This Alpine Ski Town Is Italy’s ‘Little Tibet’—and It Will Host Snowboarding and Freestyle Events in the 2026 Olympics

Top 5 Can’t Miss

• Avid skiers and snowboarders flock to Livigno, which is all but guaranteed to get great snowfall.
• Check into Hotel Lac Salin, a four-star hotel with the services of a five-star property, including a gourmet restaurant and a massive spa.
• Warm up with a bombardino winter cocktail at a little chalet like La Tea di Cip & Ciop or go all in on the après-ski scene at Miky’s Disco Club.
• Try local specialties such as pizzoccheri and Casera cheese at restaurants like Al Mond Vei or Ristorante Camana Veglia.
• Buy winter gear, a stylish sweater, or artisan-made souvenirs at the many shops lining Livigno’s pedestrian center.

Sometimes nicknamed Italy’s “Little Tibet,” this town in the Rhaetian Alps—with a population of around 6,800—is famous for freestyle skiing and snowboarding. Nestled in the heart of the Alta Valtellina in Lombardy, right on the Swiss border, it sits at an elevation of nearly 6,000 feet and is surrounded by imposing mountains that wrap around the valley. Thanks to its various snow parks, Livigno was chosen to host snowboard and freestyle competitions during the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics.

Until the 1950s, Livigno was completely isolated during the winter, when heavy snow would make the roads connecting it to Italy and Switzerland impassable. After a 1951 avalanche that killed seven people, the townspeople banded together to ensure that Livigno wouldn’t be cut off anymore in the winter. Following improved roads came the first ski lift—and with it, the first tourists. According to John Cuisini, a local restaurateur, because Livigno has only been welcoming tourists for the past 70 years, it has retained its authenticity. “It feels like a traditional mountain town while also being a modern resort town,” he observes.

Read on for our guide to the best hotels, things to do, places to eat and drink, and shops in Livigno, with tips from local experts John Cusini and Vania Cusini (no relation), an internationally renowned artist who is creating some sculptures for the Olympics.

Best Hotels and Resorts

Guest room inside of AKChalet.

AKChalet

Hotel Lac Salin

“Hotel Lac Salin is one of the hotels with the most robust offerings, and it’s also directly on the ski slopes,” John says. This four-star hotel has a gourmet restaurant, a fondue restaurant with panoramic views, a wine cellar, and a nearly 13,000-square-foot spa that offers treatments using medicinal mountain herbs.

Mont Chalet Nevada

“The Nevada has one of my sculptures—an installation, really—in the middle of the restaurant,” says Vania, citing it as her top hotel pick in Livigno. This four-star hotel offers half-board rates (inclusive of breakfast and dinner) and has a bistro with an a la carte menu, plus an outdoor pool and a spa.

Park Chalet Village

“It’s not a hotel but rather lots of little wooden chalets connected to a central structure by underground tunnels,” John says, adding that it has a little wellness center. “It’s very nice if you want to be immersed in nature, surrounded by snow.”

AKChalet

“I’m not suggesting this just because it’s run by my brother, but because it’s really beautiful,” John says about these high-end sustainable chalets that opened last year. “I think in Livigno they were the first to make something so beautiful for a luxury clientele.”

Best Things to Do

A ski slope in Livigno, Italy.

Filippo Maria Bianchi/Getty Images

Go skiing.

The main reason people visit Livigno is to ski. Divided between the two sides of the valley, there are 74 different slopes with various levels of difficulty and 10 ski schools offering lessons. “Livigno invests a lot in maintaining and organizing its slopes,” John says, explaining that the town also offers opportunities for cross-country skiing.

Try other winter sports.

In addition to skiing, Livigno is an ideal place for other winter sports, including ski mountaineering, snowshoeing, fat biking, horseback riding, Nordic walking, and ice skating. Visitors can also take horse-drawn sleigh rides.

Walk the Sentiero d’Arte.

Vania was involved in the creation of this open-air gallery with 40 carved wood sculptures by artists from around the world. “It’s an easy path in the woods; you can visit it in about an hour, and it’s not tiring,” Vania explains. “In the winter, it’s very beautiful because there are these sculptures that peek out of the snow.”

Relax in a spa.

