Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1541556
C O U R T E S Y A M A N R O S A A L P I N A ; C O M O A L P I N A D O LO M I T E S CORTINA & THE DOLOMITES Roughly midway between the international airports of Innsbruck and Venice, Cortina is in the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most strikingly beautiful mountain landscapes on the planet. The region is named for the sedimentary rock found here, with soaring natural towers, cliffs, and massifs at every turn. It is home to Dolomiti Superski, the second- largest interconnected ski resort on earth (after France's Courchevel/Trois Vallees) with a dozen adjacent ski and snowboard resorts linked together by one of the world's most modern and efficient lift systems. More than 400 lifts, including numerous gondolas, trams, and high-speed six- and eight-passenger chairs, serve 700-plus miles of trails, all of which can be enjoyed without ever taking your skis or snowboard off (except to board gondolas, of course). The network is a large circle that spans two major valleys, Val Gardena and Alta Badia, which in turn contain countless charming small villages and a dozen larger towns, each with standout lodging and dining, all ski-in/ski-out. Cortina itself sits on the periphery, just outside the main circle, but is connected directly to the vast lift network, so while much of the town's lodging will be taken over by Olympic officials, sponsor company executives and the biggest national teams, it will still be possible to stay in a wonderful traffic-free mountain town such as Corvara, Ortisei, or San Cassiano and ski right into Cortina. When visitors are not attending events, the skiing is so vast that it will thin out, and you could be on slopes 30 miles outside Cortina without having to take any sort of shuttle. Notable new hotels include Mandarin Oriental Cortina; Aman Rosa Alpina just outside Cortina, alongside the slopes in the charming small town of San Cassiano; and the COMO Alpina Dolomites (from spa-centric Singapore-based COMO Hotels and Resorts), which sits atop the stunning Alpe di Siusi, Europe's highest Alpine plateau. Dining in Cortina during the games will be challenging, but the town's top restaurants with a focus on authentic regional cuisine include Tivoli, SanBrite, Ristorante Ospitale, Dolomiti Lodge Alverà, and Baita Piè Tofana. For years, the most famous chef in the Dolomites has been Norbert Niederkofler, and after his legendary three-star restaurant, St. Hubertus, closed at the Rosa Alpina for the property's conversion to Aman, he opened an-in-town spot in Brunico, Atelier Moessmer—and quickly earned another three stars from Michelin. Above, the Chalet Suites at COMO Alpina Dolomites; the hotel's Shambhala spa is the ultimate in aprés-ski indulgence. Among the Dolomites' latest additions is the Aman Rosa Alpina, which recently opened just outside Cortina in San Cassiano; below, a dish from Trattoria Dell'Alpe, one of four restaurants at the new COMO Alpina Dolomites. BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M insider's guide