Pinzolo ski resort guide& reviews Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in Pinzolo
Resort reviews
Pinzolo is a fantastic uncrowded ski resort sitting in the beautiful Rendena Valley between the spectacular Brenta Dolomites and the Adamello-Presanella glaciers at an altitude of 785m and is home to some 3000 people. The main feature of the resort that people from all over come to visit is the old Church of San Viglio which is known for its beautiful frescoes.
The ski resort is surprisingly lively especially at weekends and holidays as it is a very popular destination for people who live close by. On Sunday mornings, you’ll find more people sipping coffee in one of the many cafes than on the slopes!
Après-ski
Après-ski in Pinzolo is fun and moderately lively with several restaurants serving up Trentino cuisine and a few bars. Prices are considerably cheaper than in nearby Madonna di Campiglio and you certainly get value for money.
Pinzolo has also managed to retain the famous Italian tradition of the evening passegiata - walking up and down the street, checking out the shops and seeing what everyone is wearing.
Spa & wellbeing
Pinzolo has several wellness and spa centres with pools which are very popular when the weather is not that great.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 785m |
| Top lift | 2500m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 150 |
| Longest run | 5 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 5 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 5 |
| Heli Skiing | ✘ |
| Summer skiing | ✔ |
| Glacier skiing | ✘ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Relaxed & Informal |
Pinzolo ski area guide
Sitting in the heart of the Brenta Dolomites, Pinzolo offers 30km of pistes all served by fast, modern ski lifts. The local ski range is between 800m and 2100m.
In 2011, it was linked to the Val Rendena-Val di Sole ski area connecting with Madonna di Campiglio.
So, when you add in Folgarida-Marilleva thats already connected to Madonna di Campiglio on it's western side, you end up with 150km of linked pistes across 4 valleys which is perfect for touring.
Another surprise is these 3 resorts are part of the "Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta" carousel (groups of associated ski areas) that are covered by a single pass and give a huge 380km of pistes served by 150 lifts and 90% of the runs have snow cannons so you are pretty much guaranteed snow. The other resorts on the carousel are:
- Passo del Tonale in Val di Sole
- Ponte di Legno and Pejo
- Andalo-Fai della Paganella
- Monte Bondone and Folgaria-Lavarone
Beginners
Beginners will find a good selection of nursery slopes and the ski school is excellent.
Intermediate
Pinzolo is tailor made for intermediate skiers and boarders with some long reds to cruise in the sunshine.
The pistes are generally uncrowded due to many locals preferring to spend time in the cafes so the slopes are ideal for those long carving turns.
One of the best runs is the super fast DoloMitica which at nearly 6km is the longest in the area with vertical of 1248m.
Advanced
Experts may be a tiny bit disappointed if you are looking for off-piste as much of the surrounding area is National Park and therefore off limits.
However, there are some very technical and challenging on-piste blacks to try towards Madonna di Campiglio such as the DoloMitica Run and the last part of Spinale Direttissima ski run (called the "Schumacher Streif") which have maximum gradients over 70% - very scary!
Cross-country
There are 5km of local cross-country trails of which 3km are floodlit if you fancy a bit of night skiing. Further afield, you can connect with the forrest trails above Madonna di Campiglio where there are some 21km of skating paths.
Snowboard
For boarders, there's the fun park at Busa di Grual with tables, slides, jumps and a half-pipe.
Things to see & do in Pinzolo
If you want a break from skiing or the weather isn't that great, Pinzolo has lots of other activities to try...
- Ice skating
- Ski mountaineering
- Snowshoeing
- Husky sleigh riding
- Ice climbing at the frozen Nardis waterfall
- Paragliding from the Doss del Sabion
- Swimming
- Horse riding
Featured ski chalets
See all rentalsOur views on Pinzolo ski resort
Pinzolo is probably not the first ski resort that springs to mind when you think of Italy but if you try it once, you won't be disappointed. It is a great resort to visit any time of the year and with so many things to do to keep everyone entertained. A few suggestions...
If you fancy a day in Madonna di Campiglio and don't fancy driving then take the Pinzolo-Campiglio Express gondola lift. Madonna is a great day out and has some fantastic shopping in the pedestrianised centre
Take a trip to Val Genova which is the entrance to the Adamello Brenta Natural Park. It is full of amazing waterfalls such as Nardis and Lares which are fed by the glaciers on the Adamello-Presanella mountains
In summer, take a drive up to Passo Tonale where the scenery is stunning and perhaps go skiing on the glacier
If you like Pinzolo...then you may also like to look at Les Contamines in France which is part of the Evasion Mont Blanc circuit that includes St Gervais and Megeve.
