Monte Cavallo - Rosskopf Ski Resort Italy
Monte Cavallo ski resort (a.k.a. Rosskopf) is a fun ski area near the beautiful town of Vipiteno - Sterzing, Italy.
On the road between Innsbruck and the Dolomites, a stop in Vipiteno will not only reward you with a quality ski experience, but also an excellent night in the beautiful town centre. The Vipiteno old town has a delightful ambiance to go with its wonderful food, drink & accommodation. The Powderhounds have declared it a crime against skiing to fail to stop overnight in Vipiteno.
Pros & Cons for Monte Cavallo - Rosskopf Ski Resort
Pros
- Modern lifts;
- Good variety of piste trails for all levels including a long valley trail;
- Majority of ski terrain above 1,800m elevation, guaranteeing good snow cover;
- Interesting off-piste opportunities;
- Longest floodlit sled run in Italy;
- The gorgeous Vipiteno at its base;
- Excellent transport links;
- Delightful après ski at the lift base & in Vipiteno;
- An excellent warm up for a ski safari in the Dolomites;
- Great restaurant food & drink.
Cons
- Low base area struggles for natural snow cover at either end of the season;
- Lift pass price edging a little too high for the amount of lifts & terrain;
- Limited amount of ski trails overall & specifically for more advanced riders.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Small ski resort that may or not hold one's interest for more than a couple of days.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
It might well be on the smaller end of the European ski resort scale, but from what we saw on our way through last season, there is something definitively appealing to Powderhounds about Monte Cavallo-Rosskopf. In many ways we feel Vipiteno-Sterzing & its Monte Cavallo-Rosskopf epitomises the best of skiing in Europe. The combination of wandering up to a gondola in the morning via the beautiful Vipiteno 'old town' (perhaps have an espresso doppio & a brioche on the way), skiing in a resort with a superb mix of Italian & Austria culture & then wandering back into town at the end of day, skis on shoulder, for a few perfect aperol spritz, negroni & vino just feels right to us.
It helps that the ski resort has a typically healthy European skiable vertical of over 1,200m on its brand new valley piste trail & also has a modern ‘chondola’ or ‘liftzilla’ (a combi gondola & chair!) leading to the summit; plus a range piste trails for all abilities.
Check out the ski trail map for Rosskopf below.
In addition to being close to many Dolomites ski resorts, Monte Cavallo is part of the Ortler Ski Arena. Nearby resorts include the secret stash of Reinswald & smaller local ski hills like Renon, plus the glaciers of Val Senales (Schnalstal Glacier) & Solda-Sulden.
See the Ortler Ski Arena resorts map.
Snow & Weather
It seems ironic that Monte Cavallo Rosskopf is on the sunny side of the Alps. On both our visits to the ski area has been socked-in with white-out conditions. However it true to say that the resort IS on the sunny side of the Alps. There are far more days of winter sunshine here than over the divide in Austria. Rosskopf's location also benefits from weather systems that often miss the nearby Dolomites, guaranteeing good snow cover on the high altitude terrain.
Where is Monte Cavallo Italy?
The Monte Cavallo - Rosskopf ski resort & its base town of Vipiteno Sterzing is in South Tyrol, north east Italy, only 20km from the Austrian border at Brenner Pass. Closest major cities are less than an hour drive away at Innsbruck, 58km to the north & Bolzano, 59km south.
Vipiteno has excellent transport links by road & rail. Very cheap bus links to Innsbruck are available too. The main bus terminal is located next to the gondola lift base. The train is the recommended transport mode due to its comfort & regularity from Innsbruck or Bolzano.
Search & book train & bus tickets to Vipiteno.
Monte Cavallo Accommodation
Monte Cavallo Rosskopf rises above the splendid town of Vipiteno Sterzing. The gondola base station is within walking distance of the historic town centre. We recommend spending one to two nights in the old town of Vipiteno. The sensational Hotel Restaurant Lilie is the place to eat & rest your weary head.
Search & book all Vipiteno Sterzing accommodation.
There are some magnificent ski-in ski-out mountain guesthouse options in winter up on the mountain. High on the mountain, Furlhütte Guesthouse is the place to stay. The Sterzingerhaus sits at 1930m elevation, providing an alternative. Both are right near the chairlifts guaranteeing first tracks, amazing sunrises & wonderful South Tyrolean hospitality.
Alternative places to stay include Innsbruck & Bolzano or any number of towns in between, including magnificent Bressanone. But in reality, why would you? Half the reason to ski Monte Cavallo is to spend a night (or two) in Vipiteno-Sterzing.
Ski Rentals
Ski rentals are available in a prime location at the base of the gondola in Vipiteno. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Monte Cavallo - Rosskopf Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
Activities
Monte Cavallo has the longest floodlit sledding trail (a.k.a rodeln, tobogganing or sledging run!) in Italy, running for a total of nearly 10km down a 910m vertical, putting it up there with the best just across the border in Austria. Sled rentals are located at the gondola valley station in Vipiteno.
From the top gondola station there are also 9.5km of winter hiking trails. Graded ‘easy’, they follow the contour above 1850m elevation on the alpine fringe of the forest, guaranteeing snow cover & panoramic views across to the Dolomites. Combine walking with a lunch at a mountain hut for a great day out.
Review
The Powderhounds reviewed Monte Cavallo Rosskopf in 2019. We absolutely adore the town at its base (Vipiteno) & the skiing has potential, but the weather was yuk, so we didn't see much in the resort (another day perhaps!). We will be heading back soon. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how Monte Cavallo compares to the rest of the European ski resorts on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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