Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo commonly referred to as Cortina, is an attractive high-altitude town in in the heart of the southern Dolomitic Alps in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Ιt became a skiing destination following the 1956 Winter Olympics, but it would be a mistake to not wander its streets during your stay. Winter is a busy, bustling time when every facility opens and the town fills with skiers heading to or from the slopes.
After the skiing stops the town shuts down, before opening up again for summer visitors. You won't find quite as much open in the summer, but this is a popular destination for walkers, climbers and cyclists, so plenty of cable-cars, chairlifts, hotels, bus services and restaurants open/run between June and September to meet their needs.
Natural beauty is by far one of the most popular reasons that people visit the Dolomites, whether it’s for outdoor sports, sight-seeing or simply communing with nature in its most pure element. Cortina’s Natural Park of the Ampezzo Dolomites is one of the best places in the entire region to experience nature.
Cortina d’Ampezzo serves up plenty of exhilarating night life to those so inclined, from bars to clubs to late-night discos and there is also a huge selection of world-class shopping, from designer clothing and fashion boutiques to cosmetics and fine jewelry.
Cortina has three town museums, all housed in one building. There is a modern art gallery, a paleontological museum and a section dedicated to the historic communal administration of Cortina, the 'Regole'. More excitingly, there is an outdoor museum with three different locations in the mountains nearby, recording bitter winter campaigns fought here in the Great War. To reach these high-level areas of tunnels and displays you'll need to drive or take a bus to car-parks below, and then ascend the slopes using footpaths or cable-cars.
If you're a James Bond fan, you won't resist the chance to take selfies around the locations used for 'For Your Eyes Only'.
