Livigno Mottolino gondola

The Mottolino gondola is the heart of the sector of the same name in Livigno. This Lombardy resort has won international fame in recent decades thanks to a mix that is hard to find anywhere else: exceptional altitude, plenty of good snow, competitive prices and its unique status as a duty-free zone.

Built by Leitner in 2012, the gondola climbs from 1,816 m to 2,750 m over a length of 4,200 m: a vertical rise of 934 m in a smooth, quiet ride. The views widen as you go, over the long Livigno valley and the Swiss peaks of the nearby Engadine.

Duty-free shopping

Livigno is the only Italian municipality, together with Campione d’Italia, with special duty-free status recognised by the European Union. In practice, prices in shops and restaurants and for fuel are well below those in the rest of Italy and Europe, with no VAT on many kinds of goods.

For skiers, that means sports equipment, technical clothing and accessories at unbeatable prices, so Livigno is a shopping destination as well as a ski resort. Sports shops are plentiful and well stocked, with all the main brands.

Livigno’s more technical side

Mottolino is the most technical and demanding side of the Livigno ski area, in contrast to Carosello, which has the gentler runs best suited to beginners. From the summit plateau at 2,750 m, steep runs designed for experienced skiers head down, with sustained gradients on well-prepared pistes that satisfy even the most demanding skiers.

Snow quality is one of the big strengths. The ski area has the highest average altitude in Lombardy, so temperatures stay low for most of the season and the snow is dry and light, close to the ideal of high-altitude skiing.

Mottolino Snow Park and the Olympics

Mottolino is home to one of the biggest and best-known snow parks in Italy, the ‘Mottolino Snow Park’, whose kickers, rails and halfpipe draw freestyle riders from all over Europe. This freestyle focus made Livigno one of the candidate venues for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with some of the freestyle skiing and snowboard events set on the slopes of Mottolino. The Olympics sped up further investment in the lifts and in the preparation of the race courses.

Views and village

From Mottolino the view reaches the Swiss border, with the Engadine valley running down towards St Moritz and the Maloja. In summer, when the snow retreats, this corner of the Alps reveals its true nature as a high hanging valley, dotted with alpine lakes and peat bogs.

Part of the centre of Livigno is a pedestrian zone with restricted traffic, which helps keep the feel of a genuine Alpine village despite the large numbers of visitors. Duty-free shopping, snow quality, genuine hospitality and world-class infrastructure have earned it a loyal following over the years that few other resorts can match.