DOLOMITES PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE
01 - Cortina d'Ampezzo
A picturesque town in the heart of the southern Alps in the Veneto region of Northern Italy
Information point
HOW TO GET THERE
32043 Province of Belluno, Italy, Cortina d'Ampezzo
Distance from Venice ~162 km (101 mi)
Travel time ~ 2 h
Distance from Bolzano ~110 km (~69 mi)
Travel time ~1 hour 50 minutes.
If you're traveling from Venice to Cortina by car, get on the A27 highway then take SS51 exit from A27 highway and follow SS51 to Strada Statale 51 di Alemagna/SR48 to Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Cortina has excellent connections to the nearby cities like Venice, Milan, or Innsbruck.
If you prefer to take a bus or train, then Venezia and Treviso airports run shuttle buses or private transfer services which will get you straight to your destination.
Otherwise -- just rent a car and follow the suggested route.
Distance from Venice ~162 km (101 mi)
Travel time ~ 2 h
Distance from Bolzano ~110 km (~69 mi)
Travel time ~1 hour 50 minutes.
If you're traveling from Venice to Cortina by car, get on the A27 highway then take SS51 exit from A27 highway and follow SS51 to Strada Statale 51 di Alemagna/SR48 to Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Cortina has excellent connections to the nearby cities like Venice, Milan, or Innsbruck.
If you prefer to take a bus or train, then Venezia and Treviso airports run shuttle buses or private transfer services which will get you straight to your destination.
Otherwise -- just rent a car and follow the suggested route.
About Cortina d'Ampezzo
1,224 m
Elevation
6th century B.C.
First found referrence of presence of Mesolithic man
1956
Olympic games
5,842
Population (2017)
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a part of the Dolomiti Superski area, a luxury ski resort in northern Italy. Because of the Olympic games in 1956, there are still a few artifacts left that attract tourists to this day: the Ice Stadium, abandoned ski jump Trampolino Olimpico Italia, the Eugenio Monti bobsleigh run, and a few others.
There are also other places of interest in Cortina: the Museum of the Great War, dedicated to WWI, with its trenches, tunnels, and barracks; the Mario Rimoldi Modern Art Museum with the paintings by Renato Guttuso and Giorgio de Chirico.
The main street in Cortina, Corso Italia, is beautifully picturesque and definitely worth walking along -- coffee shops, malls, boutiques, and restaurants (with prices, though, a little higher than in nearby cities) where you can stop by, have a nice dinner, an excellent cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
There are also other places of interest in Cortina: the Museum of the Great War, dedicated to WWI, with its trenches, tunnels, and barracks; the Mario Rimoldi Modern Art Museum with the paintings by Renato Guttuso and Giorgio de Chirico.
The main street in Cortina, Corso Italia, is beautifully picturesque and definitely worth walking along -- coffee shops, malls, boutiques, and restaurants (with prices, though, a little higher than in nearby cities) where you can stop by, have a nice dinner, an excellent cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
historical reference
Through the centuries, Cortina was going back and forth to different countries. For example, in the Middle Ages, Ampezzo fell under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Aquileia and of the Holy Roman Empire. Then it was conquered by the republic of Venice in 1420. Much of Cortina's history was spent under Austrians with brief territorial changes under Napoleon.
From the 19th century and the emerging popularity of tourism, Ampezzo became a notable center for crafts, which were especially appreciated by the British and German holidaymakers: wood crafts, tiled stoves, iron, copper, and glass items. Now, Cortina thrives on tourism, particularly during the winter season, when the population of the town increases five times.
One of the town's famous and charming old buildings, The Basilica Minore dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo, rigth in the center of the main street -- home to the parish and the deanery of Cortina d'Ampezzo, was built in-between 1769 and 1775 on the site of even older churches, from the 13th and 16th centuries.
From the 19th century and the emerging popularity of tourism, Ampezzo became a notable center for crafts, which were especially appreciated by the British and German holidaymakers: wood crafts, tiled stoves, iron, copper, and glass items. Now, Cortina thrives on tourism, particularly during the winter season, when the population of the town increases five times.
One of the town's famous and charming old buildings, The Basilica Minore dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo, rigth in the center of the main street -- home to the parish and the deanery of Cortina d'Ampezzo, was built in-between 1769 and 1775 on the site of even older churches, from the 13th and 16th centuries.
Cortina has a long history with Winter Olympic games, it failed to host 1944 Olympics because of WWII, but then caught up with it in 1956, and will co-host Winter Olympics for the second time in 2026. Cortina is also the start and end point of the annual Dolomites Gold Cup Race.
Several films were shot in Cortina, including famous James Bond For Your Eyes Only (1981).