The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are approaching: here's what to expect

In Milan, Cortina and in all the locations involved from Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige it already feels like it’s 2026. In Milan the competitions will take place at the PalaItalia Santa Giulia, in the Hockey Arena and at the Assago Forum. Cortina d'Ampezzo will host the competitions at the Olympia delle Tofane, at the Sliding Center and at the Olympic Ice Stadium. The mountains of Livigno and Bormio will be the focal points of the competitions in Valtellina, while the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, with Anterselva/Antholz will host the biathlon competitions. In the Autonomous Province of Trento, the heart of the Winter Games will be in Val di Fiemme, with Predazzo and Tesero, and in the Ovale di Baselga di Piné.

The competitions are still open for the mascot, but the logo of the Milan - Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics has already been chosen and you will certainly come across it when traveling to the venues for the Games. Its title is Futura focusing on the concept of sustainability: a monogram that forms a 26, as if it were a footprint left in the snow.

Crediti: Wusel007

For a weekend break from work or for a longer holiday, the Venetian Queen of the Dolomites is enchanting in its scenic position, embraced by a spectacular wall of mountains. Today, awaiting the 2026 Winter Olympics, the town sparkles. It’s 450 kilometers from Milan and can be reached directly with certain bus lines, by car or by train, after a couple of changes.

Combine a shopping walkabout in Corso Italia with some outdoor activities. The Tofana area is one of the best equipped for winter sports, with technical slopes and trails. The Frecce nel Cielo cable cars allow everyone, including people with disabilities, to reach Cima Tofana in the summer and Ra Valles in winter. The structure is perfectly equipped with inclusive services, even on the ski slopes.

Once back in Cortina, you can enjoy the exhibition Scie di Luce (Trails of Light) - Paintings by Dino Colli, until April 10th 2023 at the Zardini Paleontological Museum of the Regole d'Ampezzo. You will see the mountain landscapes that surround you, represented in the 50 art works, painted on board.
On February 25th 2023, the sixth edition of the Cortina Snow Run is on, a night-time running race along the Olympic slopes.

The Autonomous Province of Bolzano will also host the Milan - Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, with Anterselva/Antholz hosting the biathlon competitions. Wander about the capital of South Tyrol nestled in a valley of green hills, visit the many museums and fully experience nature.

Nature walks in the landscapes here are also accessible to people with disabilities, limited mobility, children and the elderly. There are 50 accessible excursion options in South Tyrol: trails through the woods, which can also be taken on in wheelchairs or with prams. In addition, there is the Accessible Dolomites project, a heritage for all which offers 36 trails and 13 viewpoints equipped to promote inclusiveness.

Are you a cyclist? You’d no doubt love to either participate or be a spectator of the Tour of the Alps, the cycling race that goes through South Tyrol, Tyrol and Trentino. Scheduled for April 17th  to the 21st of 2023, in 5 stages.  From April 28th to May 1st at the Bolzano Fair you can visit the Tempo Libero (free time) fair, a large exhibition of everything useful to sportsmen, lovers of outdoor activities and campers.

The Autonomous Province of Trento will participate in the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games with competitions in Val di Fiemme, Predazzo and Tesero, and in the Ovale di Baselga di Piné. It’ll be a great moment to discover Trento, and its fascinating historic center, to then continue towards the Val di Fiemme between the Lagorai and Latemar mountains, boasting splendid mountain scenery in all seasons.

This is an ideal place for all, where barriers have been eliminated on the ski slopes, as well as on numerous landscaped paths, in an inclusion project conceived by the non-profit organization SportAbili. Culture, entertainment, music and snow combined in a beautiful event scheduled from March 3rd to the 12th  2023 in the Fiemme and Fassa valleys. The Dolomiti Ski Jazz Festival is a series of high-altitude concerts directly on the slopes, and also held in local theaters and clubs.

For Milan-Cortina 2026, Valtellina is one of the great focal points, with various venues involved. Let’s discover the area in anticipation of the event.

In Bormio, there are many ski mountaineering trails, the Stelvio slope is highly technical and has already hosted various World Championships. Livigno is a lively town, a well-equipped resort area for a break, and will be the venue for all the freestyle and snowboard competitions, as well as one of the Olympic Villages. On the whole, Valtellina is easily reachable from Milan in just over an hour by car or by train to Bormio station. Preparations are also underway in the direction of creating maximum inclusivity. The project is called Olympic Territories - Accessibility for all, promoted by the Lombardy Region, and will dedicate an area where sport, entertainment and nature will be totally free of barriers.

In the meantime you too can become champions: from January 6th to March 11th of 2023 in Bormio there will be night skiing on the historic Stelvio slope and on the equally famous Deborah Compagnoni slope in Santa Caterina Valfurva.

While the construction works of the imposing Olympic Village in Milan are proceeding, a prestigious renovation project of the old Porta Romana, be sure to mark this date: Saturday the 13th of May 2023. One stage of the walk From Expo 2015 to the 2026 Olympics is planned for this day, starting from Piazza Duomo and finishing at the Arena