Previously voted 'Best European Resort' at the World Snow Awards, Livigno is a snow-sure mountain town, much loved by skiers from Europe and beyond. Stretching 10km along the Spöl valley with mountains on either side and bordering Switzerland's famous ski classic St Moritz, this is a place you'll find authentic alpine charm in every nook and cranny with a friendly, cosmopolitan atmosphere.
It's not just the high slopes, and attractive village that makes Livigno so hugely popular – its tax-free status is a massive draw. You won't want to miss out on the huge open-air shopping centre, complete with over 250 shops, delis, boutiques and outlet stores. The après ski is some of the most affordable you'll find – a fraction of what you'd pay over in St Moritz with a pint costing as little as 4€ in some bars and giving you change for a pound in most supermarkets. The town is home to many restaurants, serving nonna's favourite recipes and terrific cheese fondues thanks to the local Swiss influence.
If you decide to travel by train from the airport, travel to the Swiss-Italian station of Tirano, where local bus services will take care of the journey's last leg. As well as all the fine places to eat and drink, Livigno has one of the largest leisure centres in Europe, Aquagranda. Families will love the Slide&Fun waterpark, adults will enjoy the Wellness&Relax space, whilst fitness-lovers can keep up the training in the Fitness&Pool area.
Due to its fantastic geographical location, Livigno's ski season usually starts in late November and runs through to early May. The ski area covers the mountains on either side of the town. The 32 lifts service the intertwining-spaghetti-like blue, red and black ski runs. Topped off with the legendary and widely acclaimed Mottolino snow park. If you have the Livigno pass for more than 3 days, you can ski one day in Upper Engadine if you fancy exploring St Moritz.
Location: Italy, Alps.
Established: 1965
Open: mid-December to mid-April
Downhill: 115km
View our detailed Livigno snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Livigno snow history.
Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
Milan | 196 km, 3 hours 30 minutes |
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Top Altitude: | 2796m |
Bottom Altitude: | 1816m |
Resort Altitude: | 1816m |
Longest run: | 4km |
Slope Orientation: | NWE |
Vertical Drop: | 980m |
Skiable Vertical: | 980m |
Night Skiing: | Yes |
Glacier: | No |
Downhill Runs: | 115km |
Beginner slopes: | 26% |
Intermediate: | 57% |
Advanced slopes: | 17% |
Lift Pass Price: | €247 (adult 6 days) |
Nearby resorts: St. Moritz & Villars |
Various schools like Centrale offer various lessons - from playtime tuition for tots to freestyle sessions if you want to crank things up a bit. Kids will love the Yepi trail, which is dedicated to little legs with obstacles and toys.
Gentle blues can be accessed from resort height, so beginners won’t be heading up any mountains without getting a feel for the snow first. Short blue runs served by draglifts from the resort fringes are great for practising before you tackle the longer blues from Vletta Blessacia later on.
Livigno serves up a generous helping of intermediate terrain; most reds are set to the west of the piste map from the Il Mottolino and Mount Sponda lift drop-offs. Head over to the east side for longer challenges from the likes of the Lago Salin lift.
Experts will find their fair share of thrills in the enduring black drops. Della Neve and Vetta Blessaccia descend from vertigo-inspiring heights of 2785m and 2796m. For off-piste, look to the sunny side of Costaccia and if you’re all about the pow, get knee-deep in Il Mottolino’s fluffy, shaded snow. You also have the chance to reach some untouched powder by helicopter if you want to carve your name into the mountain.
The legendary Mottolino park has hosted the Burton European Open and won various Oscars in the Snowpark awards, including most recently in 2018 when it secured 3 titles at the ‘Skipass Modena Awards’; here you’ll find an XL area for pro’s as well as a large, medium and small area – all in superb condition thanks to Mino and his team. The Pernice ski slope is also on the Mottolino side. Park 3000 has jumps, rails, Boarderzoo (animal-themed boardercross) and Boarder Banzai (slightly more serious boardercross). The Burton inspired Woodpark (by the Zuelli slope) is a challenging hidden freestyle trail with ungroomed obstacles.
With low and cheerful prices when it comes to drinks thanks to Livigno’s duty-free prices, you’ll find some pretty amazing après ski. There’s always a party going down at the ever-popular Daphne’s Pub – a favourite with Brits for its authentic Baita interior, Irish-influenced après, super cocktail menu and legendary Bombardino beverage (you can’t say you’ve experienced Italian après without trying one of these). For a more sophisticated evening, pop into one of the hotels like la Casetta and soak up the views over the starlit mountaintops as you sip on a glass of fizzing Prosecco and nibble on antipasto platters.
