Introduction
What to see in Cortina d'Ampezzo during a vacation of one or more days? On this page, we offer you a small itinerary that will guide you in discovering the main attractions of Cortina. It's as if we were by your side, accompanying you in exploring this splendid town. For the key highlights, you can find a dedicated page with more details.
What to See in a One-Day Trip
Let's start with the premise that you got up early in the morning to start your day in Cortina d'Ampezzo. As a first step, we recommend that you park your car in a strategic spot, such as the the parking lot of Lungo Boite, or in one of the other parking lots present in Cortina, which we will discuss later.
After leaving your car, head towards Corso Italia, the central pedestrian area, easily identifiable by the bell tower, which should always be visible from wherever you parked.
Cortina is a small mountain town, so most of the businesses and attractions are concentrated in this central area and are easily reachable within walking distance. Along Corso Italia, you would see trendy stores, art galleries, public buildings, and storefronts of major brands, as well as Cortina's iconic Olympic Ice Stadium, which hosted the Olympic Games in 1956 and again in 2026. To avoid expending ourselves too much, you can read the article below, in which we detail what to see in Corso Italia.
Visiting the pedestrian area could take up your whole morning, but if you don't like to look at stores too much, you will have some time left over for a nice walk before lunch.
Given that this chapter is dedicated to those staying only for a day, we suggest taking a walk close to the center to stay close to the destinations where you can go to eat.
Probably the most classical walk you can do in Cortina, close to the center, is the one along the former railroad. It's a pedestrian route that passes through the entire town, with many beautiful scenic views, both northbound and southbound.
It is built along the dismissed train route to Cortina, so it's always flat for its entire length. Google Maps places it here, a little north of the bus station; in any case, you will not struggle to find it, because there are dozens of entrances all along the town. If you need more info, we describe it in detail on the page below:
Once lunchtime arrives, you have to decide what to eat. Whether it's a quick snack or lunch at a restaurant, Cortina offers a viable array of choices to suit all budgets. Most lunch spots are located in the town center, just a short walk from the bell tower. For a quick meal, the most affordable choices are a sandwich or a pizza, but if you're looking for something more refined, there are also excellent restaurants.
In order not to make an endless article, if you want to plan your lunch without improvising, you may read our in-depth article:
Once your stomach is full, you need to decide how to continue your day in Cortina. If the weather is not at its best, you might choose to explore Corso Italia further, perhaps by visiting one of Cortina's Regole Museums.
The Mario Rimoldi Museum of Modern Art is an art gallery housed within the Ciasa de Ra Regoles. The Rinaldo Zardini Paleontology Museum and the Ethnographic Museum of the Regole d'Ampezzo are located within the Alexander Hall, a multifunctional center just a short distance from the center of Cortina. If you want more information about the Regole museums, we have discussed them in detail on the page:
If you are a more active person, or the weather is so beautiful that it is almost considered heresy to lock yourself inside a building, the ideal solution is a walk. A few lines above we mentioned the walk on the former railroad, but if we can give you a recommendation, there is another walk, relatively close to the center, that is even scenic, and leads you to a charming little mountain lake.
This road is known as the former powder magazine, but it's also called the convent. Imagine a pedestrian-only gravel road that crosses the most beautiful meadows of central Cortina, with no houses within hundreds of meters. Amazing.
It's generally accessible even in winter, if the snow-cleaning vehicles have had enough time to clean it, but you will need to be equipped to walk on the snow because, for a short part, the slope is quite steep and there may be ice. You can read it below:
Another great idea for the afternoon is to go up the mountains to enjoy a breathtaking panorama. The easiest and quickest way to do so is by taking one of the two cable cars from the town center and climb into the Dolomite peaks. Funivia Faloria, reaches 2,120 meters, or 6,955 feet, and is located just a short walk from Cortina's center. The cost of the ride should be, approximately, €30.
It's also possible to reach the top of Mount Tofane at 3,244 meters, or 10,643 feet, above sea level, using the cable car Funivia Freccia nel Cielo.
If you prefer, you can stop at the intermediate station of Col Drusciè, located at 1,778 meters, or 5,833 feet..
The price for the full ride, up and down, should be about €40, while for the Col Drusciè midway station, the price should be around €20.
At the station of each cable car you'll find a mountain lodge waiting to welcome you, so you can enjoy a meal at high altitude. During the low season, we recommend checking in advance whether the facilities are open.
If you prefer to take a ride with your car, the most advisable choice is to head to high altitudes along a Dolomite Pass, where it's possible to see breathtaking views without even having to walk.
Definitely our recommendation is to head west, through the Falzarego Pass, or you could also take the Giau Pass; both are extremely scenic and will leave you enchanted.
If you have never tackled a Dolomite pass, be prepared for several hairpin turns. Try to avoid these routes in bad weather or snow. In addition to taking unnecessary risks, the clouds would probably hide anything you might see.
If we were accompanying you, we would choose the Giau Pass, as the views are better and, once you reach the top, it's easier to park, to take a stroll, and have a cappuccino in the bar at the top. If you manage to reach the pass at sunset time, we can guarantee that you'll see something you will remember for the rest of your life.
Once your day is over, you can decide to take one last look at the stores or, perhaps, drink a Spritz Aperol, an almost mandatory alcoholic drink when you visit a bar in Veneto. It's the orange glass that you will see in many hands every evening. Prosecco is also a very typical drink.
