Skiing / Snowboarding
Cortina has some of the best skiing for beginners and intermediates. Cortina is not for those advanced skiers seeking a challenge, but the skiing is varied and extensive enough to offer plenty of options. The temperatures here are freezing, but mild. The slopes have hours of both shade and sun which allows skiers to adjust their skiing accordingly. While snow can be thin early or late in the season, the snow making allows for the resort to supplement the weather.

Beginners will find that Cortina ranks among the best in Europe. At Tofana, beginners are able to work their way down the slope on the long, winding run. The lifts on this run are slow-moving so that beginners can get comfortable. Cortina boasts 39 easy runs. Although these face south and are at the base of the mountain, the snow making facilities here allow for fairly good conditions through the season.

Cortina caters mostly to intermediate skiers. Over 60 percent of all the runs are rated intermediate. Not only are the intermediate runs excellent, the views afforded by the slopes of the valley below are breathtaking. The popular six-mile run off the back of the Lagazuoi towards Armentarola is, by far, the most rewarding intermediate run. With so many intermediate slopes, skiers on these runs will always have decent snow.

Even with a small number of slopes, advanced skiers will find a few outstanding runs in Cortina. Tofana is the best place for advanced skiers to head in this area. cliff-flanked moguls at Forcella Staunies offer another opportunity. Only three of Cortina's 56 runs are coded to advanced skiing.

Cortina does have a funpark with a half-pipe and allows snowboarders on all the slopes, but snowboarding is not one of the major activities here. Both ski schools offer snowboarding instruction.

No night skiing is offered in the Cortina area. There is no regularly scheduled helicopter skiing in Cortina. There are no formal facilities for tubing or tobogganing in the valley. While there is snowmobiling in Cortina, it is heavily patrolled and all well outside the city center.

There are over 30 miles of prepared trails fro cross-country which allow for a wide range of difficulty and beautiful scenery. Equipment can be rented at the Cortina Cross-County School along with instruction.

Ice climbers will find that the No Hai Mas and Lucy in the Sky ice falls provide even expert-level ice climbers a challenging time. Climbers with anything less than advanced-level skills would do well to hire an instructor or mountain guide.

Children's Ski And Winter Activities
Cortina may be the best Italian ski resort for older children, but that is not saying much. There is no non-skiing child care in Cortina and, since driving is allowed within the village, cars cruise along at dangerous speeds. In addition, some of the ski runs actually empty out into, near, and across roads.

For those children who do come to Cortina to ski, the local ski schools accept children four and older and offer kid-oriented lessons on some of the best nursery slopes in Europe. Equipment is available in the village of Cortina.

Teenagers will find Cortina much more "friendly". Cortina has video arcades, a cinema, swimming, and ice skating. Not to mention the snow rafting and dog-sledding that are available.

Apres-ski
If you are looking for variety in your apres-ski, Cortina is the place to be. Beginning with an evening stroll along the pedestrian corridor, you can try the delicious northern Italian regional fare at one of the many restaurants. Most of the restaurants are casual, but you may find that the vacationing Italians view dinner as a dress-up affair. There are other types of food available, but the choices are pretty limited.

Most of the clubs in Cortina do not open until 11:00 p.m. and go well into the morning. There are quieter establishments that include wine bars or piano bars for those who don't want to party until they drop.

Although there is a cinema here, the movies are shown twice a day and are dubbed in Italian, so be prepared to read the subtitles.

Attractions
There are plenty of year-round events and festivals in Cortina to keep everyone occupied. There are a few small museums and over 200 shops in which to find some great buys from all over the world.

Day trips to Venice are fairly easy to plan. Venice is about two hours away from Cortina and there is a bus and train that take visitors there.

Lift Facilities
Cortina offers 52 lifts to carry visitors to over 87 miles of trails. These lifts include 19 draglifts, 27 traditional chairlifts, and six cable cars. This allows for 53,000 skiers to be moved up the hill every hour. There are ski buses to transfer skiers from lift to lift, but these tend to be overcrowded and fairly irregular. The rest of the lift system rarely sees large crowds.

Lift Tickets
Two ticket plans exist at Cortina. The Cortina Area Pass includes Cortina, San Vito, Auronzo, and Misurina. The Dolomiti Super Ski Pass includes access to the entire Dolomite region which encompasses 450 lifts, 50 ski resorts, and about 746 miles of groomed trails.

The first pass is fine for those spending a week in the area. The second pass is the best value for those skiers who have plenty of time to explore the entire region during their stay. There are reduced rates for children and seniors.

Snow Conditions
Cortina gets an average snowfall of 117 inches yearly. The season here can run from mid-December until mid-March. With many trails that are sometimes shaded, ice can be an issue on the slopes, but there is snowmaking equipment on almost 50 percent of the runs. This helps keep the runs in fairly good condition throughout the season.

Travel Time
We provide transportation from Venice airport to the hotels. It is a two and a half hour ride. You could rent a car, but parking in Cortina is hard to find and can be expensive.