Update as of 16th Decembre: due to the latest National Decree regarding Covid-19, ski lifts in Italy are not allowed to open until 7th January 2021.
Cortina opens the ski season of the Dolomites on 28th November, with many exciting news and improvements
Cortina d’Ampezzo will be among the first destinations opening the gates of the ski lifts for the winter season 2020-21, and first in the Dolomites. The first lifts will start operations on 28th November 2020, while the last ski area to close will be the Faloria, on 5th May 2021, making once more Cortina the destination with the longest ski season in the Dolomites.
The upcoming winter will be a particularly exciting one, as Cortina will host the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships from 7th to 21st February 2021 and will bring several improvements, both on the slopes and in town. The excitement for the ski event is palpable in the Queen of the Dolomites: it was since the preparation for the 1956 Olympics that the town did not live such an intense phase of joint public and private investment and renovations, involving different sectors and infrastructure: accommodation, roads, electricity lines, high-speed fiber, ski lifts and slopes.
On the slopes, the past winter season has seen the inauguration of the new Freccia nel Cielo gondola, from the town center to the slopes of Col Druscié, as well as the opening of the new slope Lino Lacedelli for athletes training in the Cinque Torri area. The upcoming ski season will see further improvements in the Tofana Ski Area: in Ra Valles there will be a new chair lift with cover and automatic coupling, substituting two existing ones and dramatically decreasing the time to reach the top, making skiing in the higher part of Tofana area even more enjoyable. The lift’s valley station is at 2,203 m of altitude and the arrival area is at 2,742 m, the highest point of the whole ski area of Cortina. An intermediate stop will enable skiers to stop there, making it easier to reach Rifugio Ra Valles, which offers its guests a stunning panoramic terrace and the highest Pizzeria of the Dolomites.
In town, local businesses are making huge efforts to be best prepared for the 2021 World Ski Championships and 2026 Winter Olympics. In particular, the hotel sector has been buzzing with renovation works in the last couple of years, ranging from refreshing rooms and common areas to expanding properties and all the way to completely renovating properties. More renovations are taking place, and some will be ready for the upcoming winter season. For instance, Hotel Ciasa Lorenzi has renovated its rooms, added a new wellness area and improved its look with a makeover of the exterior, while Hotel Faloria Mountain Spa Resort after further improvements will officially become Cortina’s fifth 5 star hotel.
In order to safeguard tourists and locals, new principles and guidelines will be applied in the ski areas of Cortina: social distancing, use of hand sanitizer and devices of personal protection will be regulated on ski slopes and lifts and all appropriate safety standards will be put in place.
Lastly, in order to ensure maximum safety during the Ski World Championships in February, the Organizing Committee of the Event is at constant work monitoring the development of the pandemic, nationally and internationally, with the collaboration of all relevant institutions: the International and Italian Ski Federations (FIS and FISI) and the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and the health and political authorities.
Check out here ski opening calendar.
Photo Credits: ©www.wisthaler.com – Dolomitisuperski
Cortina Marketing | Foreign Markets Office