Introduction
On this page we want to suggest some activities to do in Cortina d'Ampezzo in the different seasons. Things to do in a town like Cortina are pleasant and relaxing, but you should always remember that it's a small town in the middle of the mountains, not a big metropolis with hundreds of events each month.
... in peak season you'll find many people, in low season it's a natural oasis of quietness...
Depending on the time of year you decide to visit, Cortina changes face: in peak season you'll find many people, shopping and nightlife, in low season it's a natural oasis of quietness.
It's important to write that, in a few months of the year, most of the shops and restaurants are closed. To better understand the seasonality in the different months of the year, below you can read a deeper article, but whatever time of year you decide to visit, Cortina definitely deserves the name Pearl of the Dolomites.
What to do in winter in Cortina
There are a lot of activities you can do in winter in Cortina. The first to mention are the winter sports that have made our mountains famous all over the world. Skiing is the most practiced, but there are also ice skating or snow hiking, towards one of the many mountain lodges, often sledding down instead of walking.
What has made Cortina one of the most desirable winter destinations has been its ability to mix sports with social life. Its guests have the opportunity to have fun with skis on their feet, stopping to eat on the slopes, in front of a panorama that is unique in the world. Then they can go downtown, stroll down Corso Italia and see the many stores of the most desired brands. Has this topic intrigued you? Then we invite you to read the following article:
What to do in summer in Cortina
Mountains can be amazing also without the charme of the snow, because, generally, the weather is less suffocating. Coming to the mountains will allow you to cool off a bit by walking in the woods, in the shade of trees, or on the shores of an alpine lake.
You could also take a more challenging hike, lunching at one of the many mountain lodge, or a thrilling ferrata, and then end the day with an aperitif, perhaps on the terrace of one of the many trendy clubs downtown.
Alternatively, you could take your bicycle and venture out to explore the valley's beautiful scenic trails, or test your nerves at the adventure park. If you would like to learn more about this topic, you should read the following article:
What to do in Cortina when it rains
There's nothing to do, someone will have bad luck and will find rainy days during their holidays. That's why you should be prepared, thinking in advance about what to do in case of rain or snow. Fortunately, mountain resorts are well equipped to deal with such unpleasantness.
A rainy day in Cortina could be something like: sleeping until late, breakfast in one of the pastry shops of the center, shopping in the morning in the shops of Corso Italia. You could also have a fancy lunch in a good restaurant, sipping a glass of good wine.
You could spend the afternoon on culture, visiting one of the museums in the valley. Then you could drink something, after all you are on vacation, some exceptions to the rules can be made. If the bad weather lasts a few days, and you need a few more ideas, on the page below we write deeply about this topic:
What to see in Cortina
Although the town is quite small, there are many things to see in Cortina d'Ampezzo. If you have decided to visit us for a single day, it would be a good idea to focus only on Corso Italia, the pedestrian street in the center of the town, described in the next chapter. After lunch you could take a walk near the center. We suggest you walk the "former powder road", that is the first part of this hike, or the former railway.
If you plan to stay for more days you can deepen your knowledge of our town and what it has to offer.
If you'd read all the various articles on our site you'd get a pretty good idea of what to do on your vacation, but if you'd prefer a shorter brief, the following article is the one for you:
A walk in Corso Italia
The beating heart of Cortina is Corso Italia. It's a pedestrian island, in the center of the town, where the most fashionable stores alternate with trendy bars and clubs. Some of the world's most prestigious clothing brands have one window in the center to show their products to the guests of Cortina.
Corso Italia is the meeting place for the entire population of Cortina. After a day on the ski slopes, in the mountains, or at work, people find themselves in the center to have an aperitif and spend some time with friends.
Along Corso Italia you can admire some of the town's most famous public buildings: from the distinctive bell tower of 1858, made entirely of Dolomite, to the Basilica of Saints Philip and James. From the Comun Vecio, the former town hall, to the Ciasa dei pupe, translated as "the house of the kids". These buildings are inextricably linked to Cortina's history. If you are interested in this topic, you should read the article below:
The "Regole" Museums
The Regole d'Ampezzo are a centuries-old institution established to manage the forests and pastures, ensuring their responsible use by the "regolieri". They are the original inhabitants of Cortina, who have been in the territory for many generations.
Thanks to the efforts of the Regole, it has been possible to preserve the integrity of the territory over the centuries. It's so important that some illustrious Ampezzans decided to donate their priceless legacy to this institution. Using this heritage the "Regole" decided to build Cortina's three main museums.
The "Regole" museums are three, two of them are named after Mario Rimoldi and Rinaldo Zardini, respectively. In the first it's possible to admire one of the most significant private collections for 20th-century Italian art. The second is one of the largest existing fossil collections, with more than 1,000 different species exposed. The third is a look of life in Cortina in the past centuries. If you would like to learn more about this topic, please read the following page:
The Vespa private museum
In Cortina there is a guy named Marco, who has created a private museum dedicated to his great passion: the Vespa. As you can read in the title, this is a private exhibit, open to the public only by appointment, assuming Marco is available.
Don't be intimidated because this is a private exhibit: Marco is a fantastic person. He will have no problem welcoming you, if you share the same passion as him. Obviously this is something he does as a hobby, so you can't be certain that he will actually have the time to show you his creation, but if you are curious you should try to contact him.
In the next article you can read many details and, at the end, you'll find his contact:
Other must read articles
This page is a collection of articles about the best things to do in Cortina, but it's not the only "must read" page of our website.
Surely the first article we want to recommend is the page more related to this one. In between activities, you will probably want to eat something, or visit a mountain lodge, or get out of the center of the town. In case, this is the page for you:
If your vacation lasts some days, and you are equipped with a car, you may want to visit other places in the surroundings of Cortina. In case you find it interesting, you should read this page:
Whatever the length of your visit, you could have some questions about the town you are visiting. What is its history? Where can I park the car? What can I expect to find in other months of the year? In this section of our website we want to answer these, and other, questions:
Coming to Cortina and not going hiking would be a real shame. If you are looking for the best routes, to make rewarding, but not too demanding treks, suitable for the whole family, this is the page for you:
Conclusion
We hope you liked this page about what to do in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Before saying goodbye, we would suggest you read all the articles we wrote about Cortina d'Ampezzo by clicking here.
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