Madonna di Campiglio and its fashionable atmosphere

Author: Serena

Madonna di Campiglio is a mountain village belonging to the province of Trento and placed in the Italian region called Trentino Alto Adige. This touristic destination is chosen every year by many international tourists.

Madonna di Campiglio

This is a an elegant village placed at 1550 metres above the sea level in the beautiful bowl called Rendena Valley surrounded by the Brenta Dolomites massif, by the Adamello glacier and by the Presanella peaks.

The Brenta Massif

Todays Campiglio surely is one of the most important ski resorts of the whole Alpine arch representing the ideal place for those who love sports, nature and the fashionable society.

Madonna di Campiglio at night

During the IXX century, in fact, this village was the most favorite place of the Austrian and Central European nobility and rich middle class. Even the princess Sissi and the Francesco Giuseppe emperor came here for their holidays. However, still now many important Italian and international personalities arrive in this village to spend their vacations.

Staying in Campiglio you will find 90 km of available ski slopes divided according different difficulty levels: todays this ski area is made up by 57 ski lifts. Moreover it is connected to the widest ski resort of Marilleva and Folgarida for an amount of 140 km of slopes.

The Madonna di Campiglio ski slopes

In Park Grostè there are the snowboard slopes, while for cross-country skiing lovers there are four rings made up by 15 km of different circuits: the Test slope (0,5 km), the Baby slope (2 km), the Sprint slope (5 km), and the World Cup slope (7,5 km). All these circuits are placed in the Campo Carlo Magno Pass.

A cross-country ski slope in Madonna di Campiglio

If you are ski goers you should buy a unique skipass that will allow you to use all the ski lifts belonging to the “Funivia Madonna di Campiglio S.p.A.” company whose prices change according to the different seasons of the year and according the age of the skier.

In Campiglio there also are many esteemed skiing, mountaineering, ice climbing and sled dogging schools. More precisely the skiing schools are eight made up by 150 teachers that can also make you learn other interesting sports like the snowboarding and the carving.

A snowboard slope in Madonna di Campiglio

All the high mountains surrounding this nice village are very accessible thanks to the presence of a series of paths that will lead you to the mountain dews placed at the top of these Dolomites peaks.

All around Madonna di Campiglio you can admire several lakes, little valleys and streams belonging to the Adamello-Brenta Natural Park where you will find 450 km of mountain paths surrounded by woods of fir trees and of larches. To discover this wonderful nature you can go mountain biking or you can walk around by foot.

A stream in the wood

In winter you can also admire these beautiful Dolomites landscapes wearing particular snowshoes called “ciaspole”, touring on horse-drawn sleds or riding horses through specific paths. The most reckless tourists can also practice the Alpine ski and the ice climbing.

During summertime you can do other activities like tennis, swimming pool, mountain biking, horse riding, rafting , paradigling, sport climbing and trekking. During this season, walking all around the Adamello-Brenta park, you will be surrounded by enchanting places full of colored flowers and of delicious fruits of the forest.

Through the local cablecars you can reach the typical agricultural construction called “stazzi” or the local chalet called “malghe” or “masi” to appreciate the traditional hospitality of the mountains inhabitants.

A chalet surrounded by nature

For those who love playing golf there is the Campo Carlo Magno golf club surrounded by the Brenta Dolomites.

This village small urban centre is modern and full of hotels, cafés, restaurants and discos. Here you should visit the Church of Santa Maria Antica built in 1895: in this religious building there is a precious XV century triptych and a XII century crucifix.

The Church of Santa Maria Antica

Another monument that deserves your attention is the Church of San Virgilio characterized by a big medieval bell tower. The peculiarity of this monument is the “Danza Macabra” (Macabre Dance) painted in 1539 on the southern external side of this church. This work is made up by 40 figures characterized by different colors and accompanied by Latin quotations.

The Church of San Virgilio

Walking around this urban centre you will find many shops selling wooden handcrafted objects, chocolate desserts, artistic decorated furniture and stoves and papier-mâché jewels and creations.

The Campiglio urban centre

Gastronomy

Some typical local products are cold cuts (especially the garlic based ones), cheeses (like which one called “Spressa”) , polenta (the Italian cornemal porridge), mushrooms and game.

Campiglio typical products

As a dessert you can choose among carrots, ricotta cheese and fregoloti cakes or among different kinds of chocolate, the apple strudel, and the fruits of the forest tarts.

The fregoloti cake

Events

Today Madonna di Campiglio also is the seat of important events that attract many tourists every year. One of the most famous one among them is the “WROOM Week”: this event usually takes place in the month of February when the Ferrari grand prix pilots are engaged in many happenings.

The “WROOM Week” in Campiglio

Another important event is connected to the 3-TRE ski slope (this name means “3 competitions in the Trentino“) that is the scenario of the Alpine World Cup Slalom racings.

A very important cultural and touristic event is the “Carnevale Asburgico” or “Campiglio Asburgica”(“The House of Hapsburg Carnival”): during this feast there are parades in costume that recall the period belonging to the House of Hapsburg, conferences and cultural meetings focus on that precise historical period.

The “Carnevale Asburgico”

The next 27th edition of the “Carnevale Asburgico” will take place in the month of February 2010.

Every year Campiglio is also the scenario of the “Winter Marathon“: this a classic sport cars racings.

The "Winter Marathon"

During the month of December there is the famous Christmas Event of Parallel Giant Slalom.

How to arrive in Madonna di Campiglio

By Car:

From Trento or from the MODENA-BRENNERO highway: after having went through the A22 of the Brennero until the Rovereto Sud exit, go on through the free way SS45bis unitl Sarche, then go through the free way SS239 until Madonna di Campiglio (km 73).

Coming from the same highway you can also choose other two exits:

- Trento Centro exit: after this exit you should cross the villages of Sarche, Tione, Pinzolo until Madonna di Campiglio (73 km from the motorway tool-booth).

- S. Michele all’Adige exit: after this exit you should cross the villages of Mezzolombardo, Cles, Dimaro until Madonna di Campiglio.

From Milan: go through the A1 highway until the Brescia Est exit, then go on through the free way SS45bis following the road signs for Madonna di Campiglio (226 km).

By Bus:

Many daily bus lines connect Madonna di Campiglio to Malè, Bolzano, Trento (with the SIA Company), and to Milan and Brescia (with the Società Trentino Trasporti company).

By Train:

Travelling by train you should arrive to the railway station of Trento or to which one of Brescia and then you should reach Madonna di Campiglio by bus.

By Plain:

The “Catullo” airport in Verona Villafranca and the new airport in Bolzano are the nearest airport to Madonna di Campiglio.

There also are efficient bus lines available from the airports of Milan, Venice, Verona, Bergamo, Brescia and of Bolzano and from the railway station of Trento.