Worldwide Ski Resorts • Italy • Madonna di Campiglio
Overview
Madonna is another of the Dolomites delightful towns, long established with a style of the local tradition but combined with the benefits of some modern additions. A compact centre with the town set in an attractive wooded valley it is very popular with Italians in the affluent bracket and being seen in the evenings strolling along the many shops is quite an occupation. Madonna is quite spread out to the south from the centre and passes a frozen lake.
Profile
The intermediates and beginners are very keen to come here being capable of venturing out to most of the area with little difficulty. Madonna’s racing mountain is ideal for these groups and there are easy long runs to gain confidence and skills. The nursery slopes accessed by a short bus ride to Campo Carlo Magna are really excellent and moving on to longer runs is made very easy. Most experts head more towards the off piste runs.
Mountain Information
The sector of Pradalago is linked by lift and by piste to Monte Vigo and the terrain above and below the tree line is mostly intermediate. The grooming of the slopes has been highly praised and snow reliability is pretty good even with the sun as the runs are quite high altitude. Plenty of investment has been made into snowmaking here which is a big consideration when relying on skiing every day. For the experts off piste is favourite and the untracked snow under the Genziana chair lift is another area to head for. There are 15% Black runs, 50% Red and 35% Blue and the slopes range from around 5,000 feet to 8,000 feet.
Snowboarders love this resort and plenty of major events take place here. For the cross country skiers there is 19 miles of trails through the typical wooded landscape. At Groste there is the Ursus terrain park which has big air jumps and half and quarter pipes. With 45 lifts queuing is not usually a problem but there may be a few hold ups at certain times of the season. The mountain restaurants are both self service and table service with the usual smattering of mountain huts. Plenty of good Italian food and hospitality and many restaurants have outstanding views to enjoy when having lunch. Ski schools are mostly aimed at adults with more limited tuition and facilities for the children.
Apres Ski
The range of hotels is impressive with many having an excellent reputation for facilities, service and food. Apparently the Arnica Hotel only serves breakfast which may seem a little understated but well worth having when the reviews have been raving about the quality of this important meal of the day. Restaurants are plenty here and it goes without saying the food and atmosphere are good — what else would we expect from the exuberant Italians.
For something different selected huts on the mountain stay open after skiing is over. Après ski is fairly low key here but certainly not dull, if a sugar intake is necessary the Maturi allegedly is a must at teatime for amazing cakes and divine chocolates. The shops are very smart and well stocked with plenty on offer to make a few purchases. Walking is also an evening pursuit and for those a little more energetic skating on the frozen lake is fun way to relax after dinner.
Italian Resort Guide
Resort Information • Madonna di Campiglio
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Resort Height | 1520m |
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Top Station | 2580m |
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Bottom Station | 1520m |
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Vertical Descent | 985m |
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Drag Lifts | 10 |
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Chair Lifts | 15 |
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High Capacity | 5 |
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Opening Dates | Dec - April |
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Rating Expert | 6 |
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Rating Intermediate | 8 |
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Rating Beginner | 7 |
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Apres Ski Rating | 7 |
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Snow Reliability | 7 |
