Campitello Matese: skiing and summer trails on the Molise mountains

High on a plateau at around 1,400 metres on the eastern flank of the Matese massif, Campitello Matese is one of the best-known mountain resorts of southern Italy. Part of the municipality of San Massimo, in the province of Campobasso, it sits beneath Monte Miletto, the highest peak of the Matese at just over 2,000 metres, and draws visitors from across the south in both winter and summer.

A ski resort in the south

The slopes begin only a few steps from the central square and climb to nearly 1,900 metres, with around forty kilometres of pistes served by chairlifts and ski tows. Two of the runs are approved for international competition, and there are loops for cross-country skiing as well. The tough climb up from the village has also made the resort a favourite finish for stages of the Giro d'Italia.

Summer in the Matese

When the snow melts, the high meadows and beech woods open up for walking, riding and mountain biking, with marked paths leading across the massif and down to the waters of Lake Matese. The old village of San Massimo, with the remains of its castle walls, lies below the resort.

Getting there

Campitello is reached by a panoramic mountain road that climbs about twelve kilometres from San Massimo, roughly thirty kilometres west of Campobasso.