Sightseeing in Cortina d Ampezzo - what to see. Complete travel guide

The Italian Alps are home to a marvelous ski resort – the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. This charming settlement is situated in the valley of the Boite River that never ceases to amaze guests with its picturesque beauty. The resort is famous around the world because it is suitable even for the most discerning guests. Many visitors come here to not only ski on the mountain slopes but also to relax and spend some pleasant time. Central streets of Cortina have many colorful shops and cozy restaurants. In the evening, it is incredibly pleasant to have fun in one of the local clubs together with friends. Do you want to discover new places and learn about their history? In this case, interesting museums dedicated to different themes will make your stay in Cortina even more interesting.

Archaeologists discovered first settlements in the region of Cortina d’Ampezzo that date back to Mesolithic. During the Roman Empire period, this territory was a part of Cisalpine Gaul. When Charlemagne introduced the rule of inheriting land, the period of feudalism started in this region. In the 20s of the 15th century, the settlements of Cadore and Ampezzo finally got their long-awaited autonomy. The village became a part of the Republic of Venice. First fans of mountain skiing from England appeared on the land of Cortina d’Ampezzo at the beginning of the 20th century.

When famous Austrian mountaineer Paul Grohmann visited the area in 1862, many people found out about Cortina d’Ampezzo. The popularity of the town kept growing year after year, and the number of tourists was growing as well. However, Cortina d’Ampezzo reached true popularity at the end of the 30s of the 20th century. Alpine skiing was actively developing at that time. In order to make the town more comfortable for guests, local authorities invested much money into infrastructure development. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

At the moment, Cortina d’Ampezzo has a total of one hundred forty kilometers of ski trails. In order to reach them, vacationers can use ski lifts of different types. That being said, it is possible to reach some of them by ski buses only. Cortina d’Ampezzo has a range of different skiing areas for both beginners and advanced skiers. Naturally, there are black ski areas, but their number is not big.

Do you like romance and seclusion? In this case, consider skiing at night. This is the time when it is possible to feel united with nature and enjoy skiing without numerous people on the slopes. Besides skiing, guests of the resort can try bobsleigh and ski jumping or visit a large ice palace that has a big ice skating rink. Do you like snowboarding? You should visit a special park for snowboarders or half-pipe.

There are several areas for children in Cortina d’Ampezzo. These zones have exclusively ski routes suitable for beginners. The children's zones look especially cute with numerous figurines of characters from popular cartoons and fairytales. If your child has never tried skiing before, you can always enroll him or her to a special school that is open at the resort. There are also kindergartens with professional animators. They will explain and show how to ski correctly. As all lessons are similar to interesting games, children do not feel bored.

Besides usual ski trails, there are many hills suitable for such an exciting family activity as toboggan. By the way, tourists do not need to worry about any equipment. They can always rent everything they need. Kids never feel tired in Cortina d’Ampezzo because a team of talented animators works at the resort every day. Many hotels have rooms for children with interesting attractions and toys. In short, there is always something entertaining for kids.

Cortina Adrenalin, a popular entertainment complex, is located not far from the central part of the resort. This is a true adventure park with thirteen ropeways designed for children. Besides that, there are interesting challenges and other no less exciting amusements that are always very interesting and thrilling. The park is suitable for children of different ages. Moreover, the level of physical training is not important as well. Even small children can find suitable ropeway.

There is neither airport nor train station in Cortina d’Ampezzo. This means that it is possible to reach the town by bus only. The most comfortable route is thirty kilometers long and starts from Dobbiaco and Calalzo di Cadore. Tourists can reach these two towns by train from Venice. In this case, the ride will last three hours, and travelers need to make three changes. If going from Bolzano, the ride will last two hours and requires one change. Finally, a ride from Treviso lasts three-four hours and requires two changes. Buses from Dobbiaco reach Cortina d’Ampezzo within forty-fifty minutes.