Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It's a good place to learn more about 20th-century avant-garde art and the
Futurist movement, dominated here by Italian works. If you purchase the 48-
hour version of the Trento Ticket, admission is free; otherwise it costs
8. If
you're feeling active, you can cycle there using the cycle track along the Adige
River, or catch bus no. 301 from the station.
For a quick bite:
Drop into
Scrigno del Duomo
€
5
(Piazza del Duomo, 29;
%
0461-20030; www.scrignodelduomo.com; daily 11am-3pm and 6pm-12:30am),
a chic little wine bar that features imaginatively prepared Italian fare with
primi
in the
8 range.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO
The craggy, soaring peaks of Italy's Alpine Dolomite range are unmistakable; like
a massive coral reef ripped from the sea, strung with conifers and laced with snow,
these mountains have a look distinct from any other major range in the world
(they also have some of the most exotic-sounding names: Cristallo, Tofane, and
Sorapiss). Picturesque Cortina d'Ampezzo, at the center of it all, has been draw-
ing skiers for over a century, its reputation cemented when the Olympics were
held here in 1956. Today it's prime schussing ground for the designer set,
the
place
to ski side by side with European jet-setters and celebrities who, during the sea-
son, multiply by five-fold the 7,000-strong population of this village. When it's
not a bustling ski-resort, it becomes a center for hard-core hikers and climbers,
who are challenged by the endless selection of routes on offer.
DON'T LEAVE CORTINA D'AMPEZZO WITHOUT . . .
RIDING THE ARROW IN THE SKY
The
Freccia nel Cielo
(p. 379) is one
of Italy's great funicular experiences, taking you from Cortina's Olympic Ice
Skating Stadium to the lofty heights of the incredible Dolomites. Views from the
top—3,163m (10,377 ft.) above sea level—are unforgettable.
€
6 to
€
SKIING THE PISTE WITH YOUR SUPERSKI PASS
Cortina is considered
the top ski resort in the country, and it would be unthinkable to miss the oppor-
tunity of tackling at least a few of the 18 ski areas accessible with the very reason-
ably priced
Dolomiti Superski pass
(p. 380).
LAY OF THE LAND
There is no direct rail service to Cortina; the
nearest railway
is in Calalzo di
Cadore, 35km (22 miles) south. From Calalzo, there are
regular bus services
to
Cortina; try either
Dolomitibus
(
%
0437-217111; www.dolomitibus.it)
or
ATVO
(
%
041-5415180).
Calalzo is serviced by fairly regular trains from Venice and
Padua, but you should consult the schedules on www.trenitalia.it to determine
which of these are direct, as some routes may be fairly convoluted. The entire
journey from Venice to Cortina takes around 3
1
⁄
2
hours. If you're traveling from
Rome, Eurostar Italia has daytime services to Mestre (mainland Venice), from
where there are
shuttle buses
to transfer you directly to Cortina; these shuttles are
scheduled to coincide with your train times (for details, contact
Servizi Ampezzo:
%
0436-867921
). You can also catch a
direct bus
from Venice to Cortina; it takes
the entire morning (departing 7:50am), but the affordable (
€
11) and scenic jour-
ney makes it worthwhile.
