The skiing and shopping paradise of Livigno is located on the sunny side of the Lombard Alps. A well-maintained ski area with 115 kilometers of slopes, après-ski with Italian flair and shopping in the duty-free zone make Livigno unique.

1) General information about the Livigno ski area

• 115 kilometers of slopes and 31 lifts
• One of the ten largest ski areas in Italy
• Versatile slopes up to an altitude of 2,798 m
• Livigno as a duty-free shopping paradise at 1,816 m

The Livigno ski area is one of the most popular ski destinations in Italy and, with its 115 kilometers of slopes, is one of the ten largest ski areas in the country. The town of Livigno is located in a high valley in the Sondrio at 1,816 m altitude, surrounded by the two ski mountains Motollino (3,000 m) and Carosello (2,402 m), where the mostly easy and intermediate slopes are distributed.

The highest point in the ski area is at 2,798 m, from where the panorama with the Ortler Group, Forni Glacier and Stelvio National Park is simply sensational. Thanks to the south-facing slope and the relatively simple nature, most of the slopes are also accessible for less experienced drivers. There are a total of 30 km of blue, 65 km of red and 20 km of black slopes.

Thanks to the good snow conditions and the open, spacious terrain, it is also considered one of the best freeride terrain in Italy.

Livigno is not only known as a duty-free shopping paradise, but also for the Mottolino Snowpark. With over 50 elements and various giant kickers, it is the largest snow park in Italy, where international competitions such as the FIS Freestyle Europe Cup are held. In addition, it is used again and again for events and as a photo shoot backdrop for trendy magazines or fashion brands.

Events from other disciplines also take place in the ski area, for example the large telemark festival “La Skieda”. Nordic athletes can look forward to around 30 km of groomed trails around Livigno, 10 km of which are designed for high-performance training. Due to the altitude and the most modern snowmaking systems, cross-country skiers get their money’s worth here from mid-October to early May. In addition, a new biathlon arena will open its doors for the coming season.

Thanks to the altitude and the extensive snowmaking systems, the snow reliability in the Livigno ski area is very good. The snow depth in the season averages 117 cm on the mountain. The snowiest month is March with an average of 120 cm on the mountain. The tanning factor is also impressive: the winter season offers an average of 78 sunny days, with December being the sunniest with 24 sunny days.

Our experts are also convinced of Livigno. They rate the lift situation with a good four stars. The most important criterion, snow reliability, even received the full five stars.

2) Livigno piste map

3) skiing in the Livigno ski area

Two large cable cars take you from the village to the slopes. The 8-seater gondola “Livigno-Centro” goes up to the Mottolino directly from the pedestrian zone. The 6-seater gondola “Carosello 3000” starts at the S. Rocco parking lot on the neighboring mountain. On the two ski mountains of Livigno there are mostly easy and intermediate slopes. There are beginner slopes and connoisseur slopes as well as some tricky black routes such as the black slope “Scoiattolo”.

The ski area has a considerable range of fun slopes including two snow parks and several mini snow parks for children near the valley. The large Mottolino Snowpark, which is equipped with four lines and a jib zone, is almost legendary. FIS competitions and large events are held here. A halfpipe is also being shaped at the Mottolino and the Valfin lift provides access to a freeride cross route.

The boardercross-like descent is marked out in natural terrain and offers an interesting mix of freeriding and obstacle course. There is no question that the snowpark offer received the best rating of five stars from our experts.

At the Carosello there is a big bag jump, thanks to which freestylers can practice their daring jumps and land softly in any case. The huge air cushion can be reached via the “Carosello 3000” and “Trepalle” lifts. The three theme fun parks and slopes “The Beach”, “The Cave” and “The Forest” invite you to a wide variety of runs.

If you still have room for improvement in terms of adrenaline, you have the opportunity to get to the hottest freeride spots by helicopter together with a professional guide. There are also several fun slopes in the ski area for children. At the Mottolino is the Yepi-Park, an easy slope with lots of play options for little winter sports enthusiasts.

At the Carosello mountain station there is also the Boarder Zoo, a child-friendly fun slope with animal figures and nice wide curves.

Freeriders also get their money’s worth in Livigno. The Mottolino is particularly well suited for off-piste excursions and the “Freeride Experience” ski route even leads down into the valley. On the Carosello, even less experienced off-piste can try their first turns in some of the “freeride beginners’ areas”. There is an avalanche transceiver checkpoint at the mountain station. Our experts have awarded another five stars for this offer.

