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
Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business
Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.
25 Aug 2026
Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed
I'm not a gamer. I'm a skier and snowboarder who happens to have a laptop. So when a ski resort management game called Ski-E-O! landed on Steam, I wasn't expecting to lose an afternoon to it - but here we are. Real mountain terrain, a full weather system, storms that roll in and wreck your snow base, avalanche danger, and enough depth to make RollerCoaster Tycoon feel simple by comparison. Early access lands in November. Here's what a few hours in the free demo actually looks like.
23 Aug 2026
Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola
The rumours are true: Sugar Bowl is tearing out its Emerald gondola, in place since 1983, and replacing it with a new 8-person Doppelmayr system - nearly doubling uphill capacity to 1,800 people an hour. It's the fourth generation of a gondola line that dates back to 1953, when Sugar Bowl became the first resort on the West Coast to run one at all, and it's just one piece of a $100 million overhaul touching lodges, parking and snowmaking. Here's what's changing, and what's staying the same.
23 Aug 2026
Two Confirmed Dead as Search Continues After Swiss Alps Fire
The death toll from Thursday night's fire at Restaurant Beverin in Thusis, Switzerland, has begun to firm up. One Swiss outlet, citing Graubünden Cantonal Police, reports that two of the five people initially reported missing have now been confirmed dead, leaving three unaccounted for. The building's collapsed stairwell and structural instability have slowed recovery efforts throughout. Here's what's changed since the fire broke out, and what's still unconfirmed.
22 Aug 2026
Selwyn Snow Resort Closes Early as Rain Ends Its 2026 Season
Selwyn Snow Resort has called an early end to its 2026 season, a day after Victoria's Mount Baw Baw did the same. Rain on Thursday stripped what was left of the snowpack, and the cold nights needed to rebuild it through snowmaking never arrived. It's a rough result for a resort that only just found its footing again after being burned to the ground in the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires and a multi-year rebuild. Here's how the season fell apart, and where Selwyn's been since the fire.
22 Aug 2026
Mt Baw Baw Becomes First Australian Resort to Close for 2026
Mt Baw Baw is calling time on its 2026 season this Sunday at 5pm, becoming the first Australian resort to close for the year after warm spells and rain wore through its snowpack. Lifts stop, but the resort stays open, entry fees get waived, and there's one last Bollywood Weekend before the lights go out. Fifty-seven days after opening, here's how the season ended and what it means for the rest of Australia's struggling snowpack.
21 Aug 2026
Arosa to Replace 40-Year-Old Hörnli Lifts With New Gondola and Chair
Arosa's Hörnli sector is getting its biggest overhaul in decades. The 1986 gondola and 1994 chairlift linking toward Lenzerheide are both being replaced, with capacity up, tower count down and a new base station lower on the hill. At roughly CHF 67 million, it is the largest single investment Arosa Bergbahnen has ever made - and the target opening has already slipped a year, to December 2028. Here is what is changing, and why the timeline moved.
20 Aug 2026
Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter
Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.
19 Aug 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
Paganella - Andalo ski trails
Paganella - Andalo offers 31 runs across a mix of difficulties. The terrain split and trail map here show how the mountain breaks down so you can plan a day that suits your group.
- • Match runs to your ability - the terrain split shows how much of Paganella - Andalo is beginner, intermediate and advanced.
- • Check grooming and open-run status against the live conditions before committing to the upper mountain.
- • Early season and after fresh snow, favour the lifts serving your preferred grade to make the most of the day.
More Paganella - Andalo intelligence: trail map, lift system, resort overview.