Cortina d'Ampezzo (Summer)

Cortina D'Ampezzo is legendary to skiers, but less well known are its many year-round pleasures. Set high in the Dolomites, which rise around it to elevations of more than 10,000 feet, Cortina offers thrills for hikers, mountain bikers and rock climbers and stunning scenery for less dare-devil travelers. Some of the many hiking trails and paths have been adapted to mountain bike routes, other new routes have been created just for bikes. A single pass takes bikers to the top of all the area’s mountain lifts. In the summer, the resort’s many outfitters and sports shops turn from skiing to offering support and guides for hikers, as well as all ...

Cortina D'Ampezzo is legendary to skiers, but less well known are its many year-round pleasures. Set high in the Dolomites, which rise around it to elevations of more than 10,000 feet, Cortina offers thrills for hikers, mountain bikers and rock climbers and stunning scenery for less dare-devil travelers. Some of the many hiking trails and paths have been adapted to mountain bike routes, other new routes have been created just for bikes. A single pass takes bikers to the top of all the area’s mountain lifts. In the summer, the resort’s many outfitters and sports shops turn from skiing to offering support and guides for hikers, as well as all the equipment for mountaineering trips. Spas rejuvenate the tired muscles of summer hikers as well as they do the skiers in winter. More than 250 smart shops and boutiques show the latest Italian styles in shoes, clothing and jewelry, along with antiques, fine art and quality local crafts. Pedestrianized Corso Italia runs through the heart of Cortina, an elegant promenade that is lined with shops. There are several workshops where artists create glass work, wooden toys, brass sculptures, wooden boxes and jewel boxes with mother-of-pearl decoration, along with paintings and other works of art. The chairlifts and gondolas that carry skiers to their upper slopes in winter bring summer visitors to breathtaking viewpoints.

About the Expert

Barbara Radcliffe Rogers has written or coauthored more than 30 guidebooks, including The Portugal Traveler, Drive Around Portugal, City Spots Munich, City Spots Helsinki, City Spots Stockholm, Eating New England, and the Maine section of Thomas Cook's Independent Traveller USA.