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Madonna
di Campiglio |
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| Madonna di Campiglio
is a small town located in the Dolomites of Northern Italy.
The charm of the town is that, unlike the neighboring
towns of Folgarida and Marilleva, it is |
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frequented
almost exclusively by Italians.
Located in a valley, the town boasts some of the best
intermediate-level skiing in Italy.
Comparable to Cortina, Madonna di Campiglio is a ski-resort
town that is one of the most stylish in Italy. The resort
if a place where famous Italians go to see and be seen,
but foreigners will find the resort gracious and friendly
to foreigners.
The lift system is one of the best in the country, and
Madonna’s lift system is connected with that of
neighboring towns Folgarida and Marilleva. The slopes
are beautifully maintained with resort personnel grooming
the slopes each evening.
The skiing is laid-back, offering great runs and enjoyment
for intermediate skiers as well as beginners. Although
not known for its advanced skiing, more proficient skiers
will enjoy Canalone Miramonti or 3-Tre, which is where
the annual world cup race is held.
Madonna is the place to go if you enjoy the outdoors.
It counts downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding,
ice skating, and dog sledding as just some of the activities
to experience. However, for those that want to do something
other than sports, Madonna is famous for its great designer
boutiques, restaurants, as well as nightlife. |
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| Skiing |
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ski
area map
and description |
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| The resort is best
know for its intermediate skiing. Its location in the
Dolomite Mountains in the Northeastern part of the |
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country
provides skiers with breathtaking views from 5,084 feet.
The majority of Madonna’s 56 miles of slopes are
in and below the tree line, and are serviced by 24 lifts.
Using the Superskirama pass, one can ski the slopes in
Marilleva as well as Folgarida for a total of 94 miles
of slopes.
Madonna slopes are best for intermediate skiers and below
with 41 percent of the runs rated intermediate and 43
percent easy. Beginners have great slopes on which to
learn as well as long runs on the mountain. Intermediate
skiers will love the quality of the slopes. Advanced skiers
will find the aforementioned Canalone Miramonti and 3-Tre
runs challenging.
The slopes open in December and close in April. The holidays
as well as the Italian school break in February will be
the times the slopes are at their most crowded. One should
consider that snow conditions may not be at their best
at the beginning and end of the season. |
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| Ski
Map of Madonna di Campiglio |
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lifts
and tickets |
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| The lift capacity
in Madonna is world-class. The lift can transport over
31,000 skiers each hour. This means that skiers have to
spend little time in lift lines. Of the 24 lifts: 6 are
draglifts, 13 are chairlifts, |
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cable cars and 4 auto-coupling gondolas. The lifts run
at different speeds and some of the older lifts can run
very slowly, however Madonna is continually updating and
modernizing its equipment.
The Superskirama pass is one of the most popular and allow
skiers access to the whole sky county: Madonna di Campiglio,
Marilleva, Folgarida, Tonale, Pinzolo and Andalo. As of
recently the high season pass costs about $40 for one
day or about $195 for a six day pass.
Madonna passes has 24 lifts and 39 runs over 56 miles.
A pass in the high season cost about $37 a day, $106 for
three days, and $184 for six days.
During the low season the slopes are not only less crowded
but lift tickets cost less. Children under eight can get
a free weekly pass with the purchase of two adult weekly
passes. Skiers over 60 and kids under 16 pass less.
Passes for more than three days need a photo. Morning,
afternoon and night passes are available. Weekly passes
start and end on Sunday, so as to avoid line, skiers should
purchase tickets in advance. |
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| for
beginners |
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The fact that
the slopes are exquisitely maintained are just one of
the reasons the new skiers will find it easy to learn
on these slopes.
Beginners will appreciate that |
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the
easier slopes not only located at the bottom of the runs
like other resorts. The blue coded or easy slopes travel
along the length of the valley as well as high up in the
peaks. 23 of the 51 runs of Madonna are blue coded, while
using the Superskirama pass, there are a total of 45 beginner
runs in the three adjoining towns.
If skiing along, the Passo Groste area, with its Graffer
run, is the best for independent skiers. When combined
with Boch, Poza Vecia, Gotte, and Fortinin, the run travels
for 3 miles at a beginner level and ends in the village.
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For beginners who
wish to take lessons, there are six different ski schools
to choose from. The are all similar however, due to the
fact that they are all affiliated with the Scuola Sci
Italiana (or Italian Ski School). New skiers will get
on buses that will take them to nearby Campo Carlo Magno
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which
has ideal learning conditions with side slopes, surface
lifts and snowmaking equipment. Most instructors speak
Italian, but one can obtain an instructor that speaks
English if one books in advance. Tuition costs generally
$33 an hour.
