Valtellina is preparing for a historic winter season, becoming the beating heart of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
4Outdoor is also on Whatsapp. Just click here to subscribe to the channel and stay up to date.
For the first time, the area will host Olympic competitions, confirming its role of excellence in the international Alpine panorama.
In Bormio, along the legendary Stelvio slope, the men’s alpine skiing and ski mountaineering events will be held, a discipline making its debut at the Games. Livigno, meanwhile, will host the spectacular snowboarding and freestyle competitions, bringing the energy and creativity of winter board sports to the “Little Tibet” of the Alps. A total of 34 medals will be awarded in Valtellina, a number that testifies to its centrality to the 2026 Games ecosystem.
Through the “Valtellina – Taste of Emotion” brand, sponsor of Milano Cortina 2026, the area presents itself as a single, vast reality capable of uniting sport, nature, hospitality, and food and wine traditions, offering visitors an authentic and complete experience.
The following is a journey that begins in the authentic Valtellina region, the heart of the Lombardy Alps, and then immerses you in the adrenaline-filled international events that will mark the coming months, culminating in the evocative journey of the Olympic flame. Cultural initiatives, exhibitions, and performances with an Olympic flavor will be presented, alongside a preview of the 2025/2026 ski season. The story will finally lead to the competitions scheduled in Bormio and Livigno, outstanding settings ready to host some of the Games’ most anticipated moments.
The Valtellina area, in the heart of the Lombard Alps
Valtellina is a vast mountain valley in northern Lombardy, bordering Switzerland, and captures the true essence of the Alps: peaks over 3,000 meters high, forests, vineyards, and welcoming villages. Here, the mountains are alive in every season, amidst nature, sports, and deep-rooted traditions, in a perfect balance between competition and the joy of living outdoors.
Bormio and Livigno will confirm the region’s international role in the world of winter sports.
In the Olympic program, the men’s alpine skiing and ski mountaineering (skimo) events will be held in Bormio, along the legendary Stelvio slope, considered one of the most technical and spectacular in the Alps. It has been the site of World Cups and international championships for decades.
Alongside it, the ski areas of Santa Caterina Valfurva and Cima Piazzi/San Colombano complete a superb ski area, with over 110 km of slopes, freeride and Nordic skiing trails, snow parks, and snowshoe and ski mountaineering trails. In summer, the Stelvio Glacier offers the unique opportunity to ski even in the warmest months. The spectacular freestyle snowboarding competitions, a discipline synonymous with acrobatics on the snow, will be held in the wide valley of Livigno, at 1,816 m above sea level, one of the highest resorts in Italy.
Livigno boasts one of the most modern and versatile ski areas in Europe: over 115 km of slopes, 4 snow parks, 150 km² dedicated to freeriding, a 30 km cross-country ski trail, and top-notch services. The two main resorts, Mottolino and Carosello 3000, boast internationally recognized facilities such as the Mottolino Snowpark and the Hero Slopes, ideal for athletes and enthusiasts.
The resort also stands out for its innovative and sustainable approach to the mountains, with centers dedicated to smart working, training, and ethical gastronomy.
Thanks to these destinations, Valtellina becomes the mountain extension of the races held in Lombardy: an accolade that confirms the quality of its slopes, the solidity of its infrastructure, and its natural vocation for sports hospitality.
Alongside Bormio and Livigno, the entire province of Sondrio offers a network of resorts that contribute to an excellent tourism and sports ecosystem: Valmalenco, with Palù Park and the slopes of Alpe Palù; Madesimo, home to the famous Canalone off-piste area and the Madepark for snowboarders and freeriders; Aprica, with the Baradello Superpanoramica and ski mountaineering trails; Pescegallo and Teglio, ideal for families and those seeking a more intimate connection with the mountains.
With over 400 km of downhill slopes and 200 km of Nordic ski trails, Valtellina is one of the most complete destinations in the Alpine region: a region where nature, sport, and hospitality blend into a unique experience, ready to welcome athletes and visitors from around the world to the great five-ring embrace.
The adrenaline of international events
In the weeks leading up to the start of the competitions, the entire Valtellina area is involved in creating the right sporting tension, welcoming international delegations, and promoting an atmosphere of shared participation.
The winter of 2025/2026 will be a season of major sporting events, a precursor to the Olympic atmosphere of Milan Cortina 2026. The Alpine Skiing European Cup (9–13 December 2025) and the Alpine Skiing Paralympic World Cup (15–17 December 2025) will be held in Santa Caterina Valfurva. The Men’s World Cup Super-G will kick off in Livigno on December 27, a highly anticipated event that will propel the resort into the heart of the Olympic season.
The winter of 2025/2026 will be a season of major sporting events, a precursor to the Olympic atmosphere of Milan Cortina 2026. The Alpine Skiing European Cup (9–13 December 2025) and the Alpine Skiing Paralympic World Cup (15–17 December 2025) will be held in Santa Caterina Valfurva. The Men’s World Cup Super-G will kick off in Livigno on December 27, a highly anticipated event that will propel the resort into the heart of the Olympic season.
The 2025/2026 ski season
From late November until late spring, Valtellina’s main ski areas will open their doors with new features and improvements, ready to surprise skiers and families during a winter dominated by the Olympic Games.
The season symbolically opens with the new Snowfarm in Santa Caterina Valfurva, where over 7,500 cubic meters of snow have been stored to guarantee a perfectly prepared cross-country ski trail for athletes’ training as early as October 31, 2025.
Ski lift opening schedule (subject to weather and snow conditions): From the end of November 2025 to February 22, 2026, the Bormio and Livigno ski areas will remain open with some limitations due to the Winter Olympic Games:
- Livigno: November 29, 2025 – May 3, 2026
- Bormio: December 5, 2025 – April 12, 2026
- Saint Catherine of Valfurva: December 5, 2025 – April 12, 2026
- Aprica: November 29, 2025 (partial opening) – April 12, 2026
- Valmalenco: November 29, 2025
- Valchiavenna/Madesimo: November 28, 2025 – April 12, 2026
- Pescegallo (Valgerola): December 6, 2025
- Cima Piazzi–San Colombano: December 5, 2025 – April 12, 2026
The races that will take place in Bormio and Livigno
Milan Cortina 2026: the Livigno races
At the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Livigno will host all the men’s and women’s freestyle and snowboard competitions: a total of 26 medals will be awarded in “Little Tibet”.
The competitions will take place respectively at:
- The Livigno Snowpark, set up in the Mottolino ski area: here there will be half pipe, slopestyle, big air, snowboard cross, ski cross and parallel giant slalom competitions;
- The Livigno Aerials & Moguls park, set up at Carosello 3000: here the moguls and aerials competitions are scheduled.
The complete calendar is available on livigno.eu
Milan Cortina 2026: the Bormio races
Bormio will host the men’s alpine skiing and ski mountaineering events, which, for the first time in history, will be an Olympic discipline. A total of eight medals will be awarded.
Men’s Alpine Skiing Races on the Stelvio Slope
During Milan Cortina 2026 the alpine skiing competitions will be divided into:
- Speed disciplines: downhill and super-G
- Technical disciplines: slalom and giant slalom
