Madesimo is a small compact high altitude village that lies close to the Swiss border in the Lombardy region of Italy, near to St. Moritz and north of Lake Como, makes an ideal winter holiday destination for anyone thats seeking a relaxing Winter break.

During the week you can enjoy uncrowded slopes and a lack of lift queues, though the atmosphere gets more lively as the wealthy Milanese arrive for a weekend break.

Madesimo offers over 50Kms of Skiing on quality maintained pistes and has one of the most up to date lift systems in Europe to get you around he resort. The Ski area provides a mixture of runs for the intermediate skier, and there is an excellent beginners slope where you can experience those first turns,under the expert guidance of the highly rated Ski School.For the more accomplished skier there are a mix of black runs and the famous "Canalone" awaits reputed to be one of the toughest runs in Europe.

Madesimo is a high altitude village so has good snow from late Nov till late Spring, has excellent snow making facilities covering all the main pistes. The village is compact so you're on the mountain in very quick time from all the Hotels.The village has a range of good Hotels,coffee shops, pizzerias, bars and a mix of high class shops.

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  Autumn colors and snow

  

Last year we spent our first weekend in Madesimo. Located in the province of Sondrio, nearly 1,400 meters. height and is part of the Mountain Community of Valchiavenna. Like any good skier, I know Madesimo is famous for the "Canyon" linking of Larch Pizzo Groppera Pian, a difficult track that makes the most expert skiers dream.

Madesimo boasts an area that offers more than 55 km of slopes and 25 km of tracks on which there is fun even for top athletes who use the table. The magnificent snow park is improving every year and, according to the riders, you can find plenty of rails, jumps, boxes, and an incredible half - pipe.
For ordinary skiers there are numerous runs of varying difficulty, from beginners to experts, and all the slopes are really wide to promote the learning of technique and the fun.

The ski season generally lasts from December until April, but I was told that since some years also in November there is enough snow to ski. Scattered on the slopes there are different eateries. always ready to offer the skier a meal. As for the lifts, the structures are really modern, there are no ski lifts, but only chairlifts, from four to six posts filled with automatic coupling.
In Valchiavenna there is also an underground funicular system,the first one in Italy: it seems that the idea is to make Madesimo a completely car-free zone: a good idea for mountain resort! In Madesimo there are many restaurants and cafes where you can taste local delicacies, but if you're not too tired from the day's skiing,
I recommend an evening stroll through the streets of the village that will charm you from the atmosphere around you.