Villa del Balbianello on its wooded point in the turquoise water of Lake Como
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Beyond the Mediterranean · Luxury in The Alps

Italian Alps

From Cortina d'Ampezzo and Alta Badia in the Dolomites to the grand villas of Lake Como and Lake Garda: the Italian Alps in winter and summer, chosen by one rule: first class or not at all.

Villa del Balbianello, Lake ComoPhotograph: Stanislav Gulei

Benvenuti

The Dolomites and the lakes

The Italian Alps run from the glaciers of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn above the Aosta Valley to the pale towers of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. Cortina d'Ampezzo held the Winter Olympics in 1956 and again, with Milan, in 2026. In South Tyrol, part of Austria until the end of the First World War, German is spoken alongside Italian, and in Val Badia and Val Gardena the old Ladin language lives on.

Winter here means the Dolomiti Superski pass, which joins twelve ski areas, the Sellaronda circuit on skis around the Sella massif, and long lunches at mountain huts that cook like starred restaurants. Summer belongs to the lakes: on Lake Como the great villas of the Renaissance and the Belle Époque have become some of the finest hotels in Europe, and Villa d'Este has received guests since 1873.

This guide brings together only the first class: the resorts, the villa hotels and mountain retreats, the starred tables, the lakes by private boat, the wine estates and the airports and helicopters that bring you in.

A few words of Italian
EnglishItalianSay it
Hello / Good dayBuongiornobwon-JOR-no
Good eveningBuonaserabwon-ah-SAIR-ah
PleasePer favorepair fah-VOR-eh
Thank youGrazieGRAHT-see-eh
The bill, pleaseIl conto, per favoreeel KON-toh, pair fah-VOR-eh
Enjoy your mealBuon appetitobwon ah-peh-TEE-toh
GoodbyeArrivederciah-ree-veh-DAIR-chee
The bell tower and the Tofane above the old centre of Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo below the Tofane

Where to go

The best ski resorts in the Italian Alps

When to go, the one best hotel and restaurant, and how to arrive by private jet or helicopter.

Cortina d'Ampezzo

The "Queen of the Dolomites", in a wide valley ringed by the peaks of a UNESCO World Heritage site, and co-host, with Milan, of the Winter Olympics in February 2026.

When to goWinter, December to April; summer, June to September. Signature event: the women's World Cup downhill races in January.

  • Stay
    Ancora Cortina

    One MICHELIN Key, on Corso Italia, a house dating from 1826 redesigned for owner Renzo Rosso.

  • Dine
    Tivoli

    One MICHELIN star.

Arrive privately
By private jet or helicopter
Treviso (TSF/LIPH), with private-aviation handling, then about 40 min by helicopter or a chauffeured drive. Bolzano (BZO/LIPB) is about 1 hr 50 by road.

Alta Badia

The Ladin villages of Corvara, San Cassiano and La Villa on the Sella Ronda circuit in the Dolomites, known for refined food in a small mountain setting. It is quieter and more private than Cortina.

When to goWinter, December to April; summer, June to September. Signature events: the Gran Risa giant slalom World Cup in December, and the Maratona dles Dolomites cycling race in July.

  • Stay
    Hotel La Perla

    Corvara, a Leading Hotels of the World member run by the Costa family at the foot of the Sella Ronda.

  • Dine
    La Stüa de Michil – Simone Cantafio

    One MICHELIN star, at Hotel La Perla.

Arrive privately
By private jet or helicopter
Bolzano (BZO/LIPB), about 1 hr to 1 hr 15 by road.
Snow-covered chalets below the Sciliar and its pinnacles under a deep blue sky, Alpe di Siusi
Chalets below the Sciliar, Alpe di Siusi

Stay

Luxury hotels and chalets in the Italian Alps

The grand hotels at our standard, and the officially five-star hotels.

The grand hotels

Each holds two or three MICHELIN Keys or a Forbes Five-Star rating, or is a palace of the great resorts.

  • PassalacquaMoltrasio (Lake Como)

    An 18th-century villa on the lake's western shore and Lake Como's only hotel with three MICHELIN Keys. Visit website ↗

  • Villa d'EsteCernobbio (Lake Como)

    A Renaissance residence built for Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio in 1568 and a hotel since 1873, with its own golf club; two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website ↗

  • Grand Hotel TremezzoTremezzo, Tremezzina (Lake Como)

    An Art Nouveau grand hotel opened in 1910 on the lake's western shore; two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website ↗

  • Il SerenoTorno (Lake Como)

    A contemporary lakeside hotel with its own Riva boats and a water limousine with interiors by Patricia Urquiola; two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website ↗

  • Mandarin OrientalLago di Como, Blevio (Lake Como)

    A resort of villas in a lakeside botanical park, with a spa and a pool floating on the water; Forbes Five-Star.

  • Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & SpaMenaggio (Lake Como)

    An 81-room lakefront hotel run by R Collection Hotels, close to Menaggio's pedestrian centre; two MICHELIN Keys.

  • Forestis DolomitesPlose (Brixen)

    A forest retreat of tower suites on the Plose above Brixen, built around a former sanatorium; two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website ↗

  • Castel FragsburgMerano

    A Relais & Châteaux castle hotel of 20 suites above Merano, with the MICHELIN-starred restaurant Prezioso; two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website ↗

See all 11
  • Villa EdenMerano

    A Leading Hotels of the World health and longevity retreat in a Merano park; two MICHELIN Keys.

  • Gardena Grödnerhof Gourmet Hotel & SpaOrtisei (Val Gardena)

    A gourmet and spa hotel in the centre of Ortisei; Forbes Five-Star. Visit website ↗

  • Lefay Resort & SPA DolomitiPinzolo (Dolomites)

    Opened in 2019 in Val Rendena near Madonna di Campiglio, with a 5,000 m² spa among the largest in the Alps; two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website ↗

The five-star hotels

The 81 confirmed, officially five-star hotels in the Italian Alps and their lakes, area by area.

See all 81 hotels

Lake Como — western shore and Como town

  • Passalacqua

    , Moltrasio (five-star; summer). Visit website ↗

  • Villa d'Este

    , Cernobbio (five-star lusso; summer, roughly spring to late autumn). Visit website ↗

  • Vista Palazzo Lago di Como

    , Como (five-star; all year). A small boutique hotel in a historic palazzo on Como's lakefront square, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

  • Grand Hotel Tremezzo

    , Tremezzo, Tremezzina (five-star lusso; summer, spring to autumn). An Art Nouveau palace from 1910 facing Bellagio, with three pools including one floating on the lake. Visit website ↗

  • MUSA Lago di Como

    , Sala Comacina (five-star; summer). A 12-room hotel in which every room faces the lake and has a terrace.

  • Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa

    , Menaggio (five-star; summer). An 81-room lakefront hotel run by R Collection Hotels, 100 metres from Menaggio's pedestrian centre.

Lake Como — eastern shore and Bellagio

  • Mandarin OrientalLago di Como

    , Blevio (five-star; summer). A resort of villas in a lakeside botanical park, with a spa and a pool floating on the water.

  • CastaDiva Resort & Spa

    , Blevio (five-star; summer). A lakefront resort built around the former villa of soprano Giuditta Pasta, with a pool on the water.

  • Il Sereno Lago di Como

    , Torno (five-star; summer). A contemporary all-suite hotel designed by Patricia Urquiola, opened in 2016. Visit website ↗

  • Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

    , Bellagio (five-star; summer). A family-owned grand hotel at the tip of the Bellagio promontory, inaugurated in 1873.

Lake Maggiore — Stresa

  • Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées

    , Stresa (five-star lusso; all year). A Belle Époque palace from 1863 on the Stresa waterfront facing the Borromean Islands.

  • Villa e Palazzo Aminta

    , Stresa (five-star; summer). A lakeside villa between Stresa and Baveno converted into a hotel with a beauty spa.

Lake Garda

  • Villa Cortine Palace

    , Sirmione (five-star; summer). A neoclassical villa with 52 rooms in a five-hectare park on the Sirmione peninsula.

  • Grand Hotel Fasano

    , Gardone Riviera (five-star; summer). A former Habsburg hunting lodge on the lakeshore, with a MICHELIN-starred restaurant.

  • Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda

    , Gargnano (five-star; nearly all year, with a winter break). A wellness resort in 11 hectares of parkland above the lake, with a large spa.

  • Villa Feltrinelli

    , Gargnano (five-star lusso; summer). The Feltrinelli family's 1892 lakeside villa, now a small hotel of suites in the villa and cottages in the park. Visit website ↗

  • Lido Palace

    , Riva del Garda (five-star; seasonal, spring to autumn). A restored Belle Époque palace at the northern tip of the lake with a 1,500 m² spa.

Lake Iseo and Franciacorta

  • L'Albereta Relais & Châteaux

    , Erbusco (five-star; all year). A country-house hotel among the Franciacorta vineyards, a few kilometres south of Lake Iseo.

