Skiing in Madonna di Campiglio, Trentino

I recently went on a skiing holiday in Madonna di Campiglio, a village and ski resort in Trentino, in Northern Italy. This was my second skiing holiday in Italy. I had previously gone skiing in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a town and ski resort in Veneto, due to co-host the 2026 Winter Olympics (together with Milan).

A settimana bianca in Madonna di Campiglio

Trentino is renowned for its mountains, such as the Dolomites, which are part of the Alps. It is one of the two autonomous provinces of Italy. The other one is the neighbouring South Tyrol, officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol), an autonomous region in itself (one of the five autonomous regions of Italy).

The city of Trento is the capital of both the province (Trentino) and the region (Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol). After Grenoble in France and Innsbruck in Austria, Trento is the third largest city in the Alps with a population of 120,000. Bolzano, the capital of South Tyrol, comes fourth.

A panoramic view of Trento from the Castello del Buonconsiglio

Trento, the gateway to Madonna di Campiglio, is an hour and a half by train from Verona, the biggest city in Veneto (Venice is the capital of the region), and two hours and a half from Milan, the second-largest city in Italy and capital of Lombardy. Since I’d been to Verona before, and considering that there are far fewer international flights to Verona than to Milan, I decided to fly to Milan and spent the night there.

Milan

I flew to Malpensa Airport, Italy’s second-busiest airport, located 45 km from Milan city centre. From Malpensa, there are trains to Milano Centrale train station every 30 minutes. The journey takes about 50 minutes (13 euros one-way). As well as Malpensa, there’s also Linate Airport (located less than 8 km from Milan city centre) and Orio al Serio Airport (located 50 km away, near the town of Bergamo). The latter mainly serves the low-cost traffic of Milan and it is the main base of Ryanair.

I had dinner (pizza of course) at Berberè Pizzeria in Isola, a neighbourhood very close to Milano Centrale, the main railway station of the city (and the largest in Europe). Berberè first opened in 2010 in Castel Maggiore, a town close to Bologna. Nowadays, they have 15 locations in (mostly Northern) Italy and two in London (in Clapham and Kentish Town). Afterwards, I had a couple of cocktails at the nearby Botanical Club, a ‘Wild Roots’ (vermouth, mastic, rum) and a ‘Stranger Mule’ (gin, lime cordial, ginger beer, purple bitter).

The following morning, I had coffee and breakfast at Pave, a lovely café close to Milano Centrale (a 10-minute walk). Afterwards, I took the train to Trento, where I arrived early in the afternoon (29 euros one-way).

Trento

After settling in the hotel, I had another coffee at Casa del Caffè, on Via San Pietro, opposite the Chiesa di San Pietro (Chiesa Parrocchiale dei Santi Pietro e Paolo). I then walked around the pedestrianised historical centre, stopping at the 17th-century Chiesa di San Francesco Saverio. From there, I continued to Piazza del Duomo and the Cattedrale di San Vigilio (also known as Duomo). Not far from there, there’s the 16th-century Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. I then crossed over to the other side of the river Adige, where there’s the Chiesa di Sant’Apollinare, one of the oldest buildings in the city.

In the evening, I had an aperitivo (a ‘Gatto in Bicicletta’: homemade liqueur and lemon juice topped with Cedrata Tassoni) at the Locanda Gatto Gordo, followed by a 4-course dinner at the Osteria a le Due Spade. Both are within walking distance from the Duomo.

at the Osteria a le Due Spade — At the Osteria a le Due Spade

The following day, I had a coffee at Palazzo Benvenuti Caffe and then visited the Castello del Buonconsiglio (the standard ticket costs 10 euros). The castle used to be the residence of the prince-bishops of Trento from the 13th century to the end of the 18th century. Afterwards, it was used as a barracks. During my visit, there was the temporary exhibition ‘Incontri in Giappone – Contacts in Japan’ featuring Felice Beato’s photographs and Giuseppe Grazioli’s collections.

