New flight from London Gatwick to Bolzano airport with Sky Alps

SkyAlps airways. Photo by Armin Pixner- Alta Badia Brand. New flight from London Gatwick to Bolzano airport with Sky Alps

New flight from London Gatwick to Bolzano airport with Sky Alps

A new flight is launching on 15 December 2021 from London Gatwick to Bolzano airport with Sky Alps. This flight will operate weekly on Wednesday in December. It will then operate twice weekly on Wednesday and Sundays from Jan 5-16 March, 2022.
Prices start at £116 each way. Bolzano is only 90 minutes from renown resort Alta Badia. This is as well as all the different resorts from Sudtirol and Trentino.
Usually people going to Sudtirol or Trentino tend to go to Verona or Innsbruck or Bergamo. This new route opens a much easier connection to the heart of the Dolomites. People going to Trentino or Belluno (home of Cortina d’Ampezzo), use Venice or Milano (MXP or LIN).
Santa Croce in Alta Badia. Photo by Paola Finali- Alta Badia Brand. New flight from London Gatwick to Bolzano airport with Sky Alps
Santa Croce in Alta Badia. Photo by Paola Finali- Alta Badia Brand. New flight from London Gatwick to Bolzano airport with Sky Alps

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News of Cortina d’Ampezzo for the 2021-22 ski season.

News of Cortina d’Ampezzo for the 2021-22 ski season. Photo credit: Pietro Albarelli. Cortina Marketing.

News of Cortina d’Ampezzo for the 2021-22 ski season.

Cortina d’Ampezzo is preparing for the 2021-22 ski season. Here you have the news of the Queen of the Dolomites.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

A classic in Cortina d'Ampezzo- Bombardino in a terrace absorbing great views! Photo credit: Cortina Marketing.
A classic in Cortina d’Ampezzo- Bombardino in a terrace absorbing great views! Photo credit: Cortina Marketing.

New chairlift: Ra Valles

There will be a new four-seater chairlift in the area of Ra Valles. This is the highest in Cortina. You reach it with the Freccia nel Cielo Gondola and cablecar from the town centre. This new chairlift will replace two lifts.
It will reduce transport time dramatically. You will be able to reach much faster the top of the Bus de Tofana slope. This is the highest slope in Cortina,starting at 2,743m.

Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead.

Tofana, ISTA. Cortina d'Ampezzo. Photo: www.bandion.com- 3. Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead.

Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead.

Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are set to go ahead. Dates will be 7th to 21st February 2021 as planned.
 
The FIS have decided to go ahead after seeing CONI and FISI gave the ISF their assessment. This assessment showed the financial impact of Covid-19 to the local area. The area risks not being able to enjoy the event to the full but will host it in the best way possible.
This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.
 
Ski Tofana. Credits: Ute Dandrea. Cortina d'Ampezzo. Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead.
Ski Tofana. Credits: Ute Dandrea. Cortina d’Ampezzo. Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead.

The Infrastructure for Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

The majority of the infrastructures projects for Cortina 2021 are at the Tofana ski area. This is where the competitions will take place.
The area has completed slopes on the pistes Olympia, Vertigine and Druscié A.
Lino Lacedelli is a new slope built in the Cinque Torri area. This is the first Italian slope dedicated to training sessions and competitions. The slope has all safety features for doing so. The building of the new cable car has finished – Cortina – Col Drusciè “Freccia nel cielo”. This project counted with public and private investment.
Tofana. ISTA. www.bandion.it. Cortina Marketing. Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead.
Tofana. ISTA. www.bandion.it. Cortina Marketing. Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead.

Cortina Dolomiti Ultra Trekking

Passeggiata ex- convento. Credits Cortina Marketing. Cortina Dolomiti Ultra Trekking.

Cortina Dolomiti Ultra Trekking

If you like trekking in the mountains, you would love to do this ultra-trekking. The Cortina Dolomiti Ultra Trekking. What does it entail?
All in all, 132 km and more than 6,700 vertical drop. The Cortina Dolomiti Ultra Trekking is a trek of 7 days/6 nights. You stay in mountain lodges and traditional malga mountain huts. This is a great way to see the Dolomites and taste their amazing local produce.
Lago Misurina. Credits: Pietro Albarelli. Cortina Dolomiti Ultra Trekking.
Lago Misurina. Credits: Pietro Albarelli. Cortina Dolomiti Ultra Trekking.

