The pearl of the Brenta Dolomites: elegance of Habsburg origin, the 3Tre World Cup slalom and the Vallesinella waterfalls close at hand.
A short history
Madonna di Campiglio sits at 1,550 metres, in a basin of woods and meadows between the Brenta Dolomites and the glaciers of the Adamello and the Presanella. Everything began around a 12th-century hospice, founded to shelter travellers crossing the mountains: the village takes its name from that house of welcome dedicated to Santa Maria di Campiglio.
The turning point came in the 19th century, when the entrepreneur Giovanni Battista Righi turned the old hospice into an alpine hotel and opened the way to tourism. Campiglio soon became an elegant destination of Habsburg holidaymaking: Empress Elisabeth, the Sissi of the chronicles, stayed here at the end of the century, and the main square of the village still bears Righi's name. Every summer the Habsburg Carousel recalls those imperial stays with costumed parades and waltzes, in memory of Franz Joseph and Sissi.
With the 20th century came skiing. Campiglio became one of the Italian capitals of alpine skiing and hosts the 3Tre, the World Cup slalom raced at night on the Canalone Miramonti in front of thousands of spectators. Today the village is the heart of the Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta ski area, which together with Pinzolo and Folgarida-Marilleva tops 150 kilometres of slopes.
In summer the scene moves to altitude. The Spinale cable car and the Grostè gondola climb above two thousand metres, to the foot of the Brenta walls, while a few minutes from the centre the Vallesinella basin opens the way to the waterfalls and the historic huts of the group. Campiglio remains a village with two faces: fashionable in winter, a base for hiking and mountaineering in summer.
What to see
- The Vallesinella waterfalls, the cascades in the woods above the village, which you reach in a few minutes from the Vallesinella basin.
- The Vallesinella waterfalls trail, the loop linking the upper, middle and lower falls between wooden bridges and beech woods.
- The Spinale and Grostè lifts, which climb from the centre to above two thousand metres, at the foot of the walls of the Brenta Dolomites.
How to get to Madonna di Campiglio
By car from the north, leave the A22 Brenner motorway at San Michele all'Adige-Mezzocorona, drive up the Val di Non and the Val di Sole to Dimaro and climb to Campiglio via Campo Carlo Magno. From the south, exit at Trento, follow the state road for Sarche and Tione and drive up the Val Rendena past Pinzolo. The Trento-Malè railway reaches the Val di Sole, from where scheduled buses continue to the village.
When to go
In winter the ski season runs from late November to April, with the 3Tre night slalom lighting up the Canalone Miramonti in December. In summer, from June to September, lifts and trails open the way to the Brenta and the Vallesinella waterfalls. September is the quietest month, with the first autumn colours and the huts still open.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see in Madonna di Campiglio?
The Vallesinella waterfalls a few minutes from the centre, the Spinale and Grostè lifts climbing above two thousand metres, and the village itself with Piazza Righi and the elegance inherited from Habsburg holidaymaking. In winter the Canalone Miramonti becomes the stage of the 3Tre.
Why is Madonna di Campiglio linked to Sissi?
At the end of the 19th century Empress Elisabeth of Austria stayed in Campiglio, which had become an elegant destination of Habsburg holidaymaking. Every summer the Habsburg Carousel recalls those stays with costumed parades and waltzes, in memory of Franz Joseph and Sissi.
How do you get to Madonna di Campiglio?
From the north you leave the A22 at San Michele all'Adige-Mezzocorona and climb via the Val di Non, the Val di Sole and Campo Carlo Magno. From the south you exit at Trento and drive up the Val Rendena past Pinzolo. The Trento-Malè railway reaches the Val di Sole, from where scheduled buses continue.
What is the 3Tre of Madonna di Campiglio?
It is the World Cup slalom raced at night on the Canalone Miramonti, the slope that drops almost into the centre of the village. It is one of the most eagerly awaited races on the circuit and draws thousands of spectators to the slope every December.
What is there to do in Madonna di Campiglio in summer?
You walk: the lifts carry you up towards the trails of the Brenta, the Vallesinella basin opens the way to the waterfalls and the historic huts of the group, and walks for every level start from the village. It is also a classic base for the via ferratas of the Brenta Dolomites.