Cortina d'Ampezzo, Cortina d'Ampezzo

Italy's most famous and stylish resort, often ranked along side St Moritz (you can play polo on snow at both), Cortina d'Ampezzo is certainly one of the world's best known ski centres. The resort, beloved by James Bond Roger Moore and earlier Ernest Hemmingway was host to the 1956 Winter Olympics. Located in the wide sunny Ampezzo valley, Cortina is surrounded by the spectacular back drop of the Dolomites, with their famous vertical sides and pink rock used to great effect in the recent hit movie 'Cliffhanger' (no, that wasn't Colorado...) Despite being only 40km (25 miles) from the southern Austrian border, Cortina differs from most of the other resorts in the Dolomites in that there is no strong Germanic influence, common in the South Tyrol. Instead the resort is very Italian and very chic, beloved by the great and the good of Milan, Rome and Venice, many of whom have second homes here. Cortina's long history as a world class ski resort, dating from the sport's earliest days is reflected by the variety of long-standing annual international comptetions staged here, including the Women's Ski world Cup every January, national and international bobsleigh competitions, the famous Dobbiaco - Cortina 42km International Cross-Country ski race on the first Sunday of February, the Winter Polo Cup and a range of ice hockey, figure skating and curling events. More distant history is provided in the museums of Palaentology and Ethnology.