Continue the stylish theme for the night at award-winning Mattihas’s Chalet Ristorante Gourmet, where its dipped lighting creates the perfect atmosphere for a romantic meal out. For typical Valtellina dishes (think stag cutlet and heaps of cheese), all set in a traditional Alpine restaurant, La Pioda ticks all the boxes. For somewhere Italian through and through, Ristorante Bellavista is terrific for families. Sweet tooths will love Latteria where the gelato is some of the best you’ll ever taste.
If you still have steam to let off, try the ever favourite Milky’s Discoclub for a slightly crazy but very local vibe or head to the new kid on the block, Bivio Club for live DJ sets with contemporary music, both open until the early hours!
Snowshoeing, snowmobiling and husky sledding are only a few of the things you can try here. A great place for its history, Livigno’s churches are well worth a visit, with the Santa Maria Nascente dating from 1300 AD. If you fancy a day off the slopes to let your aching muscles recuperate whilst keeping the divine mountain views, you’ll love the Bormio Thermal open-air baths.
This is one of the best places to ski in Italy in terms of snow conditions, whatever time you plan to visit. With top altitudes of 2796m and heliskiing trips offering further heights to be explored, the tourist office boasts snow sure conditions throughout the ski season.
The slopes receive a little extra dusting at the hands of 100 snow canons if Mother Nature needs a helping hand during the beginning of the season, and northern facing mountains usually do a sterling job in preserving the white stuff later on. With school holidays being scheduled separately to ours, Livigno’s slopes should be less crowded than those of its European neighbours’ during peak weeks.
It’s all but guaranteed to be a white Christmas in Livigno! Get those chestnuts roasting at your chalet’s open fire and enjoy magical ski conditions all week long. Livigno Christmas ski holidays ‣
Toast a glass of Prosecco to the New Year in Livigno – with tax-free shopping there will be no regrets for missing the January sales. Livigno New Year ski holidays ‣
Ski Livigno at half-term for some of the best conditions you’ll find in Italy all season, with tax-free prices making this peak week more affordable. Livigno Half Term ski holidays ‣
Thanks to the high slopes, the skiing in Livigno at Easter is some of the best in Italy, and you’re likely to soak up large doses of Italian sunshine too. Livigno Easter ski holidays ‣
Livigno opens its doors to families for their perfect family getaway. Spend the week surrounded by beautiful sights, great ski facilities and an evening around a log fire in your chosen accommodation, together. If you’re thinking of staying in a hotel, our best family properties have crèches and kids clubs to provide an action-packed week for any little ones a bit shy of the skiing age. With games and snow activities planned, the rest of the clan can ski in the knowledge that your tots will be having just as amazing a time. Apartments are another good option for families who want the place to themselves – most are built slope side, with easy access to ski schools and lifts of a morning.
Come together in the afternoon for exciting activities in the way of snow tubing, snowmobiling and husky sledding- guaranteed to be a week you’ll all remember!
School holidays usually fall on a different week to Italian school holidays, meaning that a week off school spent in Livigno shouldn’t be too busy. Travel with our airport and transfer packages for kids who just can’t wait to get to the mountains! If you fancy a journey filled with singing and stop-offs at some breathtakingly beautiful European landmarks, our self-drive holidays may be more what your family have in mind – call our ski specialists for expert advice and easy booking.
Planning a group holiday with all your snow-loving friends? Livigno is great for skiers and boarders of all abilities: beginners can join the ski schools for some morning tips on scaling the mountains. Ski with the rest of your party of an afternoon, as you tackle some of the mountains’ higher challenges and get a little friendly competition going in the snowy playground found near ski run number 10.
If you’re a bunch of intermediates, you’ll be pleased to hear that over 50% of Livigno’s runs are classified red, so there’ll be plenty of routes for you and your amici to take. Advanced skiers and boarders will find the thrills they seek on the castle ‘Raffa’ jump structure and in Livigno’s heliskiing opportunity- leave your own mark on the mountaintops’ untouched snow. Don’t think you need to be leaving your non-skiing friends back in Britain: the Bormio Thermal baths facilities and a huge shopping centre mean they’ll be happily occupied while everyone else is on the slopes.
If you’re a group on a budget, apartments are a cheaper option, many are built slope side so that you can ski to your door and crash out together later on. Hotels work brilliantly for groups too, with rooms often available for stragglers to book later if they want to join the party.
Accommodation | Number of nights | Price (per person) from |
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Hotel Lac Salin | 7 | £ 1429 |
Montivas Lodge | 7 | £ 899 |
Hotel Intermonti | 7 | £ 919 |
Hotel St. Michael | 7 | £ 1039 |
Hotel Amerikan | 7 | £ 1089 |
Charme Hotel Alexander | 7 | £ 1149 |
Al Gal Apartments | 7 | £ 639 |
Hotel Livigno | 7 | £ 979 |
Alpen Village Resort | 7 | £ 963 |
Chalet Emma – Li Palù | 7 | £ 449 |