Aosta Valley — Courmayeur, La Salle and La Thuile

  • Grand Hotel Royal e Golf

    , Courmayeur (five-star; winter and summer). A 74-room hotel on Via Roma at the foot of Mont Blanc, with a spa and a heated outdoor pool.

  • Le Massif Hotel & Lodge

    , Courmayeur (five-star; winter and summer). A contemporary mountain hotel with three restaurants, steps from the Courmayeur cable car.

  • Mont Blanc Hotel Village

    , La Salle (five-star; winter and summer). A chalet-style hotel with a spa facing the Mont Blanc massif, between Courmayeur and Aosta.

  • Nira Montana

    , La Thuile (five-star; winter and summer). A ski-in hotel at the foot of the La Thuile lifts, on the ski area shared with La Rosière in France.

Aosta Valley — Breuil-Cervinia

  • Hermitage Hotel & Spa

    , Breuil-Cervinia (five-star; winter and summer). A Relais & Châteaux chalet hotel below the Matterhorn.

Lombardy Alps — Bormio

  • QC Terme Grand Hotel Bagni Nuovi

    , Bormio (five-star; all year). A 74-room Belle Époque grand hotel on the Bormio thermal springs, with an infinity pool and about 30 spa treatments.

Alta Badia (Corvara and San Cassiano)

  • Hotel La Perla

    Five-star; winter and summer. A Leading Hotels of the World member run by the Costa family in the centre of Corvara, at the foot of the Sella Ronda ski circuit.

  • Hotel Sassongher

    Five-star; winter and summer. A long-established family hotel beneath the Sassongher peak above Corvara, close to the Dolomiti Superski lifts.

  • Dolomiti Wellness Hotel Fanes

    Five-star; winter and summer. A spa hotel in San Cassiano with views across the Fanes-Sennes-Braies nature park.

Val Gardena (Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva)

  • ADLER Dolomiti

    Five-star; winter and summer. The Sanoner family's spa resort in the pedestrian centre of Ortisei, in the family since 1810.

  • Gardena Grödnerhof Gourmet Hotel & Spa

    Five-star; winter and summer. A gourmet and spa hotel in the centre of Ortisei. Visit website ↗

  • Alpin Garden Luxury Maison & Spa

    Five-star; winter and summer. An adults-oriented boutique hotel between Ortisei and Santa Cristina.

  • Granbaita Dolomites

    Five-star; winter and summer. A spa hotel in the centre of Selva, close to the Sella Ronda lifts.

  • Hotel Alpenroyal

    Five-star; winter and summer. A Leading Hotels of the World member at the entrance to Selva with a large spa and gourmet restaurant.

  • Granvara Relais & Spa Hotel

    Five-star; winter and summer. A small hilltop relais above Selva and Santa Cristina with panoramic views of the Sassolungo.

Seiser Alm / Alpe di Siusi and the Rosengarten

  • COMO Alpina Dolomites

    Five-star; winter, roughly December to March, and summer, roughly June to October. Visit website ↗

  • Seiser Alm Urthaler

    Five-star; winter and summer. A bio-architecture hotel at Compatsch built without chemical substances, in larch and stone.

  • Cyprianerhof Dolomit Resort

    Five-star; winter and summer. A spa resort at St. Zyprian in Tiers facing the Rosengarten (Catinaccio) wall.

Brixen / Bressanone and the Plose

  • Forestis Dolomites

    Five-star; winter and summer. A forest retreat of tower suites on the Plose above Brixen, built around a former sanatorium, with a Celtic-inspired spa. Visit website ↗

  • My Arbor – Dolomites

    Five-star; winter and summer. A treehouse-style design hotel on stilts in the woods of the Plose at St. Andrä.

  • Santre – Dolomythic Home

    Five-star; winter and summer. A newer adults-oriented retreat above Brixen.

Kronplatz / Plan de Corones and the Pustertal

  • Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz

    Five-star; winter and summer. A ski-in, ski-out hotel at Reischach beside the Kronplatz gondola.

  • WINKLER 5-star design hotel

    Five-star; winter and summer. A spa and design hotel at St. Lorenzen at the foot of the Kronplatz.

  • Mirabell Dolomites Hotel

    Five-star; winter and summer. An Ayurveda and spa hotel in Olang at the edge of the Kronplatz ski area.

  • Hotel Hubertus

    Five-star; winter and summer. Known for its cantilevered infinity pool hanging over the slope at Geiselsberg above Olang.

  • SOLVIE Calm Inspiring Getaway

    Five-star; winter and summer. A quiet adults-oriented retreat in Pfalzen facing the Kronplatz.

  • Alpen Tesitin Panorama Wellness Resort

    Five-star; winter and summer. A panoramic spa hotel in Taisten above the Pustertal.

  • Hotel Quelle Nature Spa Resort

    Five-star; winter and summer. A large family-run spa resort at St. Magdalena at the head of the Gsies valley.

  • Hotel Monika

    Five-star; winter and summer. A spa hotel in Sexten facing the Sexten Dolomites near the Three Peaks.

Ahrntal / Valle Aurina

  • AMONTI & LUNARIS Wellnessresort

    Five-star; winter and summer. Twin spa hotels at Steinhaus in the upper Ahrntal near the Klausberg ski area.

  • Alpenpalace Luxury Hideaway & Spa Retreat

    Five-star; winter and summer. A spa hotel at St. Johann in the Ahrntal.

Bolzano and the South Tyrol Wine Road

  • Lake Spa Hotel SEELEITEN

    Five-star; spring to autumn, plus some winter dates. A spa hotel above Lake Kaltern among the vineyards of the Wine Road.

  • Weinegg Wellviva Resort

    Five-star; spring to autumn, plus some winter dates. A wine-country spa resort at Girlan in Eppan, among the vineyards above Bolzano.

  • Vigilius Mountain Resort

    Five-star; winter and summer. A car-free eco-resort by architect Matteo Thun at 1,500 metres on the Vigiljoch, reached by cable car from Lana.

Merano and surroundings (Marling, Hafling, Passeier, Naturns)

  • Castel Fragsburg

    Five-star; spring to early winter. A Relais & Châteaux castle hotel of 20 suites above Merano, with the MICHELIN-starred restaurant Prezioso. Visit website ↗

  • Villa Eden

    , Merano (five-star; spring to autumn). A Leading Hotels of the World health and longevity retreat in a Merano park.

  • Hotel Ansitz Plantiz

    Five-star; spring to autumn and winter holidays. A boutique spa hotel built around a historic residence in the Obermais quarter of Merano.

  • Giardino Marling

    Five-star; spring to autumn and winter holidays. An adults-oriented spa hotel in Marling, set among orchards above the Merano basin.

  • La Maiena Meran Resort

    Five-star; spring to autumn and winter holidays. A family-run resort in Marling with views over Merano.

  • Hotel Erika

    Five-star; spring to autumn and winter holidays. A spa hotel in Dorf Tirol above Merano.

  • Hotel Chalet Mirabell

    Five-star; winter and summer. A chalet-style spa hotel on the Hafling plateau above Merano, near the Merano 2000 area.

  • Quellenhof Luxury Resort Passeier

    Five-star; most of the year. A large family and spa resort in St. Martin in the Passeier valley.

  • Quellenhof See Lodge

    Five-star; most of the year. The Quellenhof group's adults-only lodge of chalets around a private lake in St. Martin.

  • Hotel | Chalet Das Alpenschlössel

    Five-star; spring to autumn and winter holidays. An adults-oriented hotel with chalets in St. Martin in Passeier.

  • Andreus Resorts

    Five-star; most of the year. A golf and spa resort with its own 18-hole course in St. Leonhard in Passeier.

  • Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort

    Five-star; spring to autumn and winter holidays. An adults-only spa resort in Naturns at the entrance to the Vinschgau.

  • Lindenhof Pure Luxury & Spa DolceVita Resort

    Five-star; spring to autumn and winter holidays. A family-run DolceVita spa resort in the centre of Naturns.

Vinschgau / Val Venosta

  • Hotel das Paradies

    Five-star; spring to autumn and winter holidays. A family-run spa resort in Latsch in the Vinschgau valley.

Cortina d'Ampezzo (Veneto)

  • Mandarin Oriental CristalloCortina

    Closed for renovation; reopening in early 2027.

  • Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina d'Ampezzo – a Radisson Collection Hotel

    Five-star; winter and summer. A historic grand hotel on Corso Italia in the centre of Cortina.

  • Rosapetra Spa Resort

    Five-star; winter and summer. A boutique hotel of 34 rooms, eight of them suites, with a spa and indoor pool; a Small Luxury Hotels of the World member. Visit website ↗

  • Faloria Mountain Spa Resort

    Five-star; winter and summer. A spa resort in Nordic-inspired architecture between Mount Faloria and the 1956 Olympic ski jump. Visit website ↗

  • Hotel Tofana Cortina

    Five-star; winter and summer. A ski-in, ski-out hotel at Pocol directly on the Rosà piste of the Tofane area, open since 2018. Visit website ↗

  • Ancora Cortina

    Five-star; winter and summer. A historic hotel on Corso Italia, reborn as a Leading Hotels of the World member.

Madonna di Campiglio and Val Rendena (Trentino)

Other Trentino Dolomites and valleys

The vineyards of the Langhe near Alba in autumn, the hills where the white truffle is found
The Langhe near Alba in autumn

Dine

The best restaurants in the Italian Alps

The finest tables.

Three MICHELIN stars

  • Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler✦✦✦Brunico

    Three MICHELIN stars in the 2026 Italy guide, the only three-star restaurant in South Tyrol; Norbert Niederkofler cooks only from mountain produce of the region.

  • Villa Crespi✦✦✦Orta San Giulio

    Three MICHELIN stars in the 2026 Italy guide; Antonino Cannavacciuolo's restaurant and hotel in a Moorish-style villa above Lake Orta.

Two MICHELIN stars

  • Terra✦✦Sarentino

    Heinrich Schneider's restaurant and small hotel high in the Val Sarentino, South Tyrol, cooking with wild mountain herbs.

  • Castel Fine Dining✦✦Tirolo

    Gerhard Wieser's restaurant at Hotel Castel above Merano, whose sommelier Ivana Capraro holds the MICHELIN Sommelier Award in the current Italy guide.

Filled pasta in a golden sauce with herbs on fine white porcelain
Filled pasta, finely plated

On the mountain

Lunch on the slopes, the way the Alps do it best.

  • Club MoritzinoAlta Badia

    At 2,100 metres at the top of the Piz La Ila gondola above La Villa, serving Italian and international cooking, with candlelit dinners reached by snowcat. Visit website ↗

  • Rifugio AverauCortina d'Ampezzo

    Run by Sandro Siorpaes and his children below the Nuvolau in the Cinque Torri area, named by Gambero Rosso among Cortina's five best huts for its cooking and wine cellar. Visit website ↗

The Marmolada and its glacier, the Queen of the Dolomites, above larches turned gold in autumn
The Marmolada

Ski

Skiing in the Italian Alps

The ski schools of the Dolomites, heli-skiing on Monte Rosa, the guides of Courmayeur and driving on ice with Lamborghini.

Ski schools and private instructors

  • Ski and Snowboard School LadiniaCorvara (Alta Badia)

    One of Alta Badia's official schools; some of its instructors are former racers and coaches of the Italian national ski team, and it offers group and private lessons. Visit website ↗

Heli-skiing on Monte Rosa

  • Guide Monterosa

    Founded in 1996, a team of IFMGA mountain guides from the Aosta Valley running heli-skiing on Monte Rosa, with landings above 4,000 m, and guided heli-ski days from Courmayeur with transfers from Chamonix. Visit website ↗

  • Champoluc Ayas Mountain Guides

    Guided heli-skiing from Ayas and Gressoney on Monte Rosa, flown by Rotorwork for four clients and a guide, with descents of more than 2,000 m. Visit website ↗

Gondolas crossing the snowfields below the towers of the Sella
Gondolas below the Sella towers

Driving on ice and alpine guiding

  • Lamborghini Accademia NeveLivigno

    Lamborghini's ice-driving academy for owners and invited guests, held in January on the Livigno ice track, with instruction in the brand's current models. There is no public booking; places come through Lamborghini.

  • Società delle Guide Alpine di CourmayeurCourmayeur

    Founded in 1850, the oldest mountain guides' society in Italy and the second-oldest in the world, on the Italian side of Mont Blanc.

Boats, flowers and coloured houses on the harbour of Limone sul Garda
Limone sul Garda, Lake Garda

Summer

Summer in the Italian Alps

Summer on the lakes: Lake Como by private boat, its villa gardens, and Lake Garda under sail.

The summer season

  • Villa del BalbianelloTremezzina, Lake Como

    An 18th-century villa on a wooded point of Lake Como, best reached by boat, with gardens kept by the FAI, Italy's national heritage trust, as its last owner, the explorer Guido Monzino, left them; the FAI also leads guided walks from the villa in September. Visit website ↗

The lakes and their boats

  • Villa d'Este boat fleetCernobbio

    The hotel runs private boat tours from its own pier in a fleet that includes a Riva Aquarama, a Riva Aquariva, Tullio Abbate powerboats and a 1975 wooden Vaporina; guests can also take small Riva motorboats out themselves. Visit website ↗

  • Il Sereno boatsTorno

    The hotel keeps two Riva Jetto wooden boats that guests can drive without a special licence, and the Vaporina del Lago, a water limousine with interiors by Patricia Urquiola, for transfers and dinners around the lake. Visit website ↗

  • Riva Private DeckLezzeno

    Riva opened its first Italian Private Deck in 2023 inside the historic Yacht Club Eriolario, near Bellagio, as a lounge for Riva owners with several Riva boats for hire.

  • Piroscafo PiemonteLake Maggiore

    Built by Escher Wyss of Zurich and launched in 1904 as the Regina Madre, renamed Piemonte after the Second World War, the paddle steamer keeps its original engine and two Liberty-style salons seating 150 for dinner. Visit website ↗

  • Fraglia Vela RivaRiva del Garda

    Founded in 1928 by Gabriele D'Annunzio, the club has 100 berths for inshore and offshore boats on its two outer piers and has run the International Sailing Week since 1951. Visit website ↗

  • Circolo Vela GargnanoGargnano

    The club organises the Centomiglia del Garda each September, Italy's longest-running inland-waters regatta, raced by yachts under ORC rules across Lombardy, Trentino and Veneto.

A red helicopter flying close to a sheer Dolomite rock wall
A helicopter in the Dolomites

Travel

Private jets, helicopters and first-class travel in the Italian Alps

The airports of Milan, Venice, Verona and Bolzano that take private jets, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, and the airlines to Milan and the other Alpine gateways.

Private jet airports

  • Milan Linate Airport (Linate Prime)

    SEA Prime's private-aviation terminal at Linate was enlarged to about 1,950 m² after the Winter Olympics traffic; it is the closest of the Milan airports to Lake Como and a usual entry for the Valtellina.

  • Milan Malpensa Airport

    Malpensa is the main long-haul gateway to the Italian Lakes and the western Alps, about an hour's drive from Lake Como and under an hour from Lake Maggiore, with St. Moritz about three hours away.

  • Milan Bergamo Airport (Orio al Serio)

    Bergamo sits about 45 km east of Milan and is the closest major airport to Lake Iseo and the Bergamo and Brescia valleys, with Lake Como about an hour away. Visit website ↗

  • Venice Marco Polo Airport

    Venice is the main gateway to Cortina d'Ampezzo and the eastern Dolomites, about two hours' drive north via the A27. Visit website ↗

  • Treviso Airport (Antonio Canova)

    Treviso is about 30 minutes from Venice and joins the same A27 route north to Cortina and the Dolomites, typically saving only ten to fifteen minutes on the drive compared with Venice.

  • Verona Villafranca Airport (Valerio Catullo)

    Verona is the main airport for Lake Garda, about 20 km from the lake, and also gives motorway access north via the A22 Brenner corridor to Trentino resorts such as Madonna di Campiglio. Visit website ↗

See all 9
  • Bolzano Airport (Bolzano-Dolomites)

    Bolzano is the airport inside the Dolomites, beside the A22 Brenner motorway, about an hour from Val Gardena and the Merano area and about an hour to an hour and a quarter from Alta Badia. Visit website ↗

  • Turin Airport (Caselle)

    Turin is the gateway to the Via Lattea ski area (Sestriere, Sauze d'Oulx) about 1.5 hours west, and to the Aosta Valley resorts. Visit website ↗

  • Aosta Valley Airport (Corrado Gex)

    Aosta is the closest airport to Courmayeur (about 40 minutes), Cervinia (about an hour) and the Monte Rosa valleys.

The great Alpine trains

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-ExpressA Belmond Train

    The restored 1920s and 1930s carriages run between Paris and Venice from March to December, a journey that crosses the Alps.

Airlines to Milan and the Alpine gateways

First and business class.

See all 17
The church of St. Johann in Ranui in a green meadow below the Odle peaks, Val di Funes
St. Johann in Ranui, Val di Funes

Experience

Events and things to do in the Italian Alps

The Italian Alpine year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

Wooden rowing boats at the boathouse on the green water of Lago di Braies, below larch woods
Lago di Braies

Museums

  • Messner Mountain Museum CoronesKronplatz, South Tyrol

    Designed by Zaha Hadid and set into the summit of Kronplatz at 2,275 metres, reachable only by cable car or on foot; the most architecturally celebrated of Reinhold Messner's six mountain museums, whose headquarters is MMM Firmian at Sigmundskron Castle near Bolzano. Visit website ↗

  • South Tyrol Museum of ArchaeologyBolzano

    Established in 1998 to house Ötzi, the Iceman, a natural mummy from about 3300 BC kept in glacier conditions, together with his clothing and equipment, including the world's oldest complete Copper Age axe. Visit website ↗

  • MartRovereto, Trentino

    Opened in 2002 in a building by Mario Botta arranged around a domed circular piazza, it is one of Italy's leading museums of modern and contemporary art, with works by de Chirico, Carrà, Morandi, Sironi and Depero. Visit website ↗

Villa Monastero and its cypresses on the shore of Lake Como, with twisted marble columns, in black and white
Villa Monastero, Varenna, Lake Como

Spas

  • Lefay Resort & SPA DolomitiPinzolo

    Opened in 2019 on the edge of Pinzolo in Val Rendena, a gateway to the UNESCO-listed Dolomites, with a 5,000 m² spa among the largest in the Alps, drawing on traditional Chinese medicine. Visit website ↗

Golf

A terrace set for lunch under yellow parasols above a blue lake and the mountains
A terrace above the lake

Weddings and celebrations

  • The Heritage CollectionLake Como

    The luxury wedding-venue company behind Villa Balbiano on Lake Como (below), with its own planning arm, The Heritage Collection Planning, and a vetted list of suppliers for weddings at its houses. Visit website ↗

  • Villa d'EsteCernobbio, Lake Como

    Built in 1568 as the summer residence of Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio and a hotel since 1873, set in 10 hectares of gardens, with two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website ↗

  • Villa PizzoCernobbio, Lake Como

    A 17th-century noble residence on a promontory over the Cernobbio gulf, seen in full only from the water. It is run as a venue for exclusive weddings. Visit website ↗

  • Villa BalbianoOssuccio, Lake Como

    A 16th-century villa on the lake's western shore, managed by The Heritage Collection and rented for exclusive use; one of Lake Como's best-known wedding villas.

  • Villa del BalbianelloTremezzina, Lake Como

    A former Franciscan convent turned 18th-century retreat on the wooded Lavedo peninsula, left to the Italian heritage trust FAI in 1988. Its loggia and terraced gardens are open for private events. Visit website ↗

  • Villa Sola CabiatiTremezzo, Lake Como

    A 16th-century aristocratic villa with arabesque gardens and six suites, booked for exclusive use with private staff through the five-star Grand Hotel Tremezzo. Visit website ↗

Val Gardena and the green meadows above Ortisei, with the Sciliar cliff beyond
Val Gardena, home of the Ortisei woodcarvers

Shop

Luxury shopping and wine in the Italian Alps

Cortina's Corso Italia, the craftsmen of the Dolomites, and the wine estates of Trentino and South Tyrol.

Shopping streets

  • Corso ItaliaCortina d'Ampezzo

    Cortina's pedestrian main street has Louis Vuitton at Corso Italia 76–78, its first store in an Italian mountain resort, and Moncler at number 98, with Prada, Loro Piana and Dior also on the street and the historic local house Franz Kraler.

The pastel hotels and waterfront of Bellagio on Lake Como below the mountains
Bellagio on Lake Como

Artisans and auction houses

  • MussnerOrtisei (Val Gardena)

    Founded in 1892 by the sculptor Giacomo Mussner and now run by the fourth generation, the studio carves statues, crucifixes and other religious art in the valley famous for its woodcarvers, for churches around the world. Visit website ↗

Wine estates

  • Ferrari TrentoTrento (Trentino)

    The Lunelli family's house of Trentodoc sparkling wine, founded by Giulio Ferrari in 1902, receives visitors at its Trento winery for guided tours and tastings, up to its Giulio Ferrari, and for tastings at the family's 16th-century Villa Margon. Visit website ↗

  • Elena WalchTramin (Alto Adige)

    A leading estate on the South Tyrol Wine Road, it offers guided tours and tastings by registration through its modern winery and historic cellar of carved barrels.

  • Alois LagederMagrè (Alto Adige)

    The family has made wine in the region for two centuries, since 1823, and farms biodynamically with certification. Visit website ↗

A white village church and a meadow below the pale Dolomite peaks at sunrise
A village below the Dolomites

Live

Living in the Italian Alps

A home in the Italian Alps: residency under Italy's flat tax for new residents, and the architects who build in the mountains.

Residency and tax

  • Flat tax for new residents

    People who move their tax residence to Italy can pay a fixed annual substitute tax on all foreign income instead of ordinary income tax. For those who move from 2026 it is €300,000 a year, plus €50,000 for each family member included. Visit website ↗

Architects and designers

  • Matteo ThunMilan

    The South Tyrol-born architect and designer built Vigilius Mountain Resort above Lana, a timber-and-glass hotel reached only by cable car that set the model for the contemporary Alpine retreat.

The Giau Pass road winding through green pastures below the Dolomite walls
The Giau Pass

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in the Italian Alps: your questions answered

When is the best time to visit the Italian Alps?

Cortina d'Ampezzo: Winter, December to April; summer, June to September. Signature event: the women's World Cup downhill races in January.

Alta Badia: Winter, December to April; summer, June to September. Signature events: the Gran Risa giant slalom World Cup in December, and the Maratona dles Dolomites cycling race in July.

Where are the best luxury hotels in the Italian Alps?

Cortina d'Ampezzo: Ancora Cortina, one MICHELIN Key, on Corso Italia, a house dating from 1826 redesigned for owner Renzo Rosso.

Alta Badia: Hotel La Perla, Corvara, a Leading Hotels of the World member run by the Costa family at the foot of the Sella Ronda.

How do you arrive in the Italian Alps by private jet?

Cortina d'Ampezzo: Treviso (TSF/LIPH), with private-aviation handling, then about 40 min by helicopter or a chauffeured drive. Bolzano (BZO/LIPB) is about 1 hr 50 by road.

Alta Badia: Bolzano (BZO/LIPB), about 1 hr to 1 hr 15 by road.

Which are the best restaurants in the Italian Alps?

The two three-MICHELIN-star restaurants on our list here are Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler, Brunico; and Villa Crespi, Orta San Giulio.

Do you tip in Italy?

A per-person cover charge (coperto) for bread and table setting is normal and is not a tip, and a service charge (servizio) may already be on the bill. Leaving a few euros, or up to about 10% for excellent service, is appreciated.

What should you wear in the Italian Alps?

Italians dress with care in the evening, in the resorts as in the cities, and smart dress is expected at dinner in the grand hotels of the mountains and the lakes. In the mountains, ski clothing is normal at lunch in the huts and at après-ski. Check each hotel's dress code.

The bell tower of a small chapel on a green hill before the Dolomites, Alta Badia
A chapel above Alta Badia

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Italy

How Italy does things.

Language
Italian is spoken across the Italian Alps and the great lakes (Como, Maggiore, Garda), with important exceptions. The Aosta Valley is officially bilingual in Italian and French, and many locals also speak a Franco-Provençal patois. In South Tyrol German is the majority language (about two-thirds of the population), Italian is spoken by about a quarter, and Ladin, a Rhaeto-Romance language, by about 4 per cent, mainly in Val Gardena and Val Badia; place names appear in German and Italian, and in the Ladin valleys also in Ladin (Ortisei is Urtijëi; Selva is Sëlva). In Cortina and the rest of the Veneto Dolomites, Italian is the language, with Ladin in some valleys. English is spoken in the leading hotels.
Greetings
"Buongiorno" is the polite greeting until the afternoon, and "Buonasera" from mid-afternoon on; greet staff on entering a shop or restaurant. In South Tyrol "Grüß Gott" and "Servus" are used as in Austria, and German is the natural first language in most villages. Friends greet each other with a kiss on each cheek; a handshake is right on first meeting.
Dress
Italians dress with care in the evening, in the resorts as in the cities, and smart dress is expected at dinner in the grand hotels of the mountains and the lakes. In the mountains, ski clothing is normal at lunch in the huts and at après-ski. Check each hotel's dress code.
Dining and shopping
Lunch is usually served from about 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm and dinner from about 7.30 pm, later on the lakes in summer. Most bills carry a cover charge (coperto) per person for bread and table service; it is legal and shown on the menu. In towns many shops close for a long midday break and on Sundays; in the resorts most open daily during the season.
Tipping
A per-person cover charge (coperto) for bread and table setting is normal and is not a tip, and a service charge (servizio) may already be on the bill. Leaving a few euros, or up to about 10% for excellent service, is appreciated.
Mountain etiquette
The FIS Rules for Conduct apply on the pistes. Italian law also requires skiers and snowboarders under 18 to wear a helmet, and requires everyone on the pistes to hold third-party liability insurance, which can be bought with the lift pass. In mountain huts (rifugi), book ahead, bring a hut sleeping bag, keep quiet in the evening and take rubbish back down.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

A fire of birch logs blazing in deep snow among larches at dusk
A fire in the snow at dusk

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.