Top 10 Glaciers in Italy
Italian glaciers are squeezed into the southern Alps, where they shrink faster than their northern neighbours but still hold surprising drama. Most are reached from valley cable cars in Aosta, Lombardy and Trentino — no overnight required. The Marmolada collapse of 2022 changed how Italians talk about glacier safety, and the routes below reflect those new realities.
1. Adamello
Italy's largest glacier, on the Lombardy-Trentino border. The classic ski-touring "Adamello traverse" crosses the plateau end to end and is one of the great long-day glacier trips in the Alps.
2. Forni
A wide tongue in the Stelvio National Park, easily reached on foot from the SS38 road. Once one of the most extensive Italian glaciers, now badly broken into two arms.
3. Miage
A debris-covered glacier on the south side of Mont Blanc, in Val Veny. Its black surface and the proglacial lakes give a Himalayan feel to the approach from Visaille.
4. Brenva
Mont Blanc's other big Italian outlet, draining onto the Val Veny floor. The morainic gorges below are reshaped after each summer.
5. Forni Ice Cave
Although technically part of the Forni complex, the seasonal ice cave near the snout is treated as a separate visit by the park.
6. Marmolada
Once the "Queen of the Dolomites", now reduced to fragments after years of heavy melt and the 2022 serac collapse. Visitable from above only on guided terms; the Pian dei Fiacconi side is off-limits.
7. Lys
Drains from Monte Rosa down toward Gressoney. The Punta Indren cable car gives ski access from autumn and a starting point for the Gnifetti traverse.
8. Belvedere
A debris-covered ice body below the east face of Monte Rosa, in Macugnaga. Notorious for its surge-like advances and the proglacial "Effimero" lake that periodically threatens the village.
9. Cevedale
A modest but classic glacier in the Ortles-Cevedale group, with a long history of ski mountaineering. Approach from Rifugio Branca.
10. Presena
A tiny ski-area glacier above Passo del Tonale. Famous for its summer cover of white geotextile sheets — a controversial but visually striking preservation experiment.
When to go
Mid-July to early September for hut-to-hut walking. Spring (March–early May) for ski touring. Stelvio National Park's road access is open from late May to October only.
From reading to planning
The interactive map lists every Italian glacier still above 0.5 km2, plus the via-ferrata and rifugio approach points. Filter to Italy and pick a region (Aosta, Lombardy, Trentino-South Tyrol).