4) Expert evaluation

Thanks to the best snow security, the extraordinary snow park and fun sports offer for families and freeriders, Livigno received an overall rating of 4.3 out of five stars.

5) Off-piste activities

In Livigno, there is one main item on the agenda for many guests in addition to mountain sports: shopping. Thanks to the duty-free zone, you can buy many different goods cheaply here. Correspondingly, many shops have settled here. But the place offers more than a considerable number of boutiques and shops, for families, for example: the “Livin’Ice Park”, a children’s playground made of snow and ice, is close to the pedestrian zone.

The Lupigno children’s club, where children from 3 years of age are looked after during the day, is also of interest to young parents. The fun and games on offer there, which is accompanied by mascot Lupigno, include adventure trails, tubing tracks, trampolines and an indoor area in case it gets too cold and uncomfortable outside.

Those who enjoy tobogganing will find a beautiful toboggan run and a snow tubing run in the ski area on slopes 20 and 23, which are accessible with a valid ski pass. Hikers discover the area around Livigno on 20 km of winter hiking trails. The modern and versatile “Aquagranda Active You” invites you to relax in the Turkish hammam or sauna after a hard day’s skiing.

Alternatively, you can also take the swing of the slope with you to the facility’s fun pool. With ice skating, ice climbing, snowmobiling and quad biking, horse riding, bowling, billiards and swimming, Livigno offers a wide range of leisure activities.

In addition to skiing and the various winter activities, après-ski in Livigno also has a permanent place in the leisure program. Livigno was even chosen among the top 5 après-ski hotspots in the Alps. There is a central point of contact at both ski mountains: on the Mottolino this is the Tea del Vidal, the most famous bar in Livigno, where the cult drink Bombardino was supposedly invented.

The most popular meeting point at the Carosello and our hot tip for après-ski is the Stalet bar at the valley station of the Carosello 3000 gondola, where people like to dance properly. There are also numerous bars and pubs in the rest of the town that invite you to party after the lifts close, most of them along the main street. Some hotels have dance bars open to the public, such as the Bivio or Alegra bars.

If you get hungry after enjoying beer and Bombardino, you can enjoy a delicious pizza or another classic Italian dish in the surrounding restaurants. In short: nature experience, sport, party and enjoyment are combined in Livigno in a perfect mix.

6) Locations in the Livigno ski area

The main town of the valley and the entrance to the ski area of ​​the same name is Livigno, known and popular as a lively ski resort, freestyle mecca and après ski center. The rather large place extends about 13 km along the valley. Livigno can also boast the location of the highest brewery in the Alps.

The “Birrificio” has been brewing the beer with the appropriate name “1816”, which refers to the altitude of the place, since 2001. In winter the landlord guides you through his brewery and invites you to beer tasting. The beer sommelier produces the five types of wheat beer, Helles, Harmony Bitter, The Peak (Pils) and Smoked (smoked beer), which he varies with herbal flavors such as gentian or blueberry.

Another special feature and a big plus for many guests is the duty-free zone in Livigno. There are many goods to buy cheaper here. There are around 150 shops and boutiques to choose from in the town, selling a colorful mix of goods, from designer clothes to perfumes and sausage specialties. But in all shopping mood you have to be careful: Duty-free shopping is limited to a certain amount per person and may be checked at the border. The local tourist office gives an exact list of the product groups and the quantities allowed.

The second entry point to the ski area is the small Trepalle, a fraction of Livigno in the neighboring valley. It is at an altitude of 2,096 m, making it one of the highest permanently inhabited places in Europe. From here a cable car also goes up to the Mottolino. In this place, as in Livigno, the duty-free shopping zone applies.

7) Arrival in the Livigno ski area

You can travel to Livigno all year round. There are two ways to get here by car: From the north, the route only leads via Switzerland through the Munt La Schera tunnel. Tolls are due here. From the south it goes over Bormio and the Vallaccia Pass, the other passes are closed in winter.

There are also several ways to get there by train: The nearest train stations are in Ospizio Bernina and Zernez in the Swiss Engadine. From there it is about 25 km or 28 km to the place, which can be covered by bus or taxi. The nearest airports are Bergamo (approx. 180 km), Innsbruck (approx. 185 km) and Zurich (approx. 225 km).