Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

Dubbed the "Pearl of the Dolomites", CORTINA D'AMPEZZO is an upmarket, albeit slightly ageing, ski resort boasting a gorgeous setting, surrounded by a great circle of mountains. In the 1960s you were as just as likely to spot Hollywood stars such as Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren and Clark Gable sauntering down the Corso Italia as you were people in ski boots. Nowadays, the population swells from 7000 to around 40,000 during the ski season (roughly Christmas to Easter) although many of the fur-clad crowds packing out the art galleries, designer boutiques and antiques shops are unashamedly here for the pose factor rather than the slopes around the city.