Madonna di Campiglio

Early afternoon, I took the bus to Madonna di Campiglio (5 euros one-way). We drove through some picturesque villages, whereas the alpine landscape was simply breathtaking. In fact, 70% of the Trentino region is located above an altitude of 1000 metres, whereas 20% is located above 2000 metres. There are also 94 peaks exceeding 3000 metres. On our way to Madonna di Campiglio, located at an altitude of 1524 metres, we drove through Pinzolo, located at 770 metres. This is a picturesque village, part of the same ski resort as Madonna di Campiglio (where the highest peak for skiing is Passo Groste, at 2444 metres).

On Saturdays and Sundays, there are direct airport transfers to Madonna di Campiglio from Milano Linate, Bergamo and Verona airports as well as to and from Milano Centrale train station.

As much as I enjoyed the journey from Trento to Madonna di Campiglio, I found the latter rather underwhelming, especially compared to Megève, where I had skied right before the pandemic. However, the ski resort compensated and so did the hotel where I stayed.

The Church of Santa Maria Antica in Madonna di Campiglio

Ski in Madonna di Campiglio

In the mornings, I had group skiing lessons from 10 am until 12.45. Other than the obvious benefits (improvement in skiing technique and confidence), group lessons are also great because they provide structure to one’s day, as well as an opportunity for social contact (especially important for solo travellers). I had already booked my group skiing lessons before arriving at Madonna di Campiglio. A 5-day course cost me 240 euros, whereas the ski equipment (skis, ski boots and helmet) cost me 110 euros. The 5-day ski pass cost me 310 euros (insurance included).

In the afternoons, I would have a light lunch on the slopes (a sandwich or a pizza would cost me no more than 10 euros), some days followed by a tiramisu (6 euros), a cioccolata corretta (hot chocolate with rum) or a bombardino (a coccktail made with Advocaat, brandy and whipped cream). I would then ski by myself or with my peers for a couple of hours before returning to the hotel for coffee and a late afternoon snack. On one occasion, I had gelato at Casa del Cioccolato in the village.

“Après-ski” in Madonna di Campiglio

In the evenings, I would spend an hour in the hotel spa (most hotels in Madonna di Campiglio have one), before dining at the hotel restaurant (4-course menu: 43 euros). On my last day, I treated myself and dined at the Michelin-starred Dolomieu (also located at the DV Chalet Hotel, where I stayed). A 4-course menu costs 105 euros (wine pairing: 55 euros).

At the Michelin-starred Ristorante Dolomieu in Madonna di Campiglio — At the Michelin-starred Ristorante Dolomieu

After dinner, I would chill listening to Madonna’s Ray of Light or Frozen, depending on the weather conditions of the day.

“Après-ski” in Trento

On my last day, once I returned my ski equipment, I took the bus back to Trento, where I stayed another night.

In the evening, I had a light dinner at the Enoteca Provinciale del Trentino (housed in the Palazzo Roccabruna), alongside some wine tasting (2 wines cost 10 euros, 5 wines cost 20 euros). I had the local sparkling wine, Trento DOC.

The following morning, I had a coffee at Trento’s Casa del Cioccolato (no relation to the one in Madonna di Campiglio), before taking a direct train to Milan (18 euros one-way).

Where to stay

In Milan, I stayed at Aparthotel Porta Nuova. I had a lovely apartment located almost halfway between Milano Centrale (a 15-minute walk) and the Duomo (a 20-minute walk).

In Trento, I stayed at Buonconsiglio Hotel. It is centrally located, very close both to the train station and the historical centre. As the name suggests, it is also very close to Buonconsiglio Castle.

In Madonna di Campiglio, I treated myself and stayed at DV Chalet Boutique Hotel & Spa. It is within walking distance from the slopes, but there is also a hotel shuttle (navetta) to drive you back and forth.