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.
Picked by Peter Benei
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Visiting
- Best time
- Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
- By car
- 1 h 56 min from Bolzano
- Population
- 5,491
- J2°
- F5°
- M6°
- A9°
- M14°
- J20°
- J22°
- A21°
- S17°
- O13°
- N8°
- D3°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime air temperature, averages for 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.
How to get there
From Treviso (TSF), about 1 h 54 min by car.
Verona (VRN) is about 3 h 15 min away.
By car from the center of Bolzano 1 h 56 min or Padua 2 h 18 min.
Every town within reach of Treviso airport.
First time driving in Italy? Read our complete manual.
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.
From the guides
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.
13 more places the guides name in Cortina d'Ampezzo
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.
Before you sit down: how to order at a restaurant, how to spot a tourist trap, what aperitivo is and how the Italian bar works.
Living here
Could you live here?
Cortina d'Ampezzo meets 1 of our 2 rules for a small town.
- 5,491 people, inside our sweet spot of 5,000 to 20,000: a real town, still one community.
- Belluno, a city of 35,543, is 1 h 13 min by car. Further than our 30 to 60 minutes, a long way for the hospital visit or the monthly shopping.
The rules come from our series Where to Move in Italy, written from the places we have lived: Part 1, The End of the Road · Part 2, The Small Town · Part 3, The City · Part 4, The Postcard · Part 5, The Other Half. The towns we would pick are in Part 6, The Best Towns.
- Population 5,491, down 6.9% since 2015
- Nearest city Belluno, 1 h 13 min drive
- Nearest national health service hospital Pieve di Cadore, 23 km as the crow flies · how healthcare works in Italy
- Homes in the center: €10,000 to €14,100 per m² to buy, €20.80 to €35.40 per m² a month to rent
All the numbers Common questions, designations, lists and sources.
More about living here
- Very remote
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Full fibre reaches 39% of homes
- Primary school in the comune
- Earthquake zone 3, low hazard
- Treviso airport (TSF), 1 h 54 min drive, the nearest with scheduled flights
- Regional capital Venice, 2 h 3 min drive
If you are moving here
Who lives here
5% of residents are foreign citizens, most often from Ukraine, Romania and Peru, against 9% across Italy. 21 of them come from English-speaking countries or western and northern Europe, mostly the United States. There are 410 people over 65 for every 100 children under 15, against 216 across Italy. 69% of homes have no resident, holiday homes and empty ones counted together, against 27% across Italy. Belluno province ranks 33rd of 107 in Il Sole 24 Ore's quality of life ranking for 2025.
Health and schools
There is an emergency room in the comune. The nearest major one is in Bolzano, 61 km away. The nearest IB school is Realgymnasium Bozen, 61 km as the crow flies.
Information, not medical advice. Confirm with a professional.
Working from here
Poste Italiane has finished a coworking room in the comune, on its register of 30 September 2026. Check that it is open on Poste's booking site before you count on it.
Taxes
A home that is not your main one pays 1.14% a year in property tax at the 2025 rate, charged on the cadastral value rather than the price. A main home pays none unless it is in a luxury category. 7% pensioner tax: this town is not in a qualifying area.
Information, not tax advice. Confirm with a professional.
What it costs
The average household in Veneto spends about €2,310 a month, €560 of it on food, against about €2,170 across Italy. A family of three pays about €490 a year for water, on the Veneto average. In Belluno, the provincial capital, in September 2026, an espresso cost €1.44, a meal in a pizzeria €11.82 and a man's haircut €23.08.
Climate and risk
It is in climate zone F, the coldest of Italy's six, with no national limit on when the heating runs. 4% of residents live in a zone the national maps rate high for floods, 6% in a high or medium one. 4% live in a zone rated high or very high for landslides.
These shares cover the whole comune, not any one street. Check an address on IdroGEO.
Moving from abroad? Which visa you need. Sources: ISTAT, the Ministry of Health, ISPRA, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Enterprise, Poste Italiane, the comuni, the IB, International Schools Database, Il Sole 24 Ore, Cittadinanzattiva.
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.
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?
- The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Treviso (TSF), about 1 h 54 min by car.
- How long is the drive from Bolzano to Cortina d'Ampezzo?
- About 1 h 56 min 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?
- 5,491 residents, by ISTAT's count on 1 January 2025.
- Is Cortina d'Ampezzo a good place to live?
- By the rules in our Where to Move in Italy series, Cortina d'Ampezzo is a small town that meets 1 of our 2 rules. The nearest city, Belluno, is 1 h 13 min away by car. The nearest national health service hospital is in Pieve di Cadore, 23 km as the crow flies. Full fibre reaches 39% of homes.
Tags & data designations · numbers · sources
Recognized as
Landscape
The numbers
- Elevation: 1224 m
- Population: 5,491
- 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.
The ranked lists
Lists Cortina d'Ampezzo appears in
Similar
Towns like Cortina d'Ampezzo
What all six share with Cortina d'Ampezzo: between 3,000 and 10,000 people · mountain towns above 1,000 metres
The letter
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