“Below, at different levels, in the folds
of the foothills, the buildings of the town, whose name sounds like a flute –
Cortina d’Ampezzo, were full of buildings.”
V. Aksenov

Cortina D’Ampezzo is a prestigious ski resort whose breathtaking beauty inspired Ernst Hemingway, Alberto Moravia and Gustav Mahler. Famous Hollywood films were filmed here, world celebrities come here to relax and ski, the VII Winter Olympics took place here. Fashionable hotels, trendy boutiques, gourmet restaurants, incendiary rhythms of discos and nightclubs. And, of course, kilometers of picturesque ski runs and the unique beauty of nature – peaks covered with sparkling snow, sun-drenched valleys and mountain slopes, shrouded in magical pink light at sunset… This is Cortina D’Ampezzo, the queen of the Dolomites.

History
Cortina D’Ampezzo is one of the most famous ski resorts in Italy, which became famous in the 19th century. and became especially popular in the 1950s. Until that time, the city consisted of separate districts, but in the process of developing Cortina as a tourist center, the districts grew, and the resort began to represent a single territorial entity. Cortina D’Ampezzo was supposed to host the 1944 Winter Olympics, but the competition was canceled due to World War II. And yet, in 1956, the resort gained worldwide fame, becoming the venue for the VII Winter Olympics, in which the USSR team participated for the first time. Today, Cortina is a prestigious European ski resort with many modern hotels, excellent restaurants and a vibrant nightlife,

Geography
The resort of Cortina D’Ampezzo is located in the Ampezzo Valley, in the province of Belluno (Veneto region) and 72 km from the city of Belluno, at an altitude of 1224 m above sea level, between the areas of Cadore (Cadore) in the south and Val Pusteria (Val Pusteria) in the north. Cortina is surrounded on all sides by the Dolomites, among which there are peaks above 3000 m: Tofana (Tofanf) – 3243 m, Pomagagnon (Pomagagnòn), Cristallo (Cristallo) – 3218 m, Sorapis (Sorapìs) – 3205 m.

Monthly average daily air temperature (°C):

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
+8°	+2°	+7°	+11°	+16°	+19°	+21°	+20°	+17°	+12°	+4°	0°

Getting
there The nearest international airports are in Venice (162 km) and Verona (220 km).

Slopes, slopes, lifts

The total length of the slopes of the resort is 140 km (15% black, 55% red, 30% blue).
Elevation difference: 1224 – 2930 m.
The total number of lifts – 47.
The length of the cross-country skiing track – 88 km.
The resort offers several ski areas: the largest stretches in the Tofana area (3243 m). The trails run at an altitude of 2828 m, starting almost at the very beginning of the sheer cliffs. Top of Lagazuoi: first you need to climb Falzarego (2150 m), from where you climb to a height of 2800 m. A little lower than the highest point of the mountain pass there is a chairlift and you can jump to the peaks of Cinque Torri, where tourists can already use two lifts. Faloria offers a wide variety of pistes, mostly red ones, and on the relatively flat plateau there are numerous pistes to choose from.
The next section “flows” from almost the most powerful mountain range of Cristallo: Focella Staunje – 2948 m, there are quite steep slopes for experienced skiers. For beginners and less experienced skiers, the nearby Mitres ski area or the slopes located a little higher, near Lake Misurina, are suitable.
Ampezzo is also part of the famous ski complex – Dolomiti Superski.

Ski schools and kindergartens

The resort has 2 ski schools and several kindergartens.

Sports
In addition to the variety of ski slopes and trails of varying difficulty, Cortina d’Ampezzo offers excellent conditions for other sports: there is a snowboard park Snowpark Faloria, an Olympic Ice Stadium with a skating rink, where even discos are held on ice, a sports complex with an indoor pool, tennis courts, fitness centers, mountain biking, climbing, exciting hiking trails.

Attractions
Cortina d’Ampezzo is a picturesque alpine town with its attractions, including:

Paleontological Museum “Rinaldo Zardini” (Museo paleontologico “Rinaldo Zardini”) – here are the fossils found in the Dolomites.

Museum-collection of Modern Art (Collection of Modern Arts “Mario Rimoldi”) – presents works by contemporary Italian artists (20-21 centuries).

Ethnographic Museum – the museum contains artifacts and objects used by local residents.

Fort Tre Sassi (Tre Sassi Fort) – the remains of a fort built in 1897 to protect the southern borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Andraz Castle (Castle of Andraz) – located at the foot of Falzarego, the oldest castle in the Dolomites, built in 1027. The castle was the location of the film “Brave Heart” with Mel Gibson.

Giau Barrier – a fortification wall built in 1753 served as the border between the Venetian Republic of Serenissima and the Habsburg Empire.

Local cuisine, restaurants and bars
Cortina d’Ampezzo is famous not only for excellent ski slopes and a variety of sports entertainment, but also for the rich après-ski opportunities: there are more than 80 restaurants in the city, as well as numerous pizzerias, cute cafes, cozy bars and lively nightclubs, and restaurants located on alpine slopes and ski slopes, you can enjoy the amazing landscapes of the Dolomites. The local cuisine is represented by its traditional dishes, such as: “casunziei” – ravioli stuffed with beetroot, “canederli” – balls of mashed bread filled with bacon, cheese or ham, as well as roasts with wild mushrooms, all kinds of smoked meats and sausages with local garnish – potatoes “Ampezza”. For dessert, Tyrolean honey cakes and fartaies – ricotta cakes – are served.

Shopping
This small but prestigious resort is also famous for its shops – 250 boutiques, shops and shops where you can buy fashionable clothes and shoes, fur and jewelry, antiques, all kinds of souvenirs, as well as real works of art made of wood and glass, made by locals. masters. The most famous shopping street, which has existed for over 20 years, is the Corso Italia pedestrian zone, located in the center of the resort.