Cortina d’Ampezzo: Best Winter & Summer Experiences in the Dolomites

In the Dolomites, the seasons don’t replace each other – they reveal different faces of the same wonder. Cortina d’Ampezzo, the “Queen of the Dolomites,” sits in a wide, sunlit valley ringed by UNESCO-listed peaks, making it a year-round stage for mountain adventures. Winter here is all glittering ridgelines, glacier views and starry-night rituals; summer opens into a green basin of trails, bike routes and long lunches at alpine huts. Below is our selection of standout experiences to help you plan days that feel both memorable and easy.

Winter in Cortina

Fat-bike On Snow

In winter, special fat-bike trails are groomed in the Cortina area, allowing you to ride wide-tire bikes over packed snow. Guided outings often time the start for sunset, when the Dolomites take on their famous pink enrosadira glow, and may end with a traditional dinner in a mountain chalet.

Snowmobile Safari Toward Tre Cime

From the Misurina and Lago d’Antorno area, guided snowmobile excursions head toward the high plateau beneath Tre Cime di Lavaredo, one of the most iconic massifs in the Dolomites. These outings follow a dedicated winter route up from the lake, typically including a stop at a mountain refuge for views over Cadini di Misurina and the surrounding peaks. They are run with local guides and require normal ski clothing and winter footwear.

Sledding Under The Stars

Combine an evening ascent by snowmobile or snowcat with a traditional dinner in a mountain hut and a toboggan descent back toward the valley. The combination of torchlight, starry sky and quiet slopes makes this one of the area’s most atmospheric winter experiences.

Heli Tour & Heli-ski

From the Fiames heliport just outside Cortina, scenic helicopter flights lift you over some of the Dolomites’ most famous peaks and valleys, often including views toward Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Tofane and Marmolada.

Heli-ski experiences in the area make use of the limited authorized landing zones in the Dolomites, including the Marmolada glacier, the highest skiable area in the range. Here, long off-piste descents unfold with a certified mountain guide, combining aerial views with big-mountain skiing.

Sled-dog Experience

Dog-sled experiences near Cortina let you try being a musher for a short loop, guided and supervised by professionals. Teams of huskies pull the sled through open meadows and forest corridors, making it a popular activity for families and small groups who want a close-up, low-impact way to experience the snow.

Horse-drawn Sleigh Rides

In nearby Alta Badia and La Villa, traditional horse-drawn sleigh rides glide through snowy meadows and forest paths, wrapped in blankets with the steady sound of bells and hooves. It’s a gentle, scenic way to enjoy the winter landscape and is particularly suited to couples and families.

Ciaspe (Snowshoeing)

Snowshoes, known locally as ciaspe or ciaspole, turn winter hiking into something almost meditative. Marked routes in and around the Ampezzo Dolomites Nature Park let you walk through larch and fir forests, cross open clearings and reach panoramic huts without sinking into deep snow. Options range from easy, family-friendly loops to more committed outings, usually led by UIAGM-certified mountain guides who adapt distance and elevation to your fitness and snow conditions.

Ice Stadium & Indoor Climbing

A short walk from Cortina’s center, the historic Olympic Ice Stadium – originally built for the 1956 Winter Games – now hosts public ice skating sessions as well as ice sports such as ice hockey, figure skating, short track, curling and broomball.

When the weather turns or you want a vertical challenge indoors, the Lino Lacedelli climbing gym offers more than 80 routes from about grade 3b to 8b+, up to 24 meters high and around 30 meters in development. It’s designed as a full alternative to outdoor crags, with zones for both experienced climbers and beginners.

Summer in Cortina

Trekking Around Cortina

From late spring through autumn (roughly May to early November, depending on snow), the slopes around Cortina turn into a vast hiking network. Marked paths range from gentle valley walks to full-day hikes between passes, always with strong landscape, natural and often historical interest. You can choose routes through woodland and streams, circuits around alpine lakes or balcony paths that stay high and panoramic. Many itineraries link directly to mountain huts and farmsteads, so you can combine walking with a proper sit-down lunch.

Mountain Bike, Bike Park & E-bike

In the same May–November window, Cortina’s surroundings double as a large open-air bike park. A mix of forest roads, old military tracks and dedicated trails offers something for classic mountain bikes, e-bikes and gravity riders alike, with routes of varying physical and technical difficulty.

Rock Climbing & Via Ferrata

The Dolomites are the birthplace of via ferrata culture, and Cortina is one of its core hubs. Summer here means everything from introductory climbing on valley crags to guided days on historic via ferrata routes that weave ladders, cables and ledges into the vertical landscape. Guides choose objectives according to conditions and experience, so beginners and seasoned climbers alike can move through this terrain with appropriate protection and route choice.

The Right Place To Savor Tradition

Many of Cortina’s footpaths and bike routes lead to refuges, farm-based restaurants and mountain huts where you can taste local Ampezzo and Alpine cuisine. Some are accessible by car as well, but the classic way is to arrive on foot or by bike. A few notable stops include:

• SanBrite – A “farm kitchen” restaurant recognized for its modern yet deeply local approach and ingredients sourced from its own dairy and farm.
• El Brite de Larieto – A malga-style stop set among larch trees near Cortina, known for traditional Ampezzo dishes, cheeses and a warm, family-run atmosphere.
• Chalet Tofane – Near the Tofane slopes, this chalet has in recent years been managed in partnership with starred chef Graziano Prest (Tivoli) and sommelier Kristian Casanova, with a focus on carefully sourced ingredients, grilled dishes and pizzas that have drawn national attention.
• Rifugio Col Druscié – Reached by the Freccia nel Cielo cable car or by mountain track, this refuge offers panoramic views back over Cortina and is a classic spot to pause for lunch on the terrace.
• Rifugio Dibona – A historic refuge on the slopes of Tofana di Rozes, accessible by road and by trails, known for hearty mountain dishes and a wide terrace looking onto the surrounding walls.

In both seasons, these huts and farm restaurants anchor the experience: you move through forests and rock, then sit down to polenta, game, local cheeses and desserts that feel like a reward for the day.

In winter, Cortina’s white horizons carry you from helicopter ridgelines to snowmobile safaris and starlit sled runs. In summer, the same peaks offer wildflower paths, bike-friendly passes and long meals on sunlit terraces. Choose your season – or better, choose both. If you want a home base that rises to the scenery, explore our portfolio of luxury holiday chalets in the Dolomites.