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Cortina Marketing and the Guide Alpine Cortina have put this trekking together. The Tourism Board of Cortina d’Ampezzo also participated. This project enjoys the patronage of the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation.
The idea of this trek is to find some hidden locations around Cortina. You will experience the Dolomites, going from hut to hut, amongst forests, rivers and lakes. You will be able to see malga mountain huts, and traditional Ladin villages. And the peaks! Peaks here are amazing! The Enrosadira is an effect that make you see the mountains with pink hues in the alpenglow. This is due to the large quantities of calcium and magnesium carbonates in the Dolomites.
Rifugio Città di Carpi. Credits: Pietro Albarelli. Cortina Dolomiti Ultra Trekking.
Rifugio Città di Carpi. Credits: Pietro Albarelli. Cortina Dolomiti Ultra Trekking.
You can see the details of this ultra trekking with a 3d map at the official website of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Stage 1 – From Cortina d’Ampezzo to Rifugio Son Forca

Starting point: Piazza Angelo Dibona, at the foot of the Cortina bell tower. Follow Via del Castello (which starts at the end of the pedestrian road). Go on till you reach the intersection with the road leading to the hamlet Cadin on the left of the state road. After crossing the state road, go uphill towards Cadin. Pass the Village’s church and reach the end of the village of Cadin di Sopra. There take the CAI track number 410, which leads to Lago Ghedina.
You need to have refreshments/water with you, as there will be nowhere to get anything for about 3 or 4 hours.
Lago Ghedina. Credits: PIetro Albarelli. Cortina Marketing. Cortina Dolomiti Ultra Trekking.
Lago Ghedina. Credits: PIetro Albarelli. Cortina Marketing. Cortina Dolomiti Ultra Trekking.
Take track number 409 till you reach Posporcora Pass. Then go downhill on track number 408. Keep on until you reach the intersection with track number 417 to Pian da Ra Spines. You have to go on until San’t Uberto car park. From there you take the path leading to the cycle path that brings you to Rifugio Ospitale. This was a welcoming venue that once hosted the pilgrims on the way to Santiago di Compostela.
Then continue for about 7 km, with a total ascent of 700 m, on track n° 203, along the Padeon valley. Spend the night at the mountain lodge Rifugio Son Forca, on mount Cristallo.

Stage 2 – From Rifugio Son Forca to Rifugio Città di Carpi

The second day starts at the mountain lodge Rifugio Son Forca: follow track  203 to the Tre Croci Pass. Cross the state road on the pass and follow track 215. Keep on going until you reach the beautiful Lake Sorapis and the Rifugio Vandelli. Here there is an exposed road on places, so be careful. Once there you can either spend the night at Rifugio Vandelli or carry on. You can go towards Federavecchia on track 217, through the enchanting Somadida forest. Once in Federavechia, cross the road and take track 120. This will bring you to the Rifugio Città di Capri, where you can stay overnight.

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Cortina d’Ampezzo is ready for a new summer season

5 Torri. Cortina d'Ampezzo. Credits Luca Menardi. Cortina Marketing. Cortina d’Ampezzo is ready for a new summer season.

Cortina d’Ampezzo is ready for a new summer season

Cortina d’Ampezzo is ready to open this summer season. Tourist lodgings, eateries and attractions are working on a safe and relaxing summer. The Dolomites is a great destination to enjoy and relax on spectacular settings.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

The Lagazuoi cable car. Photo: Nicolò Rinaldi- @nclrnld. Cortina Marketing. Cortina d’Ampezzo is ready for a new summer season.
The Lagazuoi cable car. Photo: Nicolò Rinaldi- @nclrnld. Cortina Marketing. Cortina d’Ampezzo is ready for a new summer season.
 
Italian borders have opened  on June 3rd and Cortina is waiting new guests with open arms. The Lagazuoi cable car has opened on 30th May. Hikers and sightseers can access the top of Mount Lagazuoi to enjoy the vistas. In June the lifts of 5 Torri, Tofane and Cristallo will follow, and in July the Faloria will reopen. (See all dates here).
 