New skiers that are taking lessons do not need to buy
a lift pass, as the lifts in the learning areas are included
in the price of tuition. Anyone who wants to ski the learning
areas with hiring an instructor can pay a fee use both
the lifts in this area as well as the shuttle service.
If one already has a basic level of skiing, then he should
buy the Madonna area pass, in order to use the large number
of easy runs that are on the beginner level. |
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intermediates |
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| Madonna is one
of the best resorts for intermediate skiing in the country
of Italy. The runs are appropriate for almost all intermediate
skiers, and skiers are advised to take advantage of the
skiing in January, when |
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the
slopes are at their least crowded.
The red-coded or intermediate slopes make up 21 of the
resorts runs. These, in addition to the 21 easy runs,
mean that mid-level skiers will be able to enjoy almost
all of the mountain. The Superskirama pass with get to
ski 17 intermediate and 45 easy runs it the three cities.
Passo Groste has the two longest runs along the tree-line.
These slope have incredible views of the area above the
tree line. Intermediate skiers will be able to try the
eight advanced runs as they are challenging but not impossible
for skiers at the mid-level. The most challenging run
that is not at the advanced level is the Spinale Diretta,
which goes from the top of the Boch lift. |
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for
experts |
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| Madonna is not
the best location for skiers at the advanced level. Only
eight of the 51 runs are black-coded and those are racing
runs. With the Superskirama pass, there area few more
runs that are advanced. |
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However,
at night, the groomers take off all the moguls which make
the black levels not challenging for advanced skiers.
The race courses are the most challenging runs available
in the area. Higher level skiers can try the 5-Laghi area
with the 3-tre course. There is the slalom course at Passo
Groste, the steep Canalone Miramonti, or the Spinal Direttissima.
One can ski off-pist here, but since Madonna is not an
area know for its advanced skiing, the off-pist is not
readily accessible. If one is adventurous and travels
off the slopes, they are in for a fair amount of climbing
to get back to the main trails. Skiers can hire a guide
with proper equipment who can take them off-pist in the
direction of Cima Brenta.
Organized race are held by the Scuola Italiana Sci. Races
are held for all ages at the end of week courses, races
for visiting groups, as well as a race at the end of the
season. |
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| for
children |
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| All six ski schools
in the area have children’s programs and lift passes
offer discount and special rates to kids. |
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| night
skiing |
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Sometimes the Miramonti
slopes are lit at night in Madonna di Campiglio as well
as the ski stadium in Marilleva. Some restaurants on the
slopes organize a dinner with the return by ski.
For cross country skiers there is a lit trial at nights.
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| cross-country
skiing |
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| Cross-country
skiing is for those who want to combine harder physical
exercise with moderate speed, since they can enjoy the
landscape of the woods of the Adamello Brenta Natural
Park in Campo Carlo Magno. |
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| 9 out
of 19 kilometers of Madonna di Campiglio’s trails
start from here: the 547 yd test path, the 1.24 mi baby
path, the 3mi sprint path and the 5mi World Cup path.
Moreover, between Caderzone and Carisolo, passing through
Giustino and Pinzolo, there are 13 mi of paths –
1.3 mi of which are floodlit in the evenings – on
which runs and training sessions take place. |
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| Only
for Snowboarding |
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Snowboarders will
find a great host of opportunities at Madonna. The FIS
Snowboard World Championships were held here in 1999,
and the area has been taking special care of snowboarders’
needs since then.
As one of Italy’s best locations for snowboarding,
Madonna boasts a new and amazing Snowpark, called URSUS.
It’s located on the Groste and open daily.
There are sections for every level. For the begginers
there are 2 fun box with kickers in sequence, 3 handrails
and 1 pyramid one. There is also an easy quarter pipe.
The intermediate and advanced freestyler can enjoy the
shack booter, different high jumps, 4 handrails and one
halfpipe.
The neighboring resorts of Folgarida and Marilleva also
have special slopes for snowboarders and one can buy a
pass that allows them to use all of these locations. |
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snow
sports |
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If, after spending
all day on skis, you are not exhausted, Madoona di Campiglio
and the surrounding areas offer other fun activities.
There are great places for |
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adults
as well as children to have fun in sledding,
tubbing and tobagganging these activities.
There are slopes available for sledding in both Madonna
and in Marilleva.
The Centro di Pattinaggio in Madonna di Campiglio has
ice skating during the winter months
in its outside skating rink. The rink is open both in
the daytime and the evening. The rink has skate rentals
as well as lessons and most guest staying at hotels
in the area and eligible for a discount.
Horse drawn sleighs are available
for hire in Madonna and rates usually run around $28
and hour.
If you desire to spend a day doing something different,
here are a few other outdoor activities in the snow. |
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Presanella has a large north face that provides good ice-climbing.
