Cortina d'Ampezzo. The Queen of the Dolomites.
Cortina d'Ampezzo is one of the most charming ski resorts in Italy. The small town is located in the Northern Italian province of Belluno in the Veneto region, near the north-eastern border with Austria. Surrounded by the imposing peaks of the Tofana, the Monte Cristallo, and the Sorapis Dolomites, Cortina is known as the "Regina delle Dolomiti".
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Cortina is immersed in a landscape of unparalleled natural beauty, set in the spectacular Dolomite mountains, declared by UNESCO a World Natural Heritage Area.
Cortina’s four Ski Areas includes 34 lifts and 86 pistes for a total of 120 km, 95% of which is equipped with snow-making facilities to guarantee the best conditions throughout the ski season.
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In the Tofane Ski Area you can ski on the slopes of the Ski World Cup and of the 2021 World Ski Championships. The more difficult slopes, including the Forcella Rossa and the Schuss of the Tofana, are in the higher part of the ski area, while its lower part features easier pistes.
Cortina d'Ampezzo. Author: bandion.it
The Faloria-Cristallo Ski Area is famous for its slopes and stunning panorama, as well as its long ski season, usually stretching from November to May. Some of the classic slopes of the area include the Stratondi, Canalone Franchetti and the Vitelli, famous for hosting the giant slalom during Cortina’s 1956 Winter Olympics.
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The Ski Area 5 Torri - Lagazuoi extends between the Giau Pass and the Falzarego Pass. The flagship piste of this area is the Armentarola, one of the most renowned in the Dolomites: an 8.5 km run unwinding in a magical landscape between the Fanes mountains. This ski area is a gateway to several ski tours into the neighboring valleys, including the Super 8 Ski Tour and the Great War Tour.
The pistes of San Vito Ski Area descend from the foot of Mount Marcora and Mount Antelao, also known as the King of the Dolomites because it is the highest mountain of the region after the Marmolada.
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Cortina d'Ampezzo is one of the 12 ski areas of the Dolomiti Superski Ski Paradise, one of the biggest ski areas in the world with 1,200 kilometers of slopes, modern cable cars, and fabulous mountain scenery all around.
Cortina d'Ampezzo. Autor: Dolomiti Superski Harald Wisthaler
Alpine Skiing, Cortina’s flagship winter sport, is in the very DNA of the resort.
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Cortina d’Ampezzo made its debut on the FIS World Cup with the Men’s Downhill in 1969 and became a fixture on the Women’s Downhill tour for three years beginning in 1975. After a long hiatus, the venue has been an annual stop on the Women’s World Cup since 1993, hosting Downhill, Super G races on the marvelous Olimpia delle Tofane slope, One of the most spectacular settings on the circuit.
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Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted from 26 January to 5 February 1956 the VII Olympic Winter Games. The Cortina Games were the first Winter Olympics to be broadcast to a multi-national audience.
Hosting the 1956 Winter Olympics firmly established Cortina as a prestigious location for winter sports and a privileged stage for La Dolce Vita in the following decades. Its reputation as a world class tourist destination is the result of a conscious development with emphasis on preserving its natural landscapes and traditions.
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70 years after the 1956 Games Cortina will jointly host the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2026 Winter Paralympics.
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Cortina d'Ampezzo is one of the 13 resorts belonging to the European association "Best of the Alps", which get together the most exclusive and well-known destinations in the Big Five Europe's Alpine countries.
Recently, Cortina d'Ampezzo was selected as one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Alpine Ski Resorts:by the CNN.
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