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CORTINA DAMPEZZO |
| The 1956 Winter Olympics were staged at CORTINA D'AMPEZZO (it still
has the Pista Olimpica di Bob), an event which began the transformation
of the town from a small resort to a city in the mountains. Its main
reason for existing now is the skiing season - roughly Christmas to
Easter - when the population rises from 7000 to around 40,000, packing
out the designer-clothes and antiques shops, as well as the slopes
around the city. Cortina is the Italian equivalent of Saint Moritz,
attracting actors, artists - and the rich. The place encourages a kind
of Hollywood existence: taking sleighs down the mountain after a meal at
a glamorous restaurant, or renting helicopters to seek out off-piste
skiing. Out of season the place is dead; although it has a summer hiking
season of sorts, between July and September when the cable cars operate.
The ranges are less crowded on the side that faces away from the city,
and are better approached from the smaller resorts of Corvara, Alleghe
and San Vigilio di Marebbe. The setting is stunning, however, surrounded
by a great circle of mountains which includes Monte Pelmo and Antelao,
the Gruppo delle Marmarole, and Monte Sorapiss, Cristallo and Tofane.
Cortina's tourist office is at Piazzetta San Francesco 8 (daily 9am-12.30pm & 3.30-6.30pm; tel 0436.3231, www.sunrise.it/dolomiti ). Their hiking map is good, with refuge phone numbers and an indication of how long trails take to walk. The bad news is that staying here is expensive: prices climb exponentially in August and during the peak ski season. One of the cheaper places worth trying to book ahead is the central Albergo Cavallino , Corso Italia 142 (tel 0436.2614; L90,000-120,000/46.48-61.98), which was being refitted at the time of writing but is due to re-open soon. Otherwise try the large Hotel Impero , Via Cesare Battisti 66 (tel 0436.4246; L200,000-250,000/103.29-129.11), which sometimes has good deals, or the modern Villa Nevada , on Ronce 64 (tel 0436.4778; L120,000-150,000/61.98-77.47), across the other side of town. Women who write far enough in advance may be able to get a bed in one of the convent hostels: names and addresses to try are Rev. Suore Canossiane, Regina Mundi , Via Grignes 9, or Rev. Suore Francescane, Casa dello Studente San Francesco , Via Cianderies 33. The tourist office has further details and lists of rooms available in private houses. In summer, there's the option of camping at one of a number of sites: Cortina (tel 0436.867.575), Dolomiti (tel 0436.2485) and Rochetta (tel 0436.5063) are all 2km to the south at Campo , while Olympia (tel 0436.5057) is at Fiames , 5km north. Away from the hotel dining rooms, cafés and ice cream parlours are about the only sources of sustenance, though the central Croda Café , Corso Italia 163, has good-value pizza and a wide, if more expensive, à la carte menu. Campers and self-caterers will appreciate the food section of the large Cooperativa department store in the centre of town. Apart from the tortuous bus routes via Bolzano and Belluno, there are long-distance services to Cortina from Milan, Padua and Bologna; the bus station is on Via Marconi, above town. The nearest train station is Calalzo, 32km east; a connecting bus runs every hour. |