In-town activities

There isn’t much to do in the town except explore the town on foot. Corso Italia is the main street and has some interesting shops for clothes. Some buildings have retained the old Alpine architecture and are very pretty. The 18th century church, Santi Filippo e Giacomo, has a beautiful bell tower. Everywhere you go, you will be treated to spectacular views of the Dolomites and all activities are on the slopes of these mountains.

Take the funicular from town to reach the peaks, the most beautiful of which is Freccia nel Cielo (Arrow in the Sky). Funiculars to this peak leave from near the Stadio Olimpico del Ghiacchio (Olympic Ice Skating Stadium). To get to Tafano di Mezzo (3163m) and back will cost 24€. Alternately you can go only till Ra Valles (2550m) and back for 20€. You will be treated to spectacular views of glaciers and stony peaks. If you’re hungry or want to enjoy a drink overlooking the beautiful peaks, there is a bar that serves sandwiches and drinks outdoors. The funiculars ply between the town and the peaks only between mid mid-July and late September and again from mid-December to May 1st. They are quite frequent and run from 9 am until sunset.

Funicular to Funivia Faloria leave from the other side of town, which is a southeast of the town center. It’ll take you ten minutes to walk there. Although the ride isn’t as exciting as Freccia nel Cielo this 2100m high station is just as beautiful. It costs 13€ for a round trip. Funivia Faloria also operates on the same calendar and timetable as Freccia nel Cielo.

A third option is Lagazoul. This skiing and hiking station is 2550m high. Five buses travel between Cortina to Passo Falzarego (25km away) everyday. Funiculars depart from here and run from mid-July to late September and mid-December to May 1. It departs every half an hour and costs only 10€ for a round-trip. The 35-minute trip costs 1.50€ each way.

Check in with the tourist office for maps of hiking trails throughout the surrounding region. These trails are not too difficult. If you want something more challenging, like a high-altitude climb or want to try rock-climbing join the excursions run by Gruppo Guide Alpine Cortina. Their office is on Corso Italia 69A and are open daily between 8am and noon and again from 4 to 8pm. You can also get a full list of active pursuits they arrange from www.guidecortina.com.

You can do some horseback riding in the valleys that surround Cortina. At Fattoria Meneguto you can ride individually or as a group. The stables are only open from April till September and work between 9am and noon and 3 and 7pm. Half and hour of riding costs 9€ and 17€ for an hour.

At the Stadio Olimpico del Ghiaccio, just to the northwest of the town center on Via del Stadio, you can practice turns on the two recently refurbished rinks where Olympians tried for the gold in the 1956 games. Admission plus skate rental is 7€.

You can take a bike up to the peaks instead of the funicular. The rugged terrain attracts cyclists from all over the world. If you’d like to give it a shot rent you bike from Mountain Bike Center, Corso Italia 294. Rates are 12€ for 2 hours, 21€ for 4 hours, and 30€ for a day. You can also get information on the various trails here.

Cortina without doubt has the best skiing slopes in Italy. These slopes are easily accessible from the town. The two best and most frequented novice slopes are Tofana-Promedes and Faloria-Tondi. If you get the Dolomiti Superski pass you can ski to your heart’s content and travel to and from the slopes for all eighteen slopes. You can also buy the pass for anywhere between 1 day and 21 days. They cost: 34€ for 1 day, 95€ for 3 days, and 178€ for 7 days during the high season (December 21 to January 6 and February 1 to March 13). It costs 4€ lesser per day during the low season (January 7 to 31 and March 13 to 27). If you want more information on the passes the tourist information desk will help you. You can directly contact Dolomiti Superski on Via d. Castello 33, 32043 Cortina or visit their website (www.dolomitisuperski.com).

If you would like to take skiing lessons, Scuola di Sci Cortina on Corso Italia is your best bet. Visit their website (www.scuolascicortina.it) for more information.

If you don’t have your own skiing equipment don’t worry. You can rent them at various outlets throughout town and on the slopes itself. It costs 15€ to 25€ for skis and 5€ to 10€ for boots. You can also rent snowboards for 20€ to 25€.