Madonna di Campiglio: A winter trip to Trentino

«In contrast to South Tyrol, in Trentino you will experience 100% Italian mentality!» I was told this several times before and during our trip to the province bordering South Tyrol to the south. And it’s true. Five Trentino minutes, thirty Swiss minutes. But more on that later. Apart from the quintessentially Italian flair, there are two other good arguments why the slightly longer journey for a winter weekend in Trentino pays off: the excellent culinary offer and the Dolomites. Two years ago, we travelled to Val Badia especially for this and experienced a superlative skiing experience on the Sellaronda between South Tyrol and Trentino. This time we wanted to take a closer look at one of the most famous winter sports resorts in Italy – Madonna di Campiglio – at the foot of the Adamella-Brenta Dolomites.

Pit stop in Trento

For once, however, Italy had to wait for Switzerland to kick things off. I had rented a car for this trip, as it saves us a good two hours of travel time and allows us to travel more flexibly. Actually, I’m no longer at war with rental cars. But as always, when I supposedly have everything under control, the pitfalls appear. This time, our departure was delayed due to my initial failure to find the handbrake and a hysterical drive through Zurich’s morning traffic, accompanied by penetrating beeps. Hallelujah. My mood was at rock bottom after that. Fortunately, we were spared further excitement and so we reached the provincial capital Trento with a slight delay, shortly after noon.

It is worth combining the trip with a half-day of sightseeing in Trento. After a light lunch in the historic premises of the Scrigno del Duomo restaurant, we had filled our energy stores and were ready for a city walk through the historic alleys of Trento. The centrepiece is the Piazza Duomo with the St. Vigilius Cathedral and the magnificent, colourfully painted palazzi all around. The history of Trent dates back to the Romans. Remains of this period can be admired under the current pedestrian area between Teatro Sociale and Piazza Cesare Battisti. Another striking contemporary witness is the Buonconsiglio Castle, the centre of power in the council city. The old town of Trento is clearly laid out and everything is within walking distance. There are exciting details to discover on almost every building, and in some places there are passages into seemingly hidden courtyards. For a coffee stop, I can recommend the alternative Café Corte (Via degli Orbi 9). I also liked the City Gallery of Contemporary Art (free admission).

Trentino Winterhotspot Madonna di Campiglio

The weather was mixed on this first afternoon. Just as we started our journey to Madonna di Campiglio, the blue sky over Trento appeared. Trentino is not only the region of the mighty Dolomites and good Italian food, but also a region of lakes. On the way we passed one of them – the Lago di Molveno. And the atmosphere was so magical that we made a photo stop without further ado. At the beginning of the outward journey, we were unsure whether the snow would be able to hold up or whether it would rain far up the mountain. Our fears turned to pure excitement at the sight of the mountain flanks. Fresh snow! How great is that?! But before we went out into the fresh snow, we stayed at the DV Chalet Boutique Hotel & Spa in the center of Madonna di Campiglio. A lovely hotel with excellent cuisine. The Dolomieu restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star. There is room for improvement in the service, both at the reception and in the restaurant.

Enjoyable winter hiking

If you value an extensive breakfast buffet with an Italian touch (lots of sweets), you can start the day happily in the DV Chalet. The fresh snow makes us even happier. Mountain guide Marco Maganzini is waiting for us punctually to the minute and says: “I don’t fit into the cliché”. Today he wants to show us the Vallesinella at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites. A beautiful winter hike through the Adamello Brenta National Park, which is easily doable even in uncertain weather conditions and cloudy peaks. The highlight of the entertaining tour are the icy waterfalls at the end of the valley. Sometimes daredevil ice climbers can also be found here. After a good two hours of walking, we reach the Pra de la Casa. A lovingly renovated alpine hut, which is managed by the Ciaghi family as a bed and breakfast. Wonderful to relax or – as we did – fill your stomach with local delicacies.

Foodie Time

Madonna di Campiglio is glamorous and down-to-earth at the same time. A place where everyone feels comfortable. In terms of culinary delights, there is a whole range from simple pizzerias to Michelin-starred restaurants. A casual (and well-frequented) restaurant is the Home Stube. Here, the Brenta Bräu brewed in the neighbouring village is served and local and southern German-inspired food is served. The team is young and absolutely top! I was amazed at the calmness with which they coped with the onslaught and paid enough attention to each one. At the end, owner Giancarlo offered us two different grappa with the words “in Madonna we drink grappa” and with the chamomile-liqueur variant I fully met my taste.

Snowshoeing with a view of the Dolomites

After the peaks of the Brenta Dolomites stubbornly hid behind the clouds at the lecture, the grandiose morning mood offered confidence. Marco pleaded for an early gondola ride up to Monte Spinale so that we could enjoy the mountain panorama. This endeavor failed due to the waiting time for two Italian journalist colleagues. We waited a good thirty minutes at the valley station and were able to watch as the great morning light was slowly swallowed up by the gray cloud cover. Well. But at least the cliché of the thoroughly Italian way of life (which is also sympathetic) was confirmed.

And apart from the fact that we are totally annoyed that we missed the great lighting mood with waiting, the Brenta Dolomites gray in gray are also quite pretty. Marco was able to get our spirits back on track with the following snowshoe tour through the feather-light fresh snow from Chalet Fiat to Ristorante Boch. The perfect end to this (much too short) detour to Trentino was lunch at Ristorante Boch. Here you will find the finest local specialties right next to the ski slope. Just in time for our stop, the snowfall set in, covering the Dolomites with uniform grey and giving us an “adventurous” journey home. Luckily, we had already practiced this with the snow chains this winter…

Practical tips for your winter trip to Trentino

• If you arrive by car via the Brenner Pass (shortest connection to Trento), you need a 10-day vignette for Austria (available in selected petrol station shops) and have to pay tolls on the Arlberg and Brenner, as well as on the Brenner-Trento motorway section. As an alternative, you can travel via the Gotthard.
• There are signposted winter hiking trails and snowshoe trails in Madonna di Campiglio. If you would like to go on a snowshoe tour or ski tour off the beaten track, please contact the mountain guide school
• Madonna di Campiglio is located in the middle of the Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta ski area with a total of 150 km of slopes
• The daily ski pass price (season 2016/2017) for the Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta ski area is 50 euros in the high season

Note: our trip was supported by Visit Trentino and Madonna di Campiglio Tourism. Thank you very much for this. As always, all impressions/opinions are ours.