Italy, Europe
Paganella - Andalo
Ski 50km above Andalo in the Brenta Dolomites, 1,040-2,125m, with Skirama Dolomiti access and the Norwegian national team's training slopes.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
6 Dec 2025
Closes
30 Mar 2026
Days open
114
Annual snow
4m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Paganella sits on the Altopiano della Paganella in Trentino, above the village of Andalo and backed by the Brenta Dolomites - a UNESCO World Heritage massif that forms the western horizon from the upper mountain. The ski area spans 1,040m to 2,125m across 50km of pistes, with runs descending 1,100m of vertical on two faces of the Cima Paganella summit and returning to both Andalo and Fai della Paganella.
The terrain runs heavily intermediate, with 19 red pistes making up the bulk of the ski area alongside 11 blue runs and a single black - the Pala di Santa. Named pistes with established reputations include the 3-Tre, a race-format slope with FIS history, and the Olimpionica 2, which serves as the official European training base for the Norwegian National Alpine Ski Team and has also been used by the USA men's alpine squad. The endorsement from national teams is reflected in the quality of grooming, which the resort maintains as a signature standard across the area.
From the Cima Paganella summit at 2,125m, on a clear day the panorama takes in the Marmolada glacier to the east, the Brenta Dolomites to the west, and Lake Garda to the south - one of the more unusual viewpoints in the Trentino ski area network. Snow coverage across 100% of marked pistes is maintained by an extensive snowmaking system, critical for a south-facing area at relatively moderate altitude.
The Paganella ski pass connects into the Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta carousel, which covers 380km of slopes across eight areas including Madonna di Campiglio, Pinzolo, Folgarida-Marilleva, Passo Tonale and Monte Bondone - all accessible under a single Superskirama pass.
1085m
Vertical
31
Runs
50 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
The Terrain
31 runs across 50 km of piste
Paganella - Andalo spreads 31 runs across 50 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 68%, with 9 beginner runs to find your feet and 1 advanced or expert run when you want to push.
Terrain split
31
runs
31 runs across 4 grades
Beginner9 runs · 28%
Intermediate21 runs · 68%
Advanced1 run · 4%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Paganella - Andalo
Paganella operates from early December through to late March, with the 2025-26 season running from 6 December 2025 to 30 March 2026. The season window is shorter than glacier-adjacent areas in the region, reflecting the resort's moderate summit altitude of 2,125m and predominantly south-facing aspect. Snowmaking covers 100% of marked pistes and is the primary mechanism keeping the area operational through the full season.
Annual snowfall averages 3.5 metres, with December typically the sunniest month and February delivering the deepest base. The south-facing slopes on the Andalo side benefit from morning sun and firm early conditions, while the Fai della Paganella face holds cooler temperatures and tends to preserve snow quality longer into the day. Cross-country tracks running around Andalo lake and into the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park supplement the ski area on days when conditions favour Nordic skiing.
The Paganella plateau setting - at around 1,000m before the ski area begins - means the resort villages of Andalo and Fai della Paganella sit above the valley fog that can affect lower Trentino towns during winter high-pressure periods. Night skiing on Tuesdays and Fridays adds evening programming that extends the usable ski day beyond standard afternoon close.
Proximity to Trento - around 30-40 minutes by road - means Paganella draws a strong weekend crowd from the city and surrounding valley towns. Weekday visits offer uncrowded conditions on the same pistes that the Norwegian national squad has used for European training preparation since 2011.
Season 2025 - 2026
6 Dec 2025
Opens
30 Mar 2026
Closes
114
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Paganella - Andalo, and where to stay
Paganella sits on the Altopiano della Paganella plateau in Trentino, accessed from the A22 Brenner motorway via the San Michele all'Adige exit. From the motorway, the resort is approximately 20 minutes by road to the Andalo base station - one of the most straightforward approach drives of any Trentino ski area. Andalo is around 35km north of Trento and 30km from the Brenner motorway's main north-south corridor.
The nearest international airports are Verona Villafranca to the south, around 130km via the A22, and Innsbruck in Austria to the north, around 100km across the Brenner Pass. Both offer direct motorway access to the San Michele exit. Bolzano Airport, smaller and with limited connections, sits around 45km to the north-east.
Trento is the primary rail hub for the area, served by frequent Trenitalia services on the Verona-Innsbruck Brenner line. From Trento station, bus services run to Andalo throughout the ski season, with the journey taking around 50 minutes. A local ski bus network links Andalo, Fai della Paganella, Molveno and surrounding plateau villages throughout the winter.
Andalo is a purpose-built resort town of around 1,000 permanent residents with a compact centre, hotels, apartments and direct ski-in access from the main gondola base. Fai della Paganella, 6km to the west at similar altitude, is a smaller and quieter base with access to the western side of the ski area. Both villages sit within the boundaries of the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park, giving the broader area a protected landscape character that extends into summer hiking and via ferrata use.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Paganella - Andalo, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
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Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.
21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
Trail map & terrain
Terrain split
31
runs
Beginner28%
Intermediate68%
Advanced4%
Expert0%
50 km of piste
Resort Stats
Elevation
Base1040m
Summit2125m
Annual snowfall
4m
Season
2025 - 2026
6 Dec 2025 - 30 Mar 2026
Trail coverage
31 runs
50 km
About Paganella - Andalo's trail map
Explore Paganella - Andalo's full trail map with 31 runs across the mountain, colour-coded by difficulty and shown alongside the terrain split. Use it to plan a day that matches your ability, find lift-served pockets of your favourite grade, and see how the resort links together. Download the piste map (PDF) ↗
More Paganella - Andalo intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.