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About CortinaChic, fashionable Cortina d'Ampezzo embodies the true Italian love for la dolce vita. The good life it certainly is at this stunning resort in the Ampezzo valley near Italy's Austrian border. Sitting in the ragged, imposing and striking Dolomites mountain range, the Italian jet set come here equally for the skiing and the fabulous food, wine, shopping and even sunbathing. Cortina's slopes alone offer 140 km of pistes, but the resort is also a part of the Dolomiti Superski region that offers a whopping 1,220 km of trails across 12 ski areas on one lift pass! The terrain will suit beginners and intermediates best. There are 39 well-groomed beginner's pistes to play around on while you learn, and the lifts are often slow moving so that you can get used to hopping on and off. The intermediate skiing is limitless, with over sixty percent of the runs skiable for mid-level skiers and the views are so amazing that many an advanced skier claim to love skiing them as well. The spectacular long run down from Laguezoi to Armentarola is a must-ski. There are only a few options for expert skiers - Torfana is probably the best place to head, as well as the moguls at Forcella Staunies. This is not too much of a problem if you buy the Dolomiti Superski pass - you'll find hundreds of kilometres of terrain to explore across the resorts. This is an attractive mountain town set in a wide bowl between vast craggy mountains. Food and wine are highly regarded here, with delicious first-class restaurants serving mouth watering Italian treats and superb wine. Shopaholics will be in trouble here too with an extensive shopping area including designer clothes, antiques, jewellery and sportswear. It can be a little expensive by Italian standards however. There is much to do off the slopes, and as the Italians often love to take a relaxed approach to skiing, you can often find large periods of time when the slopes are uncrowded. The people watching is fantastic too - as the rich and famous cruise the streets with their giant furs, or set up with some serious sunbathing involving reflective foil. The great thing about Cortina is that it has the glitz and glamour of a high-profile Alp resort, but replaces pretension with a sense of humour and a zest for life. For beginners
There are 39 easy runs on Cortina, making it a great place for beginners. The learner runs at Socrepes are excellent and the long winding slope at Tofana good to progress too. Many of the beginner lifts are slow moving as well. The only downside is that some areas need to be accessed by bus. For intermediates
Plan out your time here to make sure you cover as much of the mountain as you can - there are so many good intermediate runs. Over 60 percent are graded intermediate, and the real attraction is that scores of them have simply breath-taking views. The popular six-mile run off the back of the Lagazuoi towards Armentarola is definitely the most rewarding intermediate run. The long, 1600m descent from Tofana back to town is also a must ski. There's not really anywhere you won't be able to ski here, the only downside is that the different areas are fairly fragmented. For the advanced
There are only a few challenging expert runs at Cortina. Head straight to Tofana and mougled Forcella Staunies. The steep Canalone Staunies is also pretty thrilling, shooting you between tight, imposing rock walls On the other hand, many advanced skiers enjoy the harder intermediate runs hear simply because of their length, good grooming and absolutely stunning views. There is a fun park with half-pipe here, but skiers outnumber boarders. If you're in the know - there's also some hidden off-piste. Ski school
Cortina d'Ampezzo has the largest ski school in Italy and offers excellent facilities for learners. There are several schools with a total of over 300 ski instructors who wear designer ski suits that are updated each year! Cristallo Cortina Ski School Loc.Socrepes Loc.Pocol Scuola Sci Azzurra Cortina Via Ria de Zeto 8 Scuola Sci e Snowboard Dolomiti Cortina Via Roma, 83 Guide Alpine Cortina Cross Country Ski School Cross Country Ski School Morotto c/o Fiames Après Ski
Variety is the spice of life in the après-ski scene at Cortina. Italians know how to celebrate well at the end of a day's skiing, whether it's a relaxed meal or a big night. Head to the Enoteca or Osteria Wine Bars for a good wine to kick off the evening, and then stroll along past the restaurants to select your choice of delicious northern Italian regional dishes. At the top end, Baita Fraina and Il Meloncino are a little pricy but well worth it. Less expensive and formal are Ospitale and Ariston - and Cinque Torri does a great simple pizza. Most of the clubs don't open till 11 pm and continue on into the wee hours. For a more chilled out vibe, grab a coffee and Austrain cake at the Pasticceria Lovat.
Off the Mountain
People come to Cortina to relax, so there are often more non-skiers than skiers in the resort. Therefore the bustling town has more than enough on offer to keep you occupied off the slopes. With over 200 shops, you may need to hide the credit card, but even window shopping is fun. The views make a trip in the cable car a fantastic activity on your day off, especially because there are fantastic restaurants up top to have a meal at. The Piazza Italia near the bus station doubles as Cortina's marketplace. Stalls sell produce, mountain cheeses, clothing, home ware, and other items on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 8:30am to 1pm. There are great walking and cross-country skiing trails, and the Olympic ice skating facilities are worth a visit. At the Cortina Adrenaline Centre, you can hop in a four man bob, ‘crazy sledge' (a version of the luge) and, on the very steep landing below the ski jump, try snow rafting - descending at 60mph in a white water raft. Other options are: Horse riding, indoor tennis, tobogganing, ice hockey, curling, cinema, ice disco dancing, dog sledding and museums. Day trips to Venice are fairly easy to plan. The city is about two hours away and there area buses and trains that can take you there.
Getting there
By air
The closest airports are Treviso (132 km) and Venice (160 km). Ryanair often has super cheap flights to Treviso. Airport transfers
You have several options to travel the 1 hour 45 min trip from Treviso or 2 hour trip from Venice, including coaches, shuttles and taxis. By train
The nearest train links are now Calalzo di Cadore to the south (35km) and Dobbiacco to the north (32km), and bus transfers run from both. From Calalzo, 30 daily buses connect with Cortina. There are 10 trains a day to Calalzo from Venice, but only two are direct (2 1/3 hr; with connections, allow 3-4 hr.). There are also six daily direct runs from Padua (3 hr). By car
The Grande Strada delle Dolomiti links Bolzano and Cortina, while S51 heads south toward Venice, connecting south of Belluno to Autostrada A27, for a total trip time of about 3 hours between Cortina and Venice.
Resort rating and reviews
Resort ratings out of 10
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Skiing Holidays in CortinaPhoto
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