Holiday trips usually involve a long journey, which means that you can visit places where you won’t get off on a quick biking weekend. One of such locations is the Italian Livigno, which is well known to Polish tourists for its winter attractions. But did you know that you can have fun there as well as in winter, by bike in summer?
Therefore, we invite you to read our report from 43RIDE trip to Livigno, where we were shredding on local trails. In the first part, we focused on the centers on the western side of the valley – Carosello 3000 and Sitas.
Area Livigno
Livigno is a small town situated in the heart of the mountains of northern Lombardy, Italy. For most of the year, it can be cut off from the world due to snow, and the local ski runs are a real classic of European spots. But what it looks like with mountainbiking?
We have two main ski and bike centers at our disposal: Carosello 3000 and Mottolino Fun Mountain. The first is single flow and enduro center, while Mottolino is a typical Bike Park. In addition, it is worth noting that the Carosello 3000 complex also includes Sitas, i.e. the second lift directly from the center of Livigno. It is worth adding that one of the most atmospheric bicycle festivals takes place here, which we wrote about recently – Great Days.
Carosello 3000 & Sitas
When starting our adventure with the western side of Livigno, we have a choice of two lifts that will lead us to the same set of trails. The main one is the Carosello 3000 gondola (1884m – mid station at 2232m – 2749m). This is where the main bicycle center and all the necessary infrastructure is located. Sitas, on the other hand, is a gondola from the center (1817m – mid station 2015m – 2358m), which is supplemented with a chair taking us to the top (2358m – 2615m). In the summer season, the lifts are open from 9.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. It is worth adding that at both lifts you will find a washer or a pub, but the public car park is only next to the Carosello 3000 gondola.
Carosello 3000 Sitas
Regardless of which way we get to the top, we have a network of trails at our disposal, which, depending on the variant, will lead us back to one or the other lift. A perfect reflection of this is the local Tutti Frutti Epic MTB Tour challenge, which will take us along 11 trails with a total length of 50 kilometers. It is worth noting here that these are not only Bike Park routes, but the trip is supplemented with hiking and cycling routes. Thanks to them, we can reach, for example, the Madonon peak which offers beautiful views. It is a great option to get to know not only the Carosello 3000 resort, but also the picturesque surroundings of Livigno.
Trails
MTB 1 – Coast to Coast
Blue scenic flow trail, length 5,5km, gap 385m, slope 7%
The “Coast to Coast” trail is actually the first path you should take. It runs along the mountain from Carosello to Sitas and offers amazing views. It is mostly smooth and offers a lot of nice flow. You will also find several driveways here, where it is worth looking for the ubiquitous marmots. Additionally, “Coast to Coast” provides access to trails like “Bikers United”, “Enduro” or “H-Dream (HUTR)”.
MTB 2 – Roller Coaster
Red pure flow trail, length 4km, gap 336m, slope 8,2%
It is a natural extension of the “Coast to Coast” trail in Sitas and is basically the only option available after arriving from Carosello. The trail offers a lot of smooth flow, even more turns and great views – it is worth stopping at the “wow point” and admiring the stretching landscape. At the end of the trail, we have the choice of returning to Carosello via the “Panoramica (Sentiero Tee)” which is hiking & cycling trail or taking the “The Snake” trail to the bottom station of the Sitas gondola. The “Snake” is actually a winding path on the ski slope made a bit out of force, which makes no sense after the rain – we were all soaked and in the mud.
MTB 3 – Bikers United
Red flow & enduro trail, length 4,2km, gap 522m, slope 10,5%
By far our favorite trail in Carosello. It starts right at the top gondola station and offers lots of fun. High speeds, great flow, natural and handbuilt jumps. What more could you want?
MTB 4 – Blueberry Line
Red technical flow trail, length 1,7km, gap 244m, slope 11,2%
The “Blueberry Line” is definitely a journey among the bushes. It leads from the middle station of the Carosello gondola to the bottom station. It is also the only option to get to the parking lot along the trail, not gravel road. There are no stones or roots here, but the route is in some places very narrow and technical, which can be quite a challenge for less experienced riders. At the same time, it is a perfect break from the very fast routes in the upper part, and I personally hope that a few similar lines will be added in the future.
MTB 5 – H-Dream (HUTR)
Red fast flow trail, length 4,2km, gap 385m, slope 9,3%
This is the red option of the “Coast to Coast” trail. The “H-Dream (HUTR)” offer a lot of flow, high speeds and jump sections. It is true that it is not as scenic and effective as “Bikers United”, but it is also a lot of fun. At the end it flows smoothly into the blue “S-Way” trail and leads us to the middle station of the Carosello gondola.
