The illuminated bell tower of the Basilica Minore dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo stands at the heart of Cortina d’Ampezzo as evening settles over the valley. Once a small village of farmers and shepherds, this storied town has evolved into the “Pearl of the Dolomites,” a renowned luxury destination. Surrounded by the limestone peaks of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites, the town’s historic center remains a “living room” for celebrities and high society.
Walking the main thoroughfare of Cortina d’Ampezzo is a glamorous experience: Dior, Fendi, Gucci and Prada rub shoulders in shop windows, and fur coats are common among passers-by. Cortina has returned to the international spotlight as a host of recent Olympic and Paralympic winter events, but its fame stretches back decades and has spawned nicknames like the “Queen” or “Pearl” of the Dolomites.
On nearby slopes, skiers stop for hot chocolate or an aperitif at alpine lodges run by families steeped in winter-sport history. Riccardo Fiore serves guests at one such lodge; his grandmother, Yvonne Rüegg, won Olympic gold in giant slalom, and his grandfather trained Alberto Tomba, one of the sport’s legends. Tomba still visits, Fiore says, and the lodge’s regulars include prominent Italian politicians, actors and international names — Stallone filmed here for Cliffhanger, and celebrities from Snoop Dogg to Ridley Scott have been spotted in town. Many try to hide their faces, Fiore notes, preferring anonymity in this celebrities’ “living room.”
That living-room feel is anchored in places like the Hotel de la Poste. Its wood-paneled bar was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway, and a plaque marks his habitual corner table. The hotel preserves the room where he stayed, complete with the typewriter he used. Servane Giol, author of The Queen of the Dolomites, calls the preserved chamber a “time capsule” and recalls letters in which Hemingway joked that he preferred climbing for warmth rather than using ski lifts.
Cortina’s rise began in earnest in the 1920s. A visit from the king of Belgium and connections with European royalty made it the chic place to be between the wars. Wealthy Italian families flocked to the valley, and the town’s international profile grew further when it hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics — the first Winter Games to be televised. Grainy footage of the opening ceremony captured athletes from 32 countries and introduced Cortina to global audiences. The bobsled track at the town’s edge and the mountain racecourses became part of its sporting lore.
Hollywood and European cinema also used Cortina’s dramatic slopes and hotels. Films shot here include the early Pink Panther and the 1981 Bond movie For Your Eyes Only, in which Roger Moore performed a high-speed ski escape through the Dolomites. Sylvester Stallone shot scenes for Cliffhanger, further cementing Cortina’s cinematic association with alpine action.
Today the Dolomites’ striking jagged peaks and turquoise alpine lakes are a UNESCO attraction and a social-media magnet, drawing both celebrities and multitudes of tourists in every season. February and March crowds arrived for the Olympics and Paralympics, however this time organizers relied heavily on artificial snow. With winters shortening and warming because of climate change, locals and planners face questions about the future of snow-dependent resorts.
At the same time, Cortina is evolving beyond winter sports. Summers fill with hikers and nature lovers, and the town’s culinary scene is increasingly prominent. Ludovica Rubbini and Riccardo Gaspari run SanBrite, a Michelin-starred restaurant that also earned a Michelin Green Star for sustainability. Their “agricucina” approach links the kitchen to their own farm: waiters tell diners about the cows that produce the butter served with sourdough bread, and many ingredients are locally grown or foraged.
SanBrite’s menu draws from the mountains and woods: a Jerusalem artichoke cigar on a bed of moss is filled with artichoke cream, mushrooms and marinated shallots; a dessert evokes a frozen lake with panna cotta beneath a layer designed to look and feel like ice, dotted with elderflower and yogurt powder as snow. The restaurant’s decor — dried flowers, lamps from the 1956 Olympics — and its farm-to-table ethos reflect Cortina’s blend of tradition and contemporary refinement.
Traditional alpine hospitality remains visible in rifugi, high-altitude mountain huts where skiers and hikers rest beneath views of the Tofane massif and heart-patterned Ampezzo textiles. Museums, historic hotels and wood-paneled stube rooms preserve the town’s past even as designer boutiques and luxury hospitality push its image toward high-end tourism.
Cortina’s story is one of layered identities: a cradle of winter sport and Olympic memory, a film and celebrity backdrop, a mountain village with deep local traditions, and an upscale tourism hub confronting the realities of a warming climate. How it balances conservation, sustainable tourism and its glamorous reputation will shape the next chapter of the Queen of the Dolomites.