Cortina d`Ampezzo

1 Description of the resort Cortina d`Ampezzo is a popular winter sport resort ,located in north-eastern Italy near the border with Austria ,in the heart of the Dolomites Alps

The area of Cortina d`Ampezzo is characterized by the typical Dolomite environment mostly covered with large lawns and pine woods. Also known as theRegina delle Dolomiti (Queen of the Dolomites),Cortina d`Ampezzo is situated at an altitude of over 1200 m and is surrounded by some impressive rocky peaks(some of them higher than 3000 m):Tofana ,Il Cristallo and the most famous Cinque Torri (Five Towers).

Cortina has nearly 7000 inhabitants, has an old tradition in winter sports(Cortina d`Ampezzo was the host town of the 1956 Winter Olympics),and it offers something for everyone who wishes to see it(especially for skiiers).

2 Accommodation
Nowadays there are 59 hotels in Cortina and they are part of the century old local tradition of hospitality of which every one is proud. The resort has : - 2 five stars hotels - 15four stars hotels - 35three stars hotels - 4 two stars hotels - 3 hotels with one star As an alternative to hotels you can also try :farmhouses, bed&breakfast or camp sites. There are also 18 000 beds offered by private apartments .

In my opinion one of the most charming hotels of Cortina is Hotel Ancora,a 4 stars hotel .Ancora is one of the oldest hotels in Cortina(built in 1826).The hotel is built in the characteristic Ampezzano style with wooden balconies and intricately carved and painted interior details.The Ancora`s newly decorated rooms feature jacuzzi baths ,balconies and splendid views of the mountains, the valley and Cortina`s historic bell tower.They are equipped with satelite TV ,internet connection,direct telephone,mini-bar,safe.The price of a double room/person is between 100 and 170 euro.

The outdoor teraces are unforgettable.They overlook Cortina`s main promenade so that the visitor can sit and watch all the beautiful people go by , or appreciating the wonderfull peaks that surround Cortina.

3 Restaurants
In Cortina there are many restaurants that offer local and international cuisine . For example Leone e Ana Restaurant offers traditional Sardinian cuisine : spaghetti with botarga ,Gallura soup, malureddus(home-made dumplings with tomato and Sardinian salami sauce). The Pizzeria Ristorante Vienna offers great pasta recipes an amazing variety of pizza and traditional dishes. There are also a couple of enotheques(wine shops)that display many wine brands.

4 Sport facilities
The resort offers many sport facilities like:- the Olympic Ice Stadium - Cortina Swimming Pool - Bob Track - Olympic Ski-jumping Board - snowboard and ski schools - guides and sports groups Also Cortina offers 110 km of downhill tracks and 58 km of country ones The lift sistem consists in 30 chairlifts, 6 gondolas,15 surface lifts.

5 Leisure activities
The most important leisure activities in winter are: Snowshoeing(walking in the mountains with special guides and with special snowshoes) Ski mountaineering (only for the most experienced skiiers) Skiing Sleighing Extreme sports like:-crazy sledge -taxi-bob -snow rafting -exteme skiing

You can also visit the superb Park of the Ampezzo Dolomites and the Museum of the Great War, or do shopping on the main streat(Corso Italia).There are 250 elegant shops and butiques stocked with the latest Italian fashion:shoes,clothing ,jewels,antiques,art galleries,high quality local handicraft works.

6 How to get to Cortina

You can get to Cortina by: Bus ,there are many bus companies that go to the winter sport resorts from north-eastern Italy, with departures from Bucharest, Timisoara, Iasi and Constanta. Airplaine,from Bucharest or Timisoara to Venice or Verona and from there you take the bus again.

The End