MTB 6 – S-Way
Blue speed & bumps trail, length 1,8km, gap 156m, slope 6,7%
The blue trail off the “Coast to Coast” trail will bring you back to the Carosello lift. The trail is a loose representation of the letter S sandwiched between the Carosello and Sitas zones. Thanks to this approach of builders, we will find here a lot of places to get high speeds and natural jumps.
MTB 7 – Enduro
Black enduro trail, length 1,6km, gap 286m, slope 15,2%
One of the two black routes that we were unable to complete due to the constant rain that accompanied us. While the “The Bomb” trail was closed during our trip, we simply did not have time and enough sun to fight “Enduro”. However, it is worth going, especially if you like more wild and natural singles with a lot of stones. As in the case of “The Bomb” emotions guaranteed!
MTB 8 – Bike Academy
Blue learning area trail, length 4,9km, gap 336m, slope 5,1%
The trail starts right at the upper chairlift station and is the perfect answer to the question: why is it worth to come here with your family? If your kids, husband or wife are just starting their adventure with MTB, then while going downhill, they can get to know practically every type of obstacle found on mountain trails. Just watch the official video:
MTB 9 – The Bomb
Black enduro trail, length 2,7km, gap 407m, slope 15,1%
Definitely “The Bomb” is the most difficult trail in the Carosello resort, which can provide a lot of excitement for more advanced cyclists. The winding path is not as smooth as most of the previous trails. It is strewn with lots of stones along its entire length. There are also interesting walls, quite spectacular rock gardens, and sometimes very tight corners. There are no jumps or drops here, but there are many technical elements and there is definitely no room for boredom.
MTB 10 – Lonely Planet
Red enduro trail, length 3,2km, gap 316m, slope 10%
The newest addition to the whole resort, which starts at the upper chairlift station. Initially, it drives to the other side of the mountain to look out over the Federia valley. The winding path descends gently, traversing the slope, and then joins the “Roller Coaster” route, which leads back to the mid station of the Sitas gondola. There are no difficult technical elements here and the trail is mostly smoothed. Offers great views of the Federia Valley.
163 – Fedeira
Two-way red natural trail, length 3,1km, gap 536m, slope 17,4%
This is the trail that goes from the main Carosello gondola to the other side of the mountain, straight into the Federia Valley. When deciding to go down it, we must keep in mind that we have a long trip ahead, because we have to go around the entire mountain. But the tour and the place itself are definitely worth it! This is another single trail that traverses the slope quite gently, but also has a few sharper sections and is sometimes less smooth than the other routes. A typical alpine single trail goes down to a beautiful valley with only a river, one and only pub, and hundreds of marmots around. Then we will return by a gravel & asphalt road, but a very scenic road, which mostly gently downhill leads us back to the center of Livigno. You have to remember that the Federia valley is a bit of the end of the world and there is no mobile phone coverage. It is a perfect option to end a nice day on the trails of the Carosello resort.
Hike & Bike trails
Carosello 3000 and Sitas also have several shared trails. These are the blue tracks “Madonon”, “Hairy Cattle”, “Panoramica (Sentiero Tee)” and “Plascianet”. During our stay, we actually only passed a fragment of the Panoramica and to be honest we tried to avoid the split routes – mainly due to the poor experience with Bike Republic Sölden, where such connections were not the best. However, this does not change the fact that if you only have time and will, it’s worth hooking up on them.
Our impressions
Before we came to Livigno for the first time, all of our friends told us about the wonderful, summer and sunny weather here. Unfortunately, we missed this period and we were accompanied by rain and mud baths throughout the trip. However, we managed to get the most out of such conditions.
The specificity of high-altitude trails above the forest line means that the water doesn’t stand still and the wet trail is not particularly disturbing. The temperature is a bit worse, but well… We had a lot of fun! The singles here are very fast in many places, and at the same time accessible to technically weaker users. Regardless of your skills, everyone will find something for themselves, no matter if you came with friends or the whole family.
In our case, the trails in Carosello 3000 were perfect for getting into the local area and relaxing in front of the more difficult challenges on the other side of the mountain in Mottolino. What more can I write? Carosello 3000 and Sitas are definitely worth a visit!
– Tomasz Profic, 43RIDE
In the context of the summer season, Livigno has always been described by my friends as a place for everyone. My colleagues spent their summer days here with their partners who did not feel very comfortable on the DH trails. They were right – Bike Park Carosello and Sitas are a large area of easier paths that even beginners should be able to tackle. Sure, we also have black ones, but blue and red trails are in advantage. I am glad that together with the editor Tomasz, we started getting to know the trails in Livigno with Carosello 3000, because I had the opportunity to calmly ride a bike after a long break and feel the joy of riding again. I was charmed by the quick flow lines, which were full of rollers and small tables, giving me the opportunity to loosen up from the ground. I regret that due to the weather conditions we were not able to explore the black trails, although looking at the start of the “The Bomb” trail and the degree of stone saturation, it would be quite a challenge.
