Cortina d’Ampezzo is preparing for the major milestone of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games with many new infrastructure projects.
Just as the town was the venue of the first Winter Olympics held in Italy in 1956 and was crowned as the Queen of the Dolomites thanks to its state-of-the-art cableways, in 2026 Cortina will once again arrive at this great international appointment with new projects destined to leave a lasting legacy.
Today, just as 70 years ago, the town is ready to host women’s alpine skiing races, curling, bobsledding, skeleton, and luge events as well as the paralympic alpine skiing, snowboarding and wheelchair curling competitions. Amidst the most recent developments stands out the new Apollonio-Socrepes gondola, a key installation providing easy access and direct connection from the town centre to the Tofane ski area, the heart of the Olympic events.
Another new feature is the Lacedel-Socrepes gongola, with an hourly capacity of 3,000 people. It is meant to replace the “Gilardon-Roncato” and “Roncato-Socrepes” chairlifts, significantly reducing waiting times and offering better comfort on the ride up.
These two new installations strengthen and complement the investments already made for the 2021 World Championships, including the Cortina-Skyline gondola - which connects Son dei Prade with the 5 Torri ski area - and the extensive renovation of the Freccia nel Cielo cableway.
The Olympia delle Tofane ski run is a legend in the world of alpine skiing. It hosted the downhill events of the 1956 Winter Olympics, was at the heart of the 2021 Alpine Skiing World Championships and has long been a historic venue of the World Cup events. It represents the essence of Cortina’s sporting soul as it looks ahead to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. Loved by ski champions such as Sofia Goggia and Federica Brignone, the Olympia ski run is synonymous with technique, speed, and thrilling emotions.
In 2026, it will once again take center stage, hosting all the women’s alpine skiing Olympic events - downhill, super G, giant slalom, slalom, and alpine combined - and immediately afterwords, will welcome the Paralympic competitions, thus confirming its role as symbol of winter sports and of Italian excellence on the snow.
To learn the full history of the ski-run click here.
Alongside racing tracks, high-level training areas are essential for top sports competitions. Cortina and its surroundings offer three dedicated training pistes.
The Misurina ski area features the “Pala dei Francesi” black run which owes its curious name to the French team that used it as a training course during the 1964 Innsbruck Winter Olympics. The Lagazuoi-5 Torri ski area offers the only public race-training course in Italy, dedicated to Lino Lacedelli, the great mountaineer from Cortina who conquered the K2. Lastly, the San Vito di Cadore ski area which was designated as a Training Center for the 2021 World Championships.
As far as lifestyle is concerned, two major new additions stand out. On the Faloria ski area, the Super G - Faloria Mountain Club is a venue for leisure, entertainment, music, and fine dining reviving the aprés-ski trend in the Ampezzo valley. The cable car will operate on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, during the festive days, and throughout the whole Olympic season offering dinners and events at altitude. On the Tofana Ista ski area, the Chalet Franz Kraler Club Moritzino, an exclusive hotspot designed by the blueArch studio. It was created through a collaboration between the multi-brand Franz Kraler - responsible for bringing leading fashion brands in Cortina - and the legendary Club Moritzino, an international icon of mountain entertainment. It is a spectacular, contemporary mountain lodge featuring dark wood, glass, Dolomia stone, and a terrace overlooking the Olympic slopes.
Culture and art also play an important role in the Olympic experience. The Cortina di Stelle Exhibition by artist Fulvio Morella, held at the Lagazuoi EXPO Dolomiti, will bring a message of inclusiveness and light to the heart of the event. The Spectaculars and the Agitos, the famous Olympic and Paralympic symbols are already on display in the town centre, while artworks and artistic installations will be displayed in iconic locations on the slopes, offering evocative photo opportunities to visitors and enthusiasts.
There are also plenty of family-friendly on offer. In Misurina, children and adults alike can enjoy fairy-tale landscapes around the lake, along easy paths and breathtaking views. In Auronzo, skiing will be possible throughout the season , enjoying and indulging in the peaceful atmosphere of Mt Agudo. In San Vito di Cadore, the mountains reveal a gentler and more authentic side, with scenic trails accessible to all ages and the warm hospitality typical of mountain villages, complete with playgrounds and family-friendly facilities.
Cortina is evolving, yet it can rely on sound foundations: an internationally recognized name for high-end tourism and a well-established history in the world of winter sports.
To learn more click here.
If we want to investigate the origin of its success we should go back to the second half of the 19th Century, when Cortina became one of the destinations of the Grand Tour, an unmissable cultural experience for the children of Europe’s noble families.
Cortina d’Ampezzo is getting ready to host a rich and diversified programme, where tradition and innovation meet to offer athletes and visitors a unique spectacular experience in the UNESCO Dolomites.
On the Olympia delle Tofane slope, the women’s alpine skiing and para alpine skiing competitions will take place. The renovated Cortina Sliding Centre, dedicated to Eugenio Monti, will host the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events. The Olympic Ice Stadium will stage the wheelchair curling competitions, while para snowboard events will be held at the Cortina Para Snowboard Park in the Socrepes area. Together, these events highlight Cortina’s central role and underscore the importance of inclusion between Olympic and Paralympic sport.
Cortina will host the Paralympic Games for the first time, but it won’t be caught unprepared. On the contrary, the Cortina Skiworld lift facilities already make the mountains accessible to all, allowing everyone to reach the Dolomite summits by removing all architectural barriers. The Paralympic disciplines that will be held in Cortina include: Paralympic alpine skiing, Paralympic snowboarding, and wheelchair curling.
Consorzio Skipass Cortina provides access to the vast Cortina Skiworld area; passes can be easily and quickly purchased online, via the app, or at Ticket Boxes.
Tickets to attend the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic events are available exclusively at tickets.milanocortina2026.org
The Cortina d’Ampezzo ski area will be fully operational for most of the season (for information on opening and closing dates, please see the following paragraph), ensuring a complete experience even during the Olympic Games. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy and experience the atmosphere of the Winter Games firsthand - exactly 70 years after 1956.
Pre-Olympic period - until 12 January, 2026
All the lifts and the ski runs will be regularly open and accessible, with no limitations, through the end of Christmas holidays.
Olympic Preparations - from 12 January, 2026
The Olympia delle Tofane and Labirinti slopes will gradually close for race preparations, while all the other runs in the area will remain open and accessible.
During the Games - late January to mid-March , 2026: due to the creation of the “Olympic safety perimeters”, the following lifts and pistes in the Tofana area will not be accessible to the public: Socrepes Baby lift; Tofana Express Chairlift; Piè Tofana /
Duca d’Aosta Chairlift; Duca d’Aosta / Pomedes Chairlift; Col Drusciè Gondola; and Ra Valles lifts and slopes.
Accessible throughout the period will be: Olympia Chairlift (Pocol); Skyline gondola; and the following ski areas: 5 Torri, Col Gallina, Lagazuoi, Faloria / Cristallo, , San Vito di Cadore, and Auronzo / Misurina.
Post Paralympic period - from 15 March, 2026: All the Tofana lifts and slopes - including the Olympia ski run and the Roncato and San Zan areas - will quickly reopen, once dismantling is completed.
More details and updates will be available on the dedicated website.
Exhibition setup at Alexander Hall
Concept: Giampaolo Allocco
Project: Delineodesign – Alberto Pavan
Execution: XX carpentry workshop
COMUNICAZIONE CORTINA SKIWORLD_SEC and Partners
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Content editor: Katia Tafner, katia.tafner@secnewgate.it