Vania recommends a visit to Aquagranda, the most important wellness center in Livigno, explaining, “It has external pools anchored in the woods, plus a sauna and Turkish bath made using local wood.” Aquagranda was recently named an Olympic Preparation Center by the Italian National Olympic Committee.

Step back in time at MUS! Museo di Livigno e Trepalle.

Want to know what it would have been like to live in Livigno a century or two ago? A visit to this ethnographic museum in an 18th-century stone-and-wood home is like entering a time machine. It preserves furniture, family paintings, everyday objects, and other artifacts donated by local families.

Best Shopping

A busy shopping street in Livigno.

David Taljat/Getty Images

Livigno’s pedestrian center boasts 250 shops, artisan boutiques, and flagship stores that sell sports gear, apparel, shoes, artisan goods, and much more.

El Corambrero

For more than 50 years, John’s family has run this boutique dedicated to selling artisan goods and souvenirs. “We have a section dedicated to antiques where you can find pieces of the history of Livigno, like cowbells,” John notes.

Best Nightlife

Aerial view of Livigno at night.

Westend61/Getty Images

La Tea di Cip & Ciop

Located right on the ski run, this little wooden chalet is the ideal stop for a bombardino (eggnog with whiskey and whipped cream). “You can hike there in 20 minutes, or if you go in the evening, they bring you up with a snowmobile, which is very nice.”

Miky’s Disco Club

John recommends this alpine pub, saying, “It’s in the center of Livigno, with a rather traditional atmosphere, and they do après-ski as well as aperitivo, so it’s nice to go there after skiing for a bit of a party vibe.”

Best Restaurants

Dining room in Ai Mond Vei.

Ai Mond Vei

Al Mond Vei

“We try to combine our traditional mountain cuisine with Mediterranean Italian cuisine,” John says about his restaurant’s approach. If you want to try the local cuisine, he recommends starting with some Casera cheese, then having the pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta with cabbage, potatoes, butter, garlic, and melted cheese). Another popular dish is the slow-cooked beef rib. “It’s cooked at a low temperature all night long to render it soft, and it comes with polenta and cheese,” John notes.

Tea da Memi

“This is a way to immerse yourself in the architecture of the past because it’s in a house, and you eat very well,” Vania says, recommending a visit to this restaurant in a typical mountain hut. “There’s not a huge amount of choice, but everything is made in-house. The owners have created a charming atmosphere, and the quality of the food is good.”

Ristorante Camana Veglia

A bartender pouring a drink at Ristorante Camana Veglia.

Ristorante Camana Veglia

“It immerses you in a traditional ambiance that tells the story of Livigno as it was,” John says, who recommends this cozy restaurant for “the philosophy of the chef, who wants to transmit something about our land not only in his dishes but also in the atmosphere, the scents, and the spirit of hospitality.”

Steinbock Pasticceria

“Steinbock created a cake called Livignese, which is the cake of Livigno,” Vania explains. This delicacy is made with layers of sponge cake interspersed with hazelnut mousse and topped with crunchy toasted almonds.

Best Time to Visit

A person snowshoeing near Livigno, Italy.

Francesco Bergamaschi/Getty Images

“In the winter, this cloak of white makes Livigno unique. It’s lucky enough to get a lot of snow, and I love seeing this white landscape,” Vania gushes. John also notes that winter is the ideal season to visit Livigno because snow is pretty much guaranteed. People come from all over Europe and beyond to enjoy this winter wonderland.

In the summer, the town tends to draw Italians who want to escape the heat in cities like Milan and go hiking in the mountains.

How to Get There

A road through Livigno, Italy.

David Taljat/Getty Images

Livigno is located on the Italian-Swiss border, about 3.5 hours by car from Milan and Bergamo and three hours from Zurich. If you’re coming from Milan, you can take a regional train 2.5 hours to Tirano and then catch a bus to Livigno, which takes another hour.

During the winter, a bus called the Livigno Express connects the town to Malpensa and Linate Airports in Milan and Orio al Serio Airport in Bergamo. If you plan to travel around the area, though, it’s best to rent a car.

How to Get Around

Public Transit: Run by Autoservizi Silvestri, Livigno has four bus lines active in the winter and two in the summer. Buses are free to ride. There’s also a robust network of ski lifts and cable cars.

Taxi: Taxi Livigno is the town’s taxi consortium. To request a taxi, call or send a WhatsApp message to +39 333 164 5000.