The places where you can drink something are many, almost all concentrated along Corso Italia. All you have to do is choose one in tune with your style and enter. If you want to explore the topic further, we invite you to read the following article, where we discuss it in depth:
As the day comes to an end, you should be satisfied having seen the main attractions Cortina has to offer. Of course there could be different things to do. Even if you plan to stay for one day only, you might continue with the reading of the article; maybe you'll find some other interesting ideas to customize your visit to Cortina d'Ampezzo.
A Few Days Visit to Cortina
If you plan to stay in Cortina for a longer vacation, at least two or three days, you'll certainly have the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the area.
Your alternatives will be conditioned by the season in which you are staying in Cortina, but we personally recommend that you devote yourself to naturalistic activities. When you are in a mountain location, staying in contact with nature is the best thing you can do.
In summer, spring, and maybe also in fall, hiking is always a good idea. This is one of the most beautiful activities to do in the mountains, as it allows you to get completely in touch with nature. You can choose easy walks in the middle of greenery or more challenging hikes. The bravest can also go via ferrata or practice climbing.
If you are looking for an adrenalinic experience, we suggest you reach out to the professionals of the mountains, the alpine guides that have their office in the center of the town.
If you prefer to have a good hike but also satisfy your stomach, you might consider a trek with a mountain lodge as your destination. This way you can combine the pleasure of a hike with good food, indulging in a few treats without feeling too guilty.
Even if you visit Cortina in winter, you can still enjoy hiking on the groomed snow trails. We've talked about all these activities on a dedicated page, which we invite you to visit:
The mountains, however, are not only about outdoor walks. In summer you may plan a picnic in the woods. There are many perfect spots for this activity, but we recommend heading to the banks of the Boite stream, in the locality of Fiames.
This area is easy to reach both by car and by bus, and it's so wide that you'll surely find a free spot for you. Here you can sunbathe by the river or relax in the shade of the forest. The best area is definitely the one south of the park's parking lot, which can be reached by car or with a thirty-minute walk from the bus stop. Always remember to leave the forest clean, taking all the rubbish with you.
If the season is cold, a picnic may not be the ideal activity. In that case, there are many winter alternatives. You can start with downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, or ski mountaineering, which have made Cortina famous worldwide, or stick to a lesser-known sport, such as a nice skate at the Ice Stadium.
What we've shared here is only a small part of the possibilities we describe on our website, so we invite you to visit our home page, where you'll find everything you want to know about Cortina:
Alternatively, you could go and ask for some recommendations at the info point in the center of the town, who will surely be able to assist you with any question that has not been answered in these pages.
Long Vacations in Cortina
For nature lovers, spending a long time in Cortina will never be a problem. There are an endless number of places to visit and paths to walk. On the other hand, you may want to explore the surrounding valleys to discover other interesting places to see near Cortina.
There are many places to explore: from some charming villages in Cadore, such as Cibiana, to the splendid Dolomite lakes of Misurina and Braies. Since we assume that you've read the previous paragraphs. The topic is too wide to be written here, so we prefer to invite you to visit the specific page below, where we have collected the most beautiful things to see around Cortina:
Staying for an extended period of time increases the chances of running into bad weather. In case you have been unlucky, we can only recommend that you read the page below, where you can find some suggestions if you have to deal with bad weather.
Parking in Cortina
Finding a parking space in Cortina d'Ampezzo at certain times of the year is almost a mission impossible. During peak season and peak hours, the enormous influx of tourists quickly fills almost all the available parking spaces, both in the village and in the mountain passes, causing traffic and frustration.
If you have planned to do a very touristic trip, we recommend that you park your car before 8 AM. We assure you that waking up early will be rewarded by the chance to see the panorama without too many other tourists, but above all it will allow you to avoid unnecessary headaches about where to leave the car.
Since we know the importance of this topic, we have written an article in which we describe the most known parking lots, but we also share with you some lesser-known places to leave the car. You can find it below:
Tourist Flow
Let's conclude with an important clarification: Cortina is a town that is greatly affected by seasonality. During the months of August and December, but also on other Italian holidays, it's a town full of life.
The rest of the year, on the other hand, it's a fairly quiet place where relaxation and nature are the main attractions. There are, however, periods such as October, November, May, and June when most shops, bars, and restaurants are closed.
If you have decided to come to see Cortina during the low season, always check the actual opening of any facility, mountain lodge, restaurant, or store you have decided to visit. The mountains and trails aren't going anywhere, but most of the activities shut down for several weeks during the year, including the ski lifts.
If you want to visit Cortina during peak season, it's highly recommended to make reservations well in advance and try to be smart by arriving before the crowds so you can find parking. We'll talk about it in the next chapter. You could also eat a little earlier than usual to avoid finding the restaurants full and having to wait. For more detailed information about the seasonality, you may read the following article:
Conclusion
We hope you liked this page on what you have to see in Cortina. Before saying goodbye, we would suggest you read our home page, with all the articles we wrote about Cortina d'Ampezzo.
If you want to thank us, you can read the page Support Us. If you only want to suggest a change, propose something, or just say hello, in the section Contacts and Info, you'll find all the ways to reach us.