Some mountain lodges, hotels, restaurants and shops are already opened. Many others will do so in June. There are guidelines and regulations laid for safety in all types of situations.
Imagine being yourself here.... I can dream of it... Sauna Croda da Lago. Photo: www.bandion.it. Cortina Marketing. Cortina d’Ampezzo is ready for a new summer season.
Imagine being yourself here…. I can dream of it… Sauna Croda da Lago. Photo: www.bandion.it. Cortina Marketing. Cortina d’Ampezzo is ready for a new summer season.

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Cortina, an example of resilience in the tourism sector

Cortina d'Ampezzo. Credits: Cortina Marketing. Cortina, an example of resilience in the tourism sector.

Cortina, an example of resilience in the tourism sector

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Cortina’s history as a tourism destination is at least 160 years long. In the 1860s, climbers and explorers like Viennese Paul Grohmann started making the Dolomites, and in particular Cortina d’Ampezzo, famous throughout Europe. The British, Austrian and German nobility and high bourgeoisie began flocking to Cortina for their summer holidays, attracted by the beauty of the landscape, the numerous adventure options and the positive effects of fresh air and a pristine environment on their health.

This first golden age of tourism was not to last forever: when the First World War broke out, Cortina d’Ampezzo found itself on the frontline, and when the peace was signed it was passed from Austria to Italy. Europe was not the same as before, the Belle Époque had gone for good and the tough war years had reshaped the interests and values of a poorer population. Nevertheless, the taste for beauty and adventure did not fade. Tourists gradually returned to Cortina, the Italian high society replacing fallen royal families. The 1930s saw the boom of winter tourism, Cortina’s success was unrivalled, with 52 hotels hosting over 600,000 overnight stays in 1937, and the town was appointed to host the Winter Olympic Games in 1944.

Foto Storiche Video Archivio Storico Giuseppe Ghedina 1898-1986_Manaz Productions. Cortina, an example of resilience in the tourism sector.
Foto Storiche Video Archivio Storico Giuseppe Ghedina 1898-1986_Manaz Productions. Cortina, an example of resilience in the tourism sector.

A few years later, the flourishing tourism economy of Cortina was once again disrupted by war. The town was still able to host the World Ski Championships in 1941, but the 1944 Olympics were cancelled. When the war stopped, the social and economic situation in Europe was catastrophic, and yet tourism in Cortina slowly recovered. In the 1950s, the Italian economic miracle marked the growth of a wealthy middle class, and tourism stopped being an activity only for the ultra-rich. Cortina was fast in reacting, as only two years after the war the destination bid for the 1956 Winter Olympic. This enhanced the phase of renaissance already taking place and gave residents the necessary motivation to keep working and renovating the town. The Games marked Cortina’s definite comeback on the international scene and gave it a special place in the hearts and minds of Italians as a dream mountain destination.

Foto Storiche Video Archivio Storico Giuseppe Ghedina 1898-1986_Manaz Productions. Cortina, an example of resilience in the tourism sector.
Foto Storiche Video Archivio Storico Giuseppe Ghedina 1898-1986_Manaz Productions. Cortina, an example of resilience in the tourism sector.

Ever since, Cortina’s image and tourism sector have reshaped a number of times: from the party town of the 1980s to the place of Italy’s jet-set in the early 2000, to a shift back to sports, nature and wellbeing after the crisis of 2009.

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A Dolomites train project could be ready for the 2026 Olympics

A Dolomites train project could be ready for the 2026 Olympics. This train is one working at Sudtirol. IDM Sudtirol. Photo: Hans-Peter Leu. A unique experience is provided by the new railway line from Merano/Meran to Malles/Mals: the train brings you to Malles, where you can rent a bike and return slightly downhill alongside the orchards and ancient sites of the old Roman trade route Via Claudia Augusta.

A Dolomites train project could be ready for the 2026 Olympics

The project that will link the provinces of Trentino, Alto Adige (Sudtirol) and Veneto has a high degree of feasibility according to former councillor Mauro Gilmozzi. The cost is of one billion two hundred million Euros to be absorbed by the State and the provinces.

