Cortina d'Ampezzo
Winter Olympics, which took place at CORTINA D'AMPEZZO in 1956 Year (the former Pista Olimpica di Bob is still maintained), began the transformation of this small holiday resort into a mountain town. Its raison detre is the ski season lasting from Christmas to Easter, during which the population of the city increases with 8 Thousand. into 50 Thousand., and tourists crowd not only on the surrounding slopes, but also in expensive shops with clothes and antiques. Cortina is the Italian equivalent of St. Moritz, so it attracts actors, artists and everyone, who is rich. Not wearing a sable fur can make you feel out of place here. The city encourages a Hollywood-like lifestyle: after lunch at II Meloncino it is good to go tobogganing down the hill. It is also fashionable to drive a rented jeep to places, where you can ski in the wild.
The scenery is gorgeous, because the city is surrounded by a great circle of peaks, among others. Pelmo, antelao, pasmo Marmarole, Sorapiss, Cristallo i grupa Tofane. Accommodation prices, however, are very high, unless you manage to book a place in one of the two cheaper hotels: Cayallino hotel, Corso Italy 142 (•0436/2614; 48 000 L with breakfast) lub Battochio, Via Franchetti 4 (• 0436/2430; 45000). Tourists, who will write a booking request letter early enough, they can get a place in one of the hostels run by nuns. You have to write to one of the addresses below: Rev. Canossian Sisters, House Regina Mundi, Location Crignes 18 (0436/2660); Rev. Franciscan Sisters, Casa San Francesco, Location Cianderies 7 (• 0436/2279); Rev. Missionaire Sisters of the Eucharist, Via XXIX Maggio 2 (• 0436/4662), the Rev. Ursuline Sisters S. Heart, Via Faloria (• 0436/3267).
In summer, you can also use the campsites. W CAMPO, two kilometers south of the city, Cortina is situated (• 0436/2483), Dolomites (• 0436/2485) and Rochetta (• 0436/5063), a 5 kilometers north, at FIAMES, Olympia is (* 0436/5057). However, it must be said, that Cortina is quite uninteresting in the summer. The snobi are interesting here, coming to show off their clothes and equipment, out of season it is quite boring here. The summer tourist season also exists here (from the beginning. June to mid-September, when the cable cars are open), but it's better to stay in one of the smaller towns, because there is less pressure at the tops, farther from the city.
APT offices in Cortina are located in Piazetta San Francesco 8 i na Piazza Roma. They have good tourist maps, telephone numbers of shelters and information about the approximate length of the routes. Besides the winding bus routes through Bolzano and Belluno, There are also long-distance buses to Milan from here, Padua and Bologna (information at the bus station above the city, on Via Marconi).
Cortina area
Cortina is better known for the roads and cable cars that pass through it than for the hiking trails. Most drivers head to the Grand Strada delle Dolomiti and its high mountain passes. In summer, buses run from here to the small lake in MISURINA and to the three peaks of TRE CIME rising north of the city.. Because both places are extremely crowded in high season, better go south to Titian's hometown, PIEVE DI CADORE, where in the parish church you can find many works attributed to him (image, which was most probably painted by him is in the third chapel on the left). The most interesting places in the surrounding mountains can only be reached by hitchhiking. From the bus routes it is worth recommending the line from Belluno via Alleghe to Arabba and Corvara. The lake in Alleghe was created after a great stone avalanche in the 18th century (avalanches are common here). From Alleghe it is close to the rocky walls of Monte Civetta (3220 m.), which look particularly picturesque in the rays of the setting sun. You can spend the night in Rifugio Sonino, located on the small Lago Coldai (2208 m.), three and a half hours of walking from Alleghe.