Cortina d'Ampezzo, situated approx. 1200 m above sea level, known as the Queen of the Italian Dolomites, it is a famous and prestigious ski resort, a traditional holiday destination of the elites and celebrities from all over the world.
Cortina d'Ampezzo ski area
The main ski resorts of Cortina are: Tofana-Socrepes, Faloria-Cristallo and Cinque Torri-Lagazuoi which are not connected, but you can get to them by skibus (free with a ski pass).
Tofana-Socrepes the upper slopes include some tough red runs and an extraordinarily scenic black (Forcella Rossa), which has wonderful views over the town as well as of the mountains. The extensive lower slopes above Socrepes – a network of wide, easy blue runs served by high-speed chairlifts – form the best area in Cortina for beginners and timid intermediates.
Faloria-Cristallo ski area (44km of pistes) is reached by a two-stage cable car a 200m walk or a short bus ride from the centre of town. As there is no piste back to Cortina, the cable car is also the route down. The views from the top at Faloria (2,123m) over the town 900m below are stunning.
Runs here are all reds and blacks served by a couple of high-speed chairlifts. It is a great area for confident intermediates and fast cruising, and there is also a small terrain park with rails, a jump and a halfpipe. A long red run leads down to a huge car park and the chairlift up the other side of the valley to the Cristallo area – this has a couple of very short runs (red and blue) at the top and a long red back down.
Cinque Torri-Lagazuoi with 29km of runs, is 17km from Cortina – a 25-minute bus ride. With the Cinque Torri (five towers) rock spires that give the area its name, the scenery here is even more stunning than in the other two ski areas. There’s little difference between the blue and red runs here (all are of red run steepness) unless venturing towards the Lagazuoi side of the valley. This is via a cable car at Passo Falzarego – which can also be reached directly by bus from Cortina – and the blues above Passo Falzarego on the way to the cable car are genuinely easy. Confident intermediates and better should not miss the epic 8.5km Armentarola red piste from Lagazuoi. It leads away from all the lifts amid breathtaking scenery of towering cliffs and frozen waterfalls, and at the end a horse drawn sled with ropes attached tows everyone back to civilization at Armentarola.
Cortina d'Ampezzo snowpark
The Cortina Snowpark, located in Son dei Prade in the Tofana ski area, is dedicated to freestyle enthusiasts and snowboarders, from experts to beginners. The park is 500 meters long and is divided into two areas of different difficulty: The Easy Line, consisting of 4 kikers 1-2-4-6 meters long, a box and a rail on the ground, is dedicated to children and beginnners.The Medium Line starts with a super box kink of 4 horisontal meters and 4 vertical meters, a 3 meter t-box, a rail tube of 3 meters, bins bonk-wall ride of 3x2 meters, and a tree bonk with spine-kiker fun of 8x10 meters.
Cortina d'Ampezzo village
Cortina d’Ampezzo is also the paradise of shoppers. Corso Italia, the pedestrian street at the heart of Cortina’s social life is the top spot for those who like to shop. Window displays of the most prestigious and exclusive brands in the world, side by side with art galleries, famous jewellers, antique shops and artisans’ workshops...
There are many different bars to choose from. From piano bars to wine bars, to pubs and laidback lounges; there is something for everyone here in Cortina. The discos get going around 11, and include the Hyppo, Limbo, Metro, and VIP. One can have drinks and dance until the wee hours of the morning.
When you’re not skiing, visit the three main museums, all housed in one building. Admire sculptures and paintings by 20th-century Italian artists at the Mario Rimoldi Museum of Modern Art, inspect ancient fossils dating back to the ages when Cortina was submerged under the sea at the Rinaldo Zardini Palaeontological Museum and view information about community heritage at Regole d’Ampezzo Ethnographic Museum.