Welcome to Livigno, the real-life snow globe where Australia’s Olympic hopes reside

Livigno has a fascinating history to match the scenery; It sits so high and so far from the rest of Italy that, for centuries, it felt closer to Zurich than Milan, both culturally and logistically.

This is not a typical Italian city. There is no central piazza here; just a strip of activity in the middle of the valley, wooden chalets, cafes and restaurants, sandwiched by slopes on either side. Pick the right spot and you can watch the skiers and snowboarders fly down as you eat. For the duration of the Olympics, right in the middle of town, there is the jarring addition to the skyline of the enormous 225-metre-high big air ramp, by far the tallest man-made structure around.

To get to Livigno is a mission. There are only three roads in and out: two are from Switzerland, and one of those is impassable in winter, while the other is a single-lane tunnel with alternating traffic, so good luck with that. The third connects it to the rest of Italy via the Foscagno Pass, which began as a military track before World War I, but Livigno only gained reliable road access to the rest of Italy in the early 1950s. Before then, it was effectively cut off from its own country for more than half the year.

The drive from Milan takes at least three and a half hours, sometimes more, depending on traffic and conditions. Take it from us, it’s worth the journey.

Isolation has shaped so much of Livigno’s character. Despite its modern swankiness, Livigno was too high to farm, too remote to trade, and thus impoverished for much of its existence. For centuries, it has been granted duty-free status in recognition of those factors. Because everything is cheaper, many come from north of the border, to ski and to shop, hence the strange assortment of perfume, booze and watch vendors.

In the summer, football teams come here for pre-season training at altitude, while tourists come to hike and to cycle. Livigno has also hosted multiple stage finishes of the Giro d’Italia, most recently in 2024, and because of the thin air, it has a punishing reputation.

Oh yeah, the food: you can have typical Italian fare, but the local Valtellina cuisine is unique, and again, not what you would picture when you close your eyes and imagine this country. Tomatoes and olives don’t grow in snow, but cabbages and root vegetables do, so reset your expectations accordingly. The menu lists options in Italian, German and English, which should give you some idea.

The specialty pasta is called pizzoccheri, and consists of short, flat ribbons made from a blend of wheat and buckwheat flour, served with cabbage, cubed potato and Valtellina Casera cheese. Other than that, it’s more about hearty, comfort dishes that will get you through the day – venison stews, rabbit, polenta, goulash – than mozzarella and bruschetta.

Loading

“The food is so good here,” said Swiss snowboarder Jonas Hasler. “I’m still so stoked about it, I’m going to be five kilos more at the end of the Olympics.”

The sun sets early in Livigno – around 5.30pm – and when it does, the temperature drops, people retreat indoors, and the village warms with an orange glow. Lights switch on, the firewood burns, and the vino flows. Where else would you want to be?

A return to Europe is a godsend for Australia’s multiple Olympians, like Graham and Anthony, after the last few cycles: Beijing 2022 was ruined by the pandemic and, as with PyeongChang 2018, did not take place within what they would describe as a classic snowy winter nation.

Loading

“They’re bloody cold, that’s for sure,” Graham said.

“On the cameras, they all look quite nice and pretty, but they don’t get the natural snowfall that you’re sort of accustomed to here in Italy.

“I remember when Milano Cortina won the bid to host the Olympic Games. That was one thing that sort of spurred me on to keep going … knowing that we’ll be back in the Alps in a big winter climate.”

The Winter Olympic Games will be broadcast on the 9Network, 9Now and Stan Sport.