I would recommend the Carosello 3000 and Sitas to less advanced riders who want to feel more confident on a bike, and at the same time have the joy of riding and the ubiquitous beautiful views. On forums I often see questions from my colleagues about the Bike Park, where they could take their partners (sometimes in a package with kids) to catch a sneak peak – in my opinion, these are the perfect routes for the beginning of an enduro adventure. If they find that the bike is not for them – you can always move to the aquapark or take advantage of the rich restaurant offer (I will not mention duty-free shopping;)).
– Justyna John, 43RIDE
I visited Livigno and the Carosello resort just before Tomas and Tina. I participated in the “Great Days” festival here, which I highly recommend, especially if someone wants to check all the possibilities of the resort. In short, I liked Carosello very much with its very long alpine singles. Most of the trails are relatively easy, but there are also places where it’s fun to push your bike to the limits.
The “Enduro” or “The Bomb” trails are no jokes and apart from the loose flow runs on most paths, there is also a place to go wild. The climate is added by the fact that the vast majority of trails are located above the forest line, thanks to which they offer fabulous views, and even if it rains, there is practically no mud there. It is not a typical Bike Park, where we get off the lift and immediately press down. You have to pedal a bit on some routes, but it’s definitely worth it.
For those who like trips, I recommend checking out the entire Tutti Frutti Tour, which will also take you to some interesting places outside the Bike Park routes. The routes that cannot be missed are, in my opinion, the new “Lonely Planet” combined with the “Roller Coaster”. For the more experienced, both black variants, ie “Enduro” and “The Bomb”. And at the end of the day, the “Federia” route is a must, which will take you to a slightly different world with a nice downhill ride. You will need at least 2 full days of driving to safely pass all the trails and the Tutti Frutti variant.
If you are going to Livigno, in my opinion you must visit both Mottolino and Carosello. Both places perfectly complement each other, offering a different atmosphere and character of the trails.
– Marek Chabros, 43RIDE
What apart from bike?
In Livigno, people do not live by bike alone, and we can find here a lot of various tourist attractions aimed at whole families. One of these things is the local Aquagranda aquapark. It may not be the largest resort I have been to, but it has everything you need. From the kids zone (with slides and many attractions), through the sports pool, to the Wellness & Spa zone (saunas, swimming pools, massages, relaxation). You can find more ideas for active recreation on the official website livigno.eu.
Photos: Aquagranda
Practical informations
- Road from Warsaw to Livigno, depends on variant, is around 1350km (~14h drive). We traveled through Czech Republic & Austria (remember about the vignettes) and last part via Switzerland
- When entering from the north through Switzerland, we go through the tunnel (extra charge 17CHF one way), which during our stay was under renovation and was open only from 7.00-20.00. Additionally, the tunnel has only one lane and there is a shuttle service every 15 minutes. If you do not get a ride, you will have to take a ~90km detour and enter Livigno from the south.
- The second option is to go through Italian villages (note that there’s a lot of speed cameras) and enter Livigno from the east via Mottolino. The advantage of this way is the chance to pass one of the most beautiful roads in Europe, called the Queen of the Alps, the Stelvio Pass, which is known, for example, from the Giro di Italia races.
- Livigno is a duty-free zone, which means better prices, incl. gasoline, alcohol, cigarettes or perfumes. Just be careful when you come back, we heard that the Swiss police like to check the limit of the purchased alcohol ;)
- Generally, the prices do not differ much from what can be found in other alpine towns. This means that we will eat lunch/dinner in the restaurant in the range of 5-20€ per person.
- The prices of bike passes differ from the scope of service. We can buy a day ticket for the Carosello 3000 and Sithas resorts only for 37€ or for the entire Livigno region for 40€. There are many different options on offer and you can find the full price list here.
- If you’re looking for a nice place to stay, we can strongly recommend Hotel Garni La Suisse 4****. If you take dinner option, you have a choice of several partner restaurants, which seems to be a very interesting option.
- Speaking of food, watch the hours! Very few restaurants have open kitchens all day long and if you want to eat something more substantial, aim for lunch until 3pm and from 7pm for a late dinner. Make sure to try the local dishes… and of course real Italian pizza!
- The restrictions related to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in early August were not too burdensome. Here and there they asked us about vaccinations / tests and indoor masks were required. It is always worth checking the current restrictions on the internet before leaving.
- f you want to be up to date with information straight from the mountains, the status of routes or lifts, download the My3000 app. In addition to the above information, we can easily call for help or find out any info about upcoming events in the area.
About Livigno
Official website: livigno.eu
Media: facebook, twitter, youtube, instagram
Bike Parks: Carosello 3000, Sitas, Mottolino Fun Mountain