The Dolomites train could become a reality by 2026, in time for the Winter Olympics. Connecting Trento to Bassano, then to Feltre, Belluno, Calalzo, Cortina, Dobbiaco, Bressanone, Bolzano and returning to Trento.

An Italian traain in Verona Porta Nova Train Station. A Dolomites train project could be ready for the 2026 Olympics.
An Italian traain in Verona Porta Nova Train Station. A Dolomites train project could be ready for the 2026 Olympics.

A challenge that has a very specific name: Ring Dolomiti. The feasibility is “high” according to Mauro Gilmozzi, former councillor for infrastructures and the environment of the junta Dellai. “We keep in mind that for the most part this ring is already there.”

Total cost: from one billion two hundred million upwards. What seems an onerous amount, “… would be a cost to be divided between various agencies, the Provinces, the State.”

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Lunch at Baita Sofie in Seceda, Val Gardena, Dolomiti Superski, Sudtirol

Baita Sofie on Monte Seceda in the Dolomites of Val Gardena on a sunny day. Lunch at Baita Sofie in Seceda, Val Gardena, Dolomiti Superski, Sudtirol.

Lunch at Baita Sofie in Seceda, Val Gardena, Dolomiti Superski, Sudtirol

Last weekend I was skiing in the Dolomites, specifically in Kronplatz, Alte Badia, Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi, all in the Sudtirol province.

We were a group of very good skiers (except myself, that I am worst each year that goes by), and the Dolomites have received the biggest storm this year – between 50 and 80 cm in one go. This made that all the passes in the Sella Ronda were closed. But last Saturday, we left our lovely 5 stars hotel in Corvara (the Sassongher) to get up to the top of Alta Badia- The snow was soft, really nice, and deep. For being on piste, it was a bit tracked up, which was difficult for me, but slowly – really slowly, I get to meet my group, who were fresh of waiting for me! I’ve thought this year I was really in shape, but I guess that, as I am getting into my 50’s, it means that I need to do much more to be really fit!

Lunch at Baita Sofie in Seceda, Val Gardena, Dolomiti Superski, Sudtirol.
Lunch at Baita Sofie in Seceda, Val Gardena, Dolomiti Superski, Sudtirol.

Anyways, from Corvara, after a pit-stop at the Rifugio Bioch for a grappa – (I’ve stayed with a doppio espresso cappuccino decafeinatto- that is what I was drinking these days), we braved the windy morning and kept our way towards the Passo Gardena and then down into Selva in Val Gardena. From there was up again and down to Santa Cristina – the neighbouring village in Val Gardena. From down Santa Cristina we took an underground funicular to then take another gondola and a chairlift up to the Seceda.

From up there we skied a bit down to Baita Sofie- stuck pretty much at the top of Seceda, at 2,410 meters over sea level, with magnificent views of the Sassolungo and the Gruppo della Sella.

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THE-SKI-GURU TRAVEL takes you to a long Ski Safari in the Dolomites

The-Ski-Guru Travel takes you to a Long Ski Safari in the Dolomites. Photo: Giuseppe Ghedina.

 The-Ski-Guru Travel takes you to a long Ski Safari in the Dolomites. If you are one of those that likes variety, and want to know lots of places in one go, and perhaps, gets bored to ski in one area all week long, then you should come and do a ski safari with us. The place, the mighty Dolomites, with their sun drenched pink mountaintops – caused by the Enrosadira effect. This Ski-Safari takes you from hut-to-hut in the Dolomites, using the lift-serviced pistes and having your small luggage delivered for you every day so you can concentrate in your skiing.

The-Ski-Guru Travel takes you to a Long Ski Safari in the Dolomites. Photo: Giuseppe Ghedina.
The-Ski-Guru Travel takes you to a Long Ski Safari in the Dolomites. Photo: Giuseppe Ghedina.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Experience the Dolomiti Superski – a “carousel” of 12 inter-connected resorts with 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) of prepared pistes!
  • Ski “hut-to-hut” staying in family-run mountain rifugios and charming hotels – the perfect combination of mountain accommodations
  • Savour the delicious, hearty cuisine the Dolomites are known for as you taste your way from valley to valley…
  • Enjoy superb skiing with our world-class, certified ski mountain guides, who will show you the best of the Dolomites on skis!

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