Veneto · Belluno
Cortina d'Ampezzo
The Queen of the Dolomites at 1,224 meters, host of the 1956 Winter Olympics and co-host of Milano-Cortina 2026.
- Best time
- Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
- By car
- 1 h 56 min from Bolzano
- Population
- 5,546
Known for
QUEEN OF THE DOLOMITES
Ringed by Tofane, Cristallo, Sorapiss and Cinque Torri, with Tofana di Mezzo at 3,244 meters reached by cable car from town.
1956 AND 2026
Host of the seventh Winter Olympic Games in 1956 and co-host of Milano-Cortina 2026 with the Eugenio Monti sliding center rebuilt.
AMPEZZANI
Ladin-speaking community that kept its Regole assembly through Habsburg and Italian rule, joining Italy only in 1919.
When to visit
Best · Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
- J2°
- F5°
- M6°
- A9°
- M14°
- J20°
- J22°
- A21°
- S17°
- O13°
- N8°
- D3°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
The Ampezzo valley sits at 1,224 meters, closed in by a full ring of peaks: the Tofane to the west, Pomagagnon to the north, Cristallo to the northeast, Faloria and Sorapiss to the east, Croda da Lago and Cinque Torri to the south. The town takes its position from that ring, a flat basin with mountains rising on every side rather than a settlement that spread toward any one of them.
The valley's older identity runs through the Ampezzani, a Ladin-speaking community whose Regole assembly governed communal land through Habsburg rule and continued after the territory passed to Italy in 1919. That assembly still shapes how the surrounding forests and pastures are held, separate from the ski infrastructure and Olympic building laid over the same ground in 1956 and again for 2026. Summer use of the valley extends outward on foot, with the Alta Via 1 running south to Belluno and a loop east to the Tre Cime.
What the valley adds up to is a resort economy built inside a much older frame of land, language and self-government, the two rarely mentioned together but both still active in how the town is run and used.
The Sunday letter
Cortina d'Ampezzo is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Cortina d'Ampezzo comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
Read on
Cortina d'Ampezzo in our articles
How to get there
From Venice (TSF), about 2 hours by car.
Verona (VRN) is about 3h 15m away.
By car from the centre of Bolzano 2 hours or Padua 2h 18m.
What to see
Tofana di Mezzo
Reached by the Freccia nel Cielo cable car from Corso Italia in three sections via Pomedes and Ra Valles, the ride climbing from the valley floor to open rock and long views over the Ampezzo basin.
Basilica dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo
Parish church on Corso Italia with an 1858 façade and an 1860 campanile, the centro storico's principal monument and the anchor of its pedestrian street.
Cinque Torri
Five rock towers south of Cortina at 2,361 meters, a climbing area with First World War open-air trenches restored as a free museum, the wartime positions still legible among the towers.
Dolomiti Superski
Cortina is one of twelve resort hubs on this linked circuit, its lifts fanning out toward the surrounding peaks in every direction from town.
Cristallo and Faloria
Northeastern and eastern peaks above the valley, with the Faloria cable car from Cortina and a network of via ferrate climbing to the summits.
Lunga Via delle Dolomiti
Sixty-four-kilometer Greenway from Calalzo to Dobbiaco on the disused Ferrovia delle Dolomiti, crossing Cortina at the former station where trains once ran before the line closed.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Cortina d'Ampezzo fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat and stay
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
TivoliRistorante
Tivoli carries one Michelin star, two Gambero Rosso forks (86/100), plus a place in L'Espresso's Top 300.
Al CaminRistorante
Two Gambero Rosso forks (81/100) for Al Camin, and a spot in the Michelin Guide.
Alajmo CortinaRistorante
Alajmo Cortina carries two Gambero Rosso forks (84/100), plus a spot in the Michelin Guide.
Baita Piè TofanaRistorante
Two Gambero Rosso forks (83/100) for Baita Piè Tofana, and a place in L'Espresso's Top 300.
SanBriteRistorante
SanBrite has one Michelin star and two Gambero Rosso forks (87/100).
Baita FrainaRistorante
Baita Fraina carries a spot in the Michelin Guide.
El Brite de LarietoRistorante
El Brite de Larieto carries a spot in the Michelin Guide.
Rifugio OspitaleRistorante
Rifugio Ospitale carries one Gambero Rosso fork (77/100).
Ristorante de LENRistorante
Ristorante de LEN holds a spot in the Michelin Guide.
Villa OrettaRistorante
Villa Oretta holds one Gambero Rosso fork (78/100).
Albergo MenardiHotel
Albergo Menardi carries a place on Italy's historic-locali register.
Ancora CortinaHotel
A Leading Hotels of the World listing, at Ancora Cortina.
Eight CortinaHotel
Eight Cortina holds a place in the Michelin hotel guide.
Faloria Mountain Spa ResortHotel
Faloria Mountain Spa Resort carries a place in the Michelin hotel guide.
Hotel De la PosteHotel
Hotel De la Poste holds a place on Italy's historic-locali register.
Le Graal CortinaHotel
Le Graal Cortina carries a Leading Hotels of the World listing.
Living here
- Population 5,546
- Very remotei
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Venice, 1 h 54 min drive
- Regional capital Venezia, 2 h 3 min drive
Common questions
- What is Cortina d'Ampezzo known for?
- Cortina d'Ampezzo is the Queen of the Dolomites at 1,224 meters, host of the 1956 Winter Olympics and co-host of Milano-Cortina 2026.
- Where is Cortina d'Ampezzo?
- Cortina d'Ampezzo is a comune in the province of Belluno, in Veneto, at 1224 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Cortina d'Ampezzo?
- Venice (TSF), about 2 hours by car.
- How long is the drive from Bolzano to Cortina d'Ampezzo?
- About 2 hours by car.
- When is the best time to visit Cortina d'Ampezzo?
- Best in Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar. July is the warmest month, averaging 22 degrees, and June the wettest, with about 24 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Cortina d'Ampezzo?
- Toblach, Innichen and Bormio.
- How many people live in Cortina d'Ampezzo?
- 5,546 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 1224 m
- Population: 5,546
- Surface area: 252.81 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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