How the 2026 Olympics will take Livigno to a new level
Just a few years ago, Livigno was considered an insider tip: a remote high valley surrounded by three-thousand-metre peaks on the border with Switzerland. Today, with every step I take through the elongated village in a neighboring valley to St. Moritz, I sense a spirit of optimism that is second to none. Livigno is one of the Alpine venues for the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, and the Games have elevated Livigno to a new level.
The change in the Valtellina high valley is tangible for me everywhere: Where simple guesthouses used to dominate, elegant boutique hotels such as the Mo.he have sprung up. Here, modern design meets alpine coziness - perfect for enjoying a hearty pasta and one of the wonderful Veltliner red wines after a day on the slopes. Some of the best Nebbiolos in the region can easily compete with the great Nebbiolos from Piedmont.
Livigno has not only seen a leap in quality with new hotels such as the Mo.he, but also with investments in the existing top hotels. For example, the Lac Salin in a first-class ski-in/ski-out location at the foot of the Carosello 3000 ski mountain now offers top standards with upgrades in rooms and suites. Traditional hotels such as the Baita Montana on the Mottolino ski mountain also have a fresher and more modern look.
Speaking of modern: the Olympic Games have also enabled millions to be invested in mountain railroads and gondola stations. The Livigno ski area has always been snow-sure and varied, but now the lifts are also up to date again. For me, the two ski mountains Carosello 3000 and Mottolino are now among the top ski destinations in the Alps. Especially for freeriders like me, Livigno is the first choice with its many powder snow off-piste runs and its exemplary avalanche safety concept.
What makes Livigno even more attractive for me as a long-time Italy correspondent is of course the excellent Cucina Italiana, which is served at very fair prices in many beautiful restaurants and mountain huts. Connoisseurs will love Livigno! Anyone who has ever stopped off at one of the rustic mountain huts such as the Camanel di Planon knows that hospitality and enjoyment are very important in Livigno. At the Alpino hut, master butcher Matteo Villani grills a bistecca like you rarely find. And the traditional Valtellina pasta dish, pizzoccheri, is available almost everywhere in first-class quality.
Livigno, the once isolated "Tibet of Italy", is reinventing itself thanks to Olympia - and yet remains authentic and charming. Complimenti!
Read more about Livigno and the other venues for the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in the 2025/2026 winter issue of Connoisseur Circle.
Image credits: Mottolino, Livigno NEXT, S.Confortola
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