SPECIAL / December
Fly to
Verona
€ 89
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY
from
one way
Italy’s most fashionable resort
Cortina d’Ampezzo is the queen of the Italian
dolce vita and the gem of the Dolomites, a
mountain range in the Italian Alps that has
been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The small town is located within the Ampezzo
Valley, between scenic mountain peaks and
meadows. It is the only Italian resort included
in the prestigious Best of the Alps association,
along with Chamonix Mont-Blanc, Davos, and
St. Moritz. With thousands of years of history,
the long-established tourist destination attracts
visitors from all around the world.
The Cortina d’Ampezzo ski area is modest
in size and quite fragmented. In addition, the
peaks of the Dolomites are often cliffs that you
can only gaze at; skiing down these mountain
tops is impossible. However, the resort has found
a way to offer a wide variety of forest runs and
slopes between the giant cliffs. A piece of trivia
for James Bond fans: back in the 1980s, the
104
/ airBaltic.com
legendary slope from Col Druscié to Cortina
d’Ampezzo was filmed in the movie For Your
Eyes Only (1981).
Snowshoe trails are a great alternative to
skiing and a great way to make the most of
the winter season in the Dolomites. Cortina
d’Ampezzo offers many picturesque itineraries
for snowshoe hikes in the forests and at
high altitudes.
Cortina d’Ampezzo is a resort for skiers and
non-skiers alike. 70% of Italians don’t even
step onto the slopes when visiting Italy’s most
fashionable resort. For them, the most important
part of the day is après-ski in the stylish
restaurants and bars with beautiful views of the
Dolomites. In town, skiing plays a secondary role
to social interactions. Many people come here
to just walk around and do some shopping in
the boutiques and shops along Corso Italia, the
major pedestrian shopping street.
A few facts:
• 115 kilometres of
pistes with various
levels of difficulty. While
challenging ski terrain is
not Cortina’s strongest
suit, it has a number of
good black runs.
• Cortina is surrounded
by some of the most
stunning mountain
scenery in the
skiing world.
• An aperitivo – such as
a Spritz, Bicicletta, or
Hugo – before dinner is a
well-established tradition
in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
For more information:
dolomiti.org/en/cortina/