Stelvio Pass Ski Resort Italy
Stelvio Pass ski resort (a.k.a. Passo-dello-Stelvio or Stilfserjoch) is Italy’s only true summer ski area. Whilst glacier skiing on Plateau Rosa at Cervinia has a short summer ski season, it is Stelvio that is open for the full summer, up to 6 months from late May to November every year. Located above the 2,760m altitude Passo dello Stelvio, the ski area is between Bormio & Trafoi. The road is closed in winter allowing snow to pile up unsullied by humans through the coldest months of the year. By late spring, the road is slowly cleared & the resort awakens so one can enjoy sliding on an Italian Alps glacier under the balmy midday sun.
Pros & Cons for Stelvio Pass Ski Resort
Pros
- High elevation base area provides Italy’s only true summer ski area.
- Skiable vertical of 690m is excellent for a summer resort.
- Super on-piste groomed trails for beginner & intermediate skiers & snowboarders to progress their skills.
- Backcountry skiing available well into summer
- Interesting variety of natural & man-made attractions in the broader region.
- Ski-in accommodation in the pass and ski-in ski-out lodgings mid-mountain.
- One of Europe’s best drives from Trafoi up to the pass.
Cons
- Typically for most summer skiing, a lift pass is expensive relative to the amount of terrain available.
- Upper mountain surface lifts may challenge beginner snowboarders.
- One of the world’s ugliest sets of cable lift pylons blighting the landscape on the lower slopes.
- Lower slopes often without snow from mid-summer to late autumn.
- The high number of race teams training & taking up the slopes & lifts can be galling!
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Snow quality becoming increasingly variable - but it is summer, and glaciers are in trouble, so no complaints!
- The road up may freak some visitors out, but it is a wonderful experience.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
For skiing & snowboarding, Stelvio Pass has up to 10km of groomed trails on gentle terrain at the height of the season, running top to bottom for the entire 690m of skiable vertical before the summer sun starts to melt the lower slopes in August. The slopes are mostly beginner to intermediate, with much of the it heavily utilised as summer ski training for the pros! A wide glacier, the upper slopes are lined with run after run of slalom flags during the height of the season. Backcountry access and some expert routes are possible, particularly in the first few months of the season.
See the Stelvio Pass ski trail map below.
Ski Lifts
The ski lifts at Stelvio Pass include two cable cars up to mid-mountain at Livrio. From Livrio at 3,174m altitude, surface tows (4 x J-bars/platters) are utilised on the glaciers up to 3,450m altitude. The ancient first cable car (a 50-pax version from circa 1966) unfortunately is supported by concrete lift towers that are an absolute blight on the landscape. But hey, a ski resort in this environment is always going to be 'hard on the eye'!
Ski lift operation times can vary greatly over the season. The cable cars run from 0730 to 1700hr each day. The upper mountain surface tows tend to run in the mornings only (to avoid the heat of the day), usually from early morning to lunchtime (i.e. from 0730 to 1230hr). The important Geister J-bar tows were replaced recently and should be running for the 2026 season. They did not run during the 2025 season but were replaced by a snowcat to get skiers to the Cristallo-Payer side of the mountain instead. Whilst it is expected the Geister tows will run throughout 2026, it is of some re-assurance that should anything untoward occur, the snowcat option is available.
Where is Stelvio Pass Italy?
The Stelvio Pass ski area is located at 2,760m elevation on the high pass between the winter ski resorts of Bormio & Trafoi. Also known as the Passo dello Stelvio or Stilfserjoch, the ski area straddles the border between Lombardy & South Tyrol (Alto Adige) & is close to the Swiss frontier. The journey over the pass is one of the highest paved roads in Europe - hence its closure during winter.
Passo dello Stelvio is 21km (35min) by road northeast of Bormio or 13km (21min) & at least 45 hairpin bends west of Trafoi. The extraordinary road journey is best experienced in your own rental car.
The closest major airport for most international travellers is Milan Malpensa (MXP) (240km, 3½hr) or from European & UK origins, Innsbruck (INN) (175km, 2½hr) is best. Both Innsbruck & Milan are worth a visit on a summer journey to Stelvio.
Stelvio Pass Accommodation
The Stelvio Pass has several affordable accommodation options close to the ski area. Most are in or near the pass, adjacent to the cable car base. Further up the hill at the top of the cable cars, the Hotel Livrio was once an option providing basic lodging in a premium ski-in ski-out location, but it was getting quite run-down and we are not sure it is operating any more. In the pass itself, a handful of 3-star hotels of varying quality but similar views & delicious local cuisine are present. the most reliable are the Hotel Albergo Quarto Pirovano and the nearby Hotel Albergo Genziana. It is difficult to ascertain the operating status of other hotels at the pass, so be wary. Similarly, a short stroll from the pass, a unique option is the castle-like Rifugio Garibaldi, which again is hard to discern as to whether it is operating for overnight lodging.
Search & book a place to stay via the Stelvio Pass Ski Accommodation Listings.
Away from the Pass in either direction, the quality of accommodation improves markedly toward the valleys, but strangely, so does the price. On the 'quieter' side of the pass, mid-way to Trafoi but still high in the valley, the Berghotel Franzenshöhe is a beauty. In Trafoi itself, surrounded by the mountain splendour of the Ortler ridge, several fabulous hotels include the 4-star traditional Hotel Madatsch, the ultra-modern but stylish Hotel Ortles, plus the highly rated Hotel Bella Vista & Stelvio Residence Apartments.
Search & book a place to stay via the Trafoi Ski Accommodation Listings.
In the opposite direction toward the Alta Valtellina, the 'livelier' option is the wonderful town of Bormio. Bormio has it all; from the 5-star QC Grand Hotel Bagni Nuovi, the sophisticated Hotel san Vitale down to simple, comfortable, & affordable 2-star albergos like the Hotel Giardino; plus everything in between. We have stayed in the Hotel Giardino and for the price, it was perfection!
Search & book a place to stay via the Bormio Ski Accommodation Listings.
Reviews & More Info
The Powderhounds will probably never visit or review Stelvio Pass (as we are elsewhere during the northern summer!), so we are keen to get a review from anyone that has skied here. The closest we have been is to the base of the pass on both the Trafoi & Bormio sides during winter, but you never know, one day soon we might venture there in summer to check it out. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews or to add one if you have been there!
See how Stelvio Pass compares to the rest of the Italian ski resorts on the Italy ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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If you have a question about skiing & snowboarding at Stelvio or elsewhere in Europe, CONTACT US.