Vallesinella Hotel in Madonna di Campiglio (Trentino), Italy

Posted by Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 7/24/2016

Vallesinella Hotel in Madonna di Campiglio (Trentino), Italy

Four pairs of well-worn dusty hiking boots, backpacks with the essentials and the grandest enthusiasm to explore the Dolomite mountains were all packed in our car along with the other luggage we had been lugging around for our 2-week holiday. Our 15-day summer trip was coming to a conclusion and we decided that a week in the Dolomites would have to be the grand finale before we headed back to Rome. The Alto Adige (or Südtirol in German and South Tyrol in English) side of the Dolomite mountains has always been our summer destination for so many years but for this year, we took a different turn in the Italian alps and headed to a part that we never set our boots on. Our destination was the town of Madonna di Campiglio in the Trentino side of the Dolomites.

Trentino - Alto Adige is an autonomous region in Northern Italy and it is composed of two provinces namely: Trentino, which is located in the south and Alto Adige (or Südtirol in German and South Tyrol in English) that's located in the north. Alto Adige was a part of Austria until Italy annexed the province after the First World War so for that reason, the two official main languages are German and Italian and the culture and cuisine have big Austrian influences. Trentino on the other hand only has Italian as the main language and the culture and cuisine is much closer Italian. One thing they have in common is that both provinces are extremely popular in winter for skiing and summer for hiking and other summer activities.

Both pictures taken from Hotel Vallesinella's site.

Madonna di Campiglio is a charming alpine town with a bit more vibrancy than its neighboring towns because it is the most popular destination of most holiday makers in the Trentino side. Like me and my family. But, what made our stay interesting is that we opted for an isolated hotel right in the heart of nature. In other words, we didn't have any neighboring buildings within shouting distance nor even leisurely walking. There are about 3 kilometers in between the hotel and the edge of the town which is approximately an 8-minute drive or a 45-minute walk. It was marvelous!

In front of the hotel is a big parking lot because it is a departing point for different mountain trails. It was once a regular rifugio or mountain shelter until 2014 when the new modern structure was built and it became a hotel. I still functions like a mountain shelter, having the simple alpine-style rooms, restaurant and bar but much fancier in design and architecture.

First floor of our room

Second floor of our room

The rooms have balconies with views of the mountains or the woods (depending on which side you are on). They are simply decorated in wood and essentials in white and beige. Our room (the middle part of the building) has two levels with the bathroom and a couple of single beds on the first floor and another room upstairs with a double bed and a closet-changing room. It is very spacious for a family of four and it is a very comfortable refuge after a day of walking or just to relax with the panorama of the mountains in front of you.

All three pictures taken from Hotel Vallesinella's site.

Vallesinella Hotel has a bar that's open all day and a restaurant that serves lunch and dinner daily. The restaurant has a good selection of traditional dishes and wines from the the region. The service is always friendly, attentive and fast.

Both pictures taken from Hotel Vallesinella's site.

For the duration of the peak summer season, starting from the end of June, a daily bus goes between the center of Madonna di Campiglio and the hotel every few minutes from morning until late afternoon. Check the schedule with the Tourism Office or the Hotel Vallesinella itself.

From Vallesinella Hotel, there are some good walking trails (ranging from simple to difficult) that are great for families with kids and the more difficult ones for the experts. In different simple trails, you can walk towards the three waterfalls of Vallesinella which are the Cascate Alte (going further up from the hotel), Cascate di Mezzo and Cascate di Sotto (going further down from the hotel).

The trail to Cascate Alte

Cascate Alte

Another trail to take is the one that goes up to Rifugio Casinei at 1,850 meters a.s.l. It is an hour-long trek that is 300 meters of ascent all throughout the walk. It is safe for kids but it is more strenuous than the trail towards the waterfalls. However, when you arrive in the rifugio or mountain shelter, you can treat yourself to a typical regional lunch and a great view of Madonna di Campiglio.