Madesimo 4U

"Madesimo has always featured prominently among places in which to spend ones vacation – not surprisingly given its extraordinary beauty and natural setting. The town was to prove the inspiration to the renowned poet Giosuè Carducci who would spend 15 years of invigorating holidays within a classic mountain environment whose clean, crisp air acted as “muse” to his artistic sensibilities; Madesimo was well ahead of its time for all sorts of innovation: it was here that in 1911 the very idea of the “ski week” (settimana bianca) dreamed up by the Italian Touring Club which discovered the perfect conditions for a phenomenon equally popular today. What’s more the very first (yes, No.1) diploma issued by FISI for a Ski Instructor was registered at the Madesimo Ski school to Mario Bernasconi, on the 1st January 1933!
Madesimo 2015 remains a fantastic tourist venue, of enormous charm with excellent evening entertainment and packed with sporting opportunities backed up by state-of-the-art facilities both summer and winter alike. For ski and snowboard enthusiasts Skiarea Madesimo Valchiavenna provides fully 60 km of slopes from November through to spring, all served by modern transport systems accessed with ease from all over the little town. No ski-bus required.
Artificial snow “on tap” if ever necessary, snow/fun park, racing slopes with international accreditation and excellent, welcoming on-piste refreshment facilities guarantee visitors a dynamic and memorable holiday. Those who prefer the challenge of the upper mountains or freeride can take on Pizzo Groppera at 3000m and create their own exhilarating sweeps along the slopes of Val di Lei or fly back down to the valley via the legendary Canalone, one of the most thrilling off-piste Alpine runs.
Picturesque trails and ski-excursioning provide alternatives throwing up magical scenarios and landscapes, transcending vantage points at the very soul of our majestic mountain peaks. But before embarking on this particular type of excursion do ensure that you have all necessary equipment and check prevailing snow conditions; our Alpine guides are always available to provide information and to accompany visitors on outings. www.skiareavalchiavenna.it
Ski mountaineering has now been joined by new adrenaline-based local sports: speedriding (a combination of skiing and gliding using a small parachute strapped to your back) and heliski. Alternatively you can appreciate Madesimo’s winter scenarios along 70 km of trails reserved for snowmobiles. Criss-crossing the mountain landscapes at speed, skidding along the surface of frozen streams, through enchanting woodlands guarantee some thrilling memories. The Team Extreme Rental outfit organise snowmobile excursions using selected vehicles from the wide Yamaha range. Accompanied by experienced staff you have the chance to reach some extraordinary locations such as the fairy-tale village of Montespluga, or up to the Splugen Pass itself… and by far the best way to round off a splendid outing is to dine at one of the many welcoming refuges prior to heading back to the valley. Look out too for the wide range of leisure time activities on offer, from local cooking courses to snow racquet outings, fantastic open-air ice-skating, to social events and of course shopping…
Summer throws up a full programme of cultural, musical and sporting events with entertainment for all ages, shapes and sizes offering a perfect alternative to those who prefer a more dynamic holiday with every type of alpine sport: from mountain biking, trekking, to rock-climbing, tennis and golf… And that’s not to mention the mouth-watering range of quality food and wines that awaits in local bars and restaurants of a genuinely international nature.
Madesimo …..the better you know it, the more you love it!"