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Cortina d'Ampezzo winterCortina d'Ampezzo is one of the most charming ski resort
in Italy, near the north-eastern border with Austria. The village, boasting a thousand-year old
remarkable historical background, has nearly 7,000 inhabitants. It
attracts visitors from all over the world for its lively international
atmosphere, its fashionable shops, and excellent restaurants. Cortina is also known as the "Regina delle
Dolomiti" - Queen of the Dolomites - since it is in the heart of the
wonderful Dolomites. Cortina is surrounded by forests and wide ski slopes,
below the towering craggy red rock mountains. It offers something for
everyone and most keen skiers will be willing to visit it. Ash Wednesday starring Elizabeth Taylor and
Henry Fonda
Cortina's slopes are fine for its regular up market visitors from Rome and Milan, many of whom have second homes here and enjoy the strolling, shopping, people-watching and lunching as much as the odd leisurely excursion on to the slopes. For beginners and leisurely intermediates, the splendid beginner slopes and long, easy, well-groomed runs are ideal. For keen slope-bashers, Cortina's fragmented areas can be frustrating, especially if snow is scarce and the area is fragmented even more; but the access to the Sella Ronda and other Dolomiti Super ski resorts, though time consuming, is some compensation - having a car is best for exploring. For experts, there are few tough runs, and the best of those are liable to poor snow conditions and closure because they face south.
Cortina’s picturesque square is framed by two massive mountain ridges: to the
east lies the connected area formed by Cristallo (9,613 feet) and Faloria
(7,690 feet); to the west, Tofana (9,317 feet) and Pocol and Socrepes (7,487
feet) form another connected area, accessible from the town. Further to the
west, approaching the Falzarego Pass (6,906 feet), the areas of Cinque Torri
(8,438 feet) and Lagazuoi (9,009 feet) beckon the adventurous skier.
These areas are loosely connected by a system of inexpensive buses and taxis.
Recommended restaurants (we visited them...):
The Dolomites Mountains Itineraries
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Nowhere is more
picturesque than chic Cortina, the most up market of Italian resorts.
Dramatic pink-tinged peaks rise sheerly from the top of the slopes, giving
picture-postcard views from wherever you are.