Via Anna e Mario as well as the Via del Seracco are a
bit more challenging. It is possible to hire both guides
and instructors. One can contact the Gruppo Guide Alpine
for information on guides and prices. |
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Folgarida
has many paths that are appropriate for snow
hiking in the winter months. One wanting to
hike the backcountry should contact the Gruppo Guide
Alpine in Madonna.
Snowshoeing is an activity hugely
popular in the Dolomites, Folgarida and Marilleva have
the best trails. The backcountry is open and free, but
strangers to the area are recommended to hire a guide.
There is also night snowshoeing available through he
Valle di Sole Alpine Guides, which leads treks around
the villages of the Valle di Sole.
Less stressful is the possiblity to admire the marvelous
scenery by dog sledding. At the Antartika
Scuola Italian Sleddog, one can train as a rider or
a musher for dog sledding events. There are short-course
lessons, one-week programs as well as a long-course
that runs from December to April. |
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excursions |
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| During the artistic
transition from Gothic to Renaissance many religious buildings
in Trentino have something in common: the presence of
a family of fresco painters coming from a locality near
Bergamo: |
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the
Baschenises. For over 80 years they painted the facades
of the churches and the interior of apses and chapels
with their polychromatic images. St. Stephen’s
Church, in Carisolo, is an evocative Church situated
on a granite rock dominating the whole valley. The south
part is entirely decorated with frescoes by Simone Baschenis:
the “Dance of Death”, like the fresco at
Saint Vigilio’s Church in Pinzolo. This church
Church was founded in 1362 and was enlarged later, in
1515. The medieval facade is decorated with frescoes
from different epochs: the most important and peculiar
one, for the theme dealt with, is undoubtely the famous
“Dance of Death” by Simone Baschenis.
For nature lovers, the Centre of Glaciology "Julius
Payer", situated in Mandron mountain hut on Adamello,
at 2430 m,offers an exhibition on glaciers and mountain
environment. Training courses are held there with the
possibility of an overnight stay at the nearby Città
di Trento mountain hut. It can be reached from Val Genova
(Genova valley).
Children may enjoy the alpine pasture museum, called
Museo della Malga at Palazzo Bertelli in the village
of Caderzone. It preserves the material evidence of
the work done in the various Alpine summer pastures
of the valleys. It exhibits the tools that time and
experience have enhanced and that are used in the processing
of milk and its by-products. |
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| fitness
facilities |
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| No fitness facilities
are open to the public, but many hotel will have fitness
centers. |
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| Relax |
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| spas |
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If someone is
seeking a bit o peace after skiing, and wishes to relax
in a spa, Madonna is not the place for you. |
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| There
are a few spas in Madonna. There is the Peio and Rabbi
Spas as well as the Sporting Club di Madonna di Campiglio.
The more exclusive hotels usually have spa services of
their own. The public pool is open year-round and has
a heated indoor pool, whirlpool, and sauna. |
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| shopping |
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| Madonna di Campiglio
has world class shopping that is famous in Europe. There
are 44 shops in Madonna alone, with additional shopping
in nearby Folgarida and Marilleva. There are shops dedicated
to sporting goods, woodcarvings, and souvenirs as well
as designer boutiques. Shops stay open into the early
evening. |
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Apres
Ski |
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Most evening
begin with a stroll among the chalet’s and boutiques
of the village before heading off to dinner at one of
the mountain’s restaurants.
Late night offers discos, |
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such
as the famous Zangola, located outside the village,
and the partying can go past 4 a.m.
For una merenda or the happy hour, there are cafés
(called bars as well) and pastry shops all though the
town. They are in the streets as well as in the lobbies
of most hotels. Most cafés will offer pastries
as well as coffee, sodas, some sandwiches, ice cream
and drinks. A great place to grab breakfast, the café
is cheap place for a quick bite to eat.
There are a lot of choices for diners
in Madonna. Though nothing is what one would call haute
cuisine, even the most picky diners should be satisfied
with the choices.
Taste the altotesina cuisine with good cheese, pasta
and polenta. On the slopes themselves, there are the
usual cafeteria-type cafes. The old cascinas offers
steaks cooked on stones and there are nice restaurants
reachable by Sno-cat.
When skiers leave the slopes they usually head to Bars
for drinks and enjoy the happy hour. Clubs and
Bars do not get going until very late in the
evening. The best disco around it the aforementioned
Zangola, which is famous for its dancing, strippers,
and late-night partying. The club is located outside
the town limits, so one will either need to arrange
for transportation or take the bus that runs all night.
There is clubs in the evening which plays techno, dance
music, ski videos or which has a piano bar. Sometimes
live music is presented in area clubs and bars. |
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| Festivals
& Events |
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| Other than shopping
and nightlife, Madonna offers little for those who are
not interested in outdoor activities. However are also
a few spas for those who need to be pampered after a long
day. |
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During
sporting events, the town is full of things to see and
do. The World Cup 3-tre Special Slalom is held in January,
the World Cup Snowboard Events in February and the motorbike
race is held on the ice-covered lake here each year.
Carnevale is celebrated all over Italy and Madonna
is no exception. |
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| Useful
Information |
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| location
& elevation |
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Madonna di Campiglio
is one of the most famous ski resorts in the region
of Trentino and is located in the Rendena Valley.
The first thing you notice when you travel through Val
Rendena, from the small village of Verdesina up to Madonna
di Campiglio, is the exceptional diversity of its natural
landscape: in the east the Brenta Group extends for
kilometers among restrained valleys and majestic heights;
in the west eyes look up to the snow-covered peaks of
the granitic groups of Adamallo and Presanella.
Val Rendena lies in the heart of the Dolomites. It
is rich in unpolluted natural resources and is surrounded
by the Adamello-Brenta Natural Park. Fantastic glaciers
tower above 50 Alpine lakes which form evocative falls
and mighty water streams. |
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We are in the heart
of the Adamello Brenta Natural Park, an unpolluted oasis
of more than 900 million square meters, where the eagle
reigns, where roe deers and chamois, foxes and marmots
live, where populations of brown bears are still present,
thanks to recent populating |
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intervention.
There are many ways to reach Madonna after flying into
Italy, whether by bus , train, or car. The closest international
airports to Madonna are in Milan and Venice. Verona
can be reached from most major European cities.
Town of Madonna (lift base): 5,084 feet or
1,550 meters
Top of Lifts: 8,464 feet or 2,580 meters
Top of Mountain: 10,410 feet or 3,173 meters
Ski able Vertical Drop: 3,232 feet or 984 meters
Due to the fact that all of the runs are below 10,000
feet, skiers should have little problem with altitude
sickness. However, anyone feeling weak, dizzy or having
headaches should take time adjusting to the altitude
in the mountains. |
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| snow
& weather |
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| The season begins
in December and all lifts are open by Christmas. Temperatures
drop to freezing by December and can go as low as -10
degrees Celsius or 14 degrees Fahrenheit before getting
above freezing at |
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end of March.Yearly snowfall averages about 60 inches
or 130 centimeters. Snow at the base goes from 6 inches
in December to 60 inches mid-season. Stations at the
top of the resort open at 30 inches with the most snow
mid-season at 83 inches.
Passo Groste at the peak is known for the best snow
conditions and is therefore the most popular. |
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| ski
& snowboard school |
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Six separate
ski schools serve the Madonna di Campiglio area. All
six are affiliated with the Scuola Sci Italiana,
so they offer similar programs. Group and private courses
in skiing, mountaineering, dog sledding, snowboarding,
and telemarking are on offer.
As 95 percent of Madonna’s visitors are Italian,
fewer instructors speak English here than at other more
international resorts. Those needing English-language
instruction should book lessons and instructors
in advance. Tuition rates are on par with those at other
Italian resorts at approximately $38 per hour. |
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Beginners
participating in lessons do not need lift passes, as the
lifts in the learners’ areas are included in the
price of tuition. Once enrolled, beginners hop buses to
Campo Carlo Magno (three kilometers/5 minutes away), where
wide nursery slopes, surface lifts, and |
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snowmaking
equipment offer plenty of good snow for learning. Those
wishing to ski the nursery areas without an instructor
can pay a small fee that covers both shuttle bus service
and use of the nursery slope lifts.
Classes for intermediate and advanced skiers such as telemarking,
slalom, and racing are available. The ski schools also
arrange weekly races, an annual end-of-season
race, and group races.
Some schools organize courses for children that can last
either a half day or full day, including lunch.
Those participating in instruction and renting equipment
can cut costs by hiring equipment through the ski schools.
Each school rents both ski and snowboarding equipment. |
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| ski
rent |
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| There are many
rental shops in Madonna, Folgarida, and Marilleva. One
can rent all equipment for both adults and children. The
best equipment goes first, so one should arrive early
and ask about the |
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best
quality equipment available. Security deposits are not
usually required, but skiers must pay for any damage
to equipment. There are group rates available and the
rates are fairly standard so rent at the most conveniently
located place. People taking classes can rent equipment
thorugh the ski schools.
Why don’t you extend your Italian holiday…
...pass a day in marvelous Venice with its mysterious
canals and its colorful Carnival, famous throughout
the world. Or else travel to Milam, and walk in the
shadow of the Duomo and through the shops along one
of the most famous streets in the Italian fashion world.
We offer extensions of your trip in Italy with different
locations and durations. Contact us for more information... |
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