access some of the epic backcountry freeride terrain in the Brenta Dolomites. A look at the local Tabacco Map number 053 (Dolomiti di Brenta) reveal the many options for adventure in the area. So much to do, so little time.

Further down at the tree line we dived off under the Groste gondola line into steep untouched larch & pine terrain. More freshies when we expected none. Those who seek, reap!

Popping out near the old Vagliana chair we did a quick off piste exploration of the treed & rolling terrain, then journeyed on the longest trail in the resort down to opposite the satellite village of Campo Carlo Magno. The trail is no place for snowboarders as it is flat & uphill for long sections requiring skating & pushing. Alright for us but was clearly no fun for the beginners & snowboarders pushing along.

From a Powderhounds point of view we then arrived at what should be the best lift in the resort but instead is two old bangers that are tediously slow. The two chairlifts (Nube d'Argento & Nube d'Orohead) up the excellent Monte Spinale & reveal the best inbounds off piste in the entire resort. Now to be fair, one could ski this terrain utilising the Spinale gondola from Madonna, but it involves a tedious traverse into town & then skis off for the gondola ride (not something an aging telemarker likes doing!). A modern chair here would be quick frankly awesome. Instead it is just ok. If the snow is good, the terrain through here directly under the chair is the ‘go to’ on a powder morning with a great combination of alpine steeps & gullies blending into light & then heavy trees. Monte Spinal has a cracking top to bottom advanced trail running under the gondola. Hang on to your helmet as it is super-fast down the bottom end.

Lunch in the village of Madonna di Campiglio can be as simple or refined as one wants. We opted for simple. Soaking up the midday sun with a panini & coffee, watching the passers-by. The village isn’t as intense as we expected. Always on the refined side of the ledger (confirmed with an inspection of the local shops!), it lacks a thriving centre, giving one the impression the village is quite sedate. The reality is …………. that the village is quite sedate.

One thing the village does have is a huge amount of access to the slopes. Whilst there is no easy way to ski or use a lift to get from one side of the valley to the other in the village (you are gonna walk), there are five gondolas & a chairlift extending from its outskirts. Now 2 of those are linking gondolas between Pinzolo & Madonna, but still, that’s more gondolas than I can recall heading out of any ski village in the world. (Happy to be corrected!).

The opposite side of the valley is a huge contrast to the Spinale/Groste side. Accessed from the sitting Cinque Laghi & the standing Pradalago gondolas, the southeast facing slopes are mostly tree lined & sundrenched. The views over the village to the Brenta range are amazing. The piste trails are for all skiing abilities & stream wonderfully down the 5-600m vertical back to town. They are only spoilt by some long slow traverses in the lower sections which are not clearly indicated on the trail map. Snowboarders beware. One can easily access some high alpine backcountry bowls below Monte Zeledria. The Pradalago/5 Laghi side of Madonna is the ‘go to’ piste skiers’ area. The Rifugio Viviani is the place to rest, lunch or snack. The Cinque Laghi top station bar/restaurant outdoor area is the place for the best views over the valley & Dolomiti di Brenta.

To the north of the Pradalago, lifts & pistes link with the Folgarida Marilleva ski resort. The area can get very busy in the morning with skiers pouring in from the top of the Marilleva lifts. Avoid it at all costs on weekends & during peak season.

For après ski fun, aside from the mountain huts, the Groste & Spinal gondola base area yurts are far & away the best. Remember that the traffic coming down the runs into these lifts by afternoon can be quite frightening – even for us hardened campaigners.

Accommodation wise, Madonna di Campiglio was booked out during our visit. A common occurrence from all reports. The best ski resort village alternatives are Campo Carlo Magno (above Madonna) and Pinzolo (down the Val Rendena). Next best is Folgarida and then the Val di Sole towns of Mezzana & the like. Price goes down proportionate to the distance from Madonna di Campiglio.

Cast aside some of my cynicism and enjoy all that Madonna has to offer – a classic Italian ski resort experience.
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