Lombardy · Sondrio
Madesimo
A ski village at 1,550 meters at the head of Valle Spluga, with lifts to 2,880 meters and the Canalone off-piste descent.
Known for
CANALONE STRETTO
Off-piste couloir on Pizzo Groppera, rated one of the most challenging marked free-ride lines in the Italian Alps.
PIZZO GROPPERA
The 2,948-meter peak above the village, top of the ski domain with cable car access to 2,880 meters.
SPLUGEN HEAD
Northernmost village in Lombardia, four kilometers from the 2,117-meter Splügen Pass on the Swiss border.
When to visit
Best · Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Why come
Madesimo sits at 1,550 meters at the head of Valle Spluga, near the Splügen Pass on the Swiss border, the most northerly commune in Lombardia. The ski domain runs from the village up to 2,880 meters on the Pizzo Groppera, 30 runs across the Valle dello Spluga and the high Motta plateau, with the Canalone, a steep off-piste descent down a natural couloir, rated one of the most challenging slopes in the Alps. The village connects to Campodolcino, six kilometers down the valley, by a funicular that climbs to the Motta high station at 1,723 meters.
Most of the resident population, 507, works in winter tourism. Summer brings hikers to the Lagos d'Emet and the high passes toward Switzerland, where the air is clean enough that the Pizzo Stella is visible from the village square on most days.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Madesimo’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
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What to see
Comprensorio sciistico Madesimo
Ski domain from 1,550 to 2,880 meters across 30 runs, served by the funicular link to Motta and the lifts on Pizzo Groppera.
Canalone Stretto
Off-piste descent through a natural couloir on Pizzo Groppera, one of the most challenging marked free-ride lines in the Alps.
Cascata del Groppera
Waterfall on the upper Liro near the village, fed by glacier meltwater from the Pizzo Groppera massif.
Laghi d'Emet
High-altitude lake basin at 2,200 meters above the village, reached by a 2-hour summer hike with refuges nearby.
The slow-trip planner
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Living here
- Population 507
- Very remotei
- Pharmacy in town
- Nearest high school over ~30 minutes away
- Nearest airport Milan, 2 h 47 min drive
- Regional capital Milano, 2 h 48 min drive
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 1550 m
- Population: 507
- Surface area: 85.66 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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