Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/821088
49 WINTER I've long known of Cortina as one of the world's most prized snow destinations, host of the 1956 Winter Olympics, an annual stop on the women's World Cup tour, and a favourite getaway of elite athletes such as Olympian Lindsey Vonn. You don't have to worry about climate change. Cortina blankets 95 per cent of its terrain with man-made snow. And you'll never be bored. It is part of the world's largest ski carousel, the Dolomiti Superski, where one pass is valid at 12 major resorts with astounding scope—more than 450 ski lifts and 1,220 kilometres of slopes. This snowy alpine village is now also a leader in new winter thrills such as lift-ser- viced fat biking and snow rafting as well as back-country and cross-country skiing, ski safaris, curling, tobogganing, uphill Alpine touring and snowshoeing. SUMMER The world thinks of Cortina as a prized skiing and snowboarding destination, but the resort town is actually busier in summer with Europeans who flock here for La Dolce Vita, to enjoy superb sports and mountain air. As in winter, Cortina has harnessed much of its splendid landscape for summer leisure, including golf, hiking, mountain biking, road cycling and a car-free bike path. One fascinating excursion is the Via Ferrata climbing adventure along the all refur- bished cables used by the military during World War I. If you hire an alpine guide, you can tailor your trek through valleys and mountains to your fitness level and you'll cover more ground, discovering flora and fauna and rare mountain views at the heart of Natural Park of the Ampezzo Dolomites. THE GOOD LIFE As a resort town, Cortina is not only defined by its mountains but also by its après-sports scene, a perpetual party of languid lunches, cocktails, convivial dinners and clubbing. Life starts with vino and segues into pro- sciutto, bruschetta, pesto, risotto, pasta, BEST OF THE ALPS Cortina is one of the prestigious Best of the Alps association that embraces 11 iconic resort regions prized for their cul- tural heritage, dramatic landscapes and spectacular sports. The magical Alpine destinations span five European countries: in Italy, Cortina d'Ampezzo; in Austria, Lech Zürs am Arlberg, St. Anton am Arlberg, Seefeld and Kitzbühel; Garmisch-Partenkichen in Germany; Swiss treasures Grindelwald, Davos and St. Moritz; and in France, Megève and Chamonix–Mont-Blanc, the awesome mountain that is arguably the third most visited natural site in the world. What sets the villages of Best of the Alps apart is that they are historic, authentic com- munities rooted in the life and soul of the mountains. They're real places that have been on the map for centuries, not condo pop-ups. The scenery is a postcard of horse-drawn carriages, livestock grazing on hillsides and meadows of wildflowers growing at the foot of snow-capped mountains. Visitors enjoy local food and wine and explore plazas and tangles of tiny cobble- stone streets. Most of these remarkable Alpine resorts are best-known as snow- sport destinations, but originally—more than two centuries ago—adventuresome hikers and mountaineers trekked here for the pristine air, folksy flavour and wondrous climbing challenges. Today, the Best of the Alps resorts pop year-round with fabulous celebrations and outdoor experiences. Summer rocks with the annual Jazz Festival in glamorous St. Moritz, equestrian show-jumping in the toney town of Megève, a Strauss concert series in Garmisch-Partenkichen and an important antique car show in picturesque Lech Zürs. SPRING/SUMMER 2017 DREAMSCAPES