At Cinque Laghi, reached by a third gondola from town, the 3-Tre red is another signature run. It begins gently enough and, for the more expert, can be a warm up into the Canalone Miramonti in the later stages. This steep, icy World Cup slalom run is the deepest shade of black, but its challenges are easily avoided if the legs are tired by continuing on the red.
Madonna’s largest area, Pradalago, has plenty of less demanding slopes with easy scenic blues, and some quite dramatic views of the Brenta Dolomites. It’s also the jumping‑off point for the little resorts of Folgarida and Marilleva, popular with Italian families and UK school trips. A ten-person Fortini Express gondola serves Pradalago from a base station at Grostè. And from Pradalago, a chairlift heads up to the 2,179m Monte Vigo for the descents into the two neighbouring valleys.
Finally, linked Pinzolo is reached via a 16-minute gondola ride from the edge of town. It makes a great day out, with a full range of slopes for everyone from wobbly intermediate to expert and the planned replacement of the Prà Rodont-Doss del Sabion chairlift has now become a reality – this new cable lift was operational for 2023/24, speeding up connections.
Overall, the standard of ski school tuition in Madonna is high – it has a total of 13 ski schools, including three in Pinzolo. Beginners are usually bussed to the best nursery slopes, which are a little way out of town at Campo Carlo Magno. Once initial turns are mastered, there are easy runs to progress to at the top of Pradalago and in the Grostè sector.
