The Skiers' Guide to Livigno

Nestled at just over 1800m up in the Italian Alps, Livigno is a bustling town with two separate ski areas on either side of the valley, Carosello 3000 and Mottolino. Situated only a very short distance from Switzerland, Livigno is known as a duty-free shopping haven, which was historically justified to attract visitors, acting as a reward for taking the treacherous journey.

Years ago, dairy farmers mostly inhabited the area and the population struggled financially due to its remote location. Today, Livigno thrives as a snow-sure ski holiday destination with more than 115km of pistes to explore and a dependable annual snowpack. Often referred to as Little Tibet, Livigno sits atop a scenic plateau below the Upper Valtellina, a picturesque valley spanning 12km.

Somehow unscathed from the unsightly modern developments that have taken over most European ski resorts, Livigno is a quaint choice complete with its own ancient dialect. You’ll find an abundance of ‘baitas’ here, which is the term for old house. Equidistant from Zurich, Innsbruck and Milan, you’ll also have a range of options when it comes to getting here.

While two ski areas on either side of the valley might make it sound like Livigno is hard to get around, the area is really well-serviced and a free shuttle bus runs every 10 minutes throughout the winter season. Named as the host for the 2026 Winter Olympics, it’s also the training ground for GB’s park and pipe team, but more on that below.

Livigno town sits at the bottom of the valley, sandwiched by the ski areas of Mottolino and Carosello climbing up on either side, which share a common lift pass and make up the skiable domain of Livigno. To the West sits the larger and higher of the two, Carosello 3000. There are plenty of red and blue graded pistes to enjoy here, with the backside of the mountain promising off-piste delights and some serious powder pockets, especially if you follow the treeline along in the Costaccia direction.

On the eastern slopes of Mottolino (and so softening up nicely in that early morning sun,) terrain is somewhat more limited than over the valley but there are some great blues for beginners as well as three back runs down from the Della Neve peak.

For riders looking to hone their freestyle skills, there’s a total of four terrain parks here which are the Mottolino Snowpark, ‘The Beach’ Snowpark at Carosello, the Amerikan Snowpark and Snowpark20. The main two are Mottolino and The Beach. Mottolino has hosted everything from the Burton European Open to regular training camps for the British National Team and is over 800m in length with more than 60 structures.

The town of Livigno is busy, bustling and home to one of Europe’s highest dairies. You’re guaranteed to be spoiled for choice (and cheese) when it comes to eating out. On the mountain, there’s a selection of cuisines available from the slopeside huts, with pizza being the staple at Carosello 3000 (at the top of gondola 12), while American Steakhouse is very much the vibe at Tea Borch. In the town, there are over 100 to choose from. Both Focolare and La Piöda are known for great Italian cuisine and seafood, and an abundance of pizzerias await. For a fine-dining experience, the Michelin-recommended Al Persef prioritises the use of locally-sourced ingredients and excellent wines.

While many of the mountain huts across the ski area of Livigno will get things going with live music on sun-soaked terraces, après takes off at both the base stations, where you’ll find umbrella bars dishing out cheesy Europop and reasonably priced drinks. A great example is Stalet, sitting at the bottom of the Carosello black run, with its huge circus tent, frequent DJ sets and themed nights. If it’s something more low-key you’re after, there are plenty of bars, and hotels to choose from for cocktails and roaring fires.

Families will be glad to know that there’s a large ski school operating in the resort along with a dedicated kid’s club, Lupingo. The Kinder Park (located near the Campo Scuola 23) also features tubing, sledding, inflatables and adventure trails to enjoy. There are also several other features designed for children spread out across the mountain, such as the kid’s cross at The Beach snowpark.

For non-skiers, duty-free shopping is the biggest draw but Aguagranda comes in a close second, with a dedicated wellness and relaxation area. There’s also a separate area for families and little ones, complete with slides and fun pools.

Thanks to the town itself slicing through two ski areas and being very well connected by a free shuttle bus, it doesn’t necessarily matter where you choose to stay. If making those very first tracks each morning is high on your priority list, then we’d suggest you stay in the San Rocco area, close to the Carosello 3000 gondola - just beware that this will also mean you’re close to the après environment of the base station parties.

There’s enough variation of accommodation on offer that you can pick and choose what sort of deal you want, but keep in mind that it’s a hugely popular resort so things are likely to get fully booked. In terms of hotels, the Baita Montana Spa Resort has large and comfortable rooms with great views away from the very busy centre of town, while the Hotel Sporting offers contemporary luxury only a short walk from the après celebrations at Stalet.

Livigno does the usual in terms of free shuttle buses, collective waste and electric car charging points, but we will hopefully see an increase in sustainable infrastructure as a result of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Pros

• Guaranteed snow & a long ski season
• Duty-free status can mean cheaper deals
• Large ski area with several terrain parks

Cons

• The resort & pistes are busy all season
• Quite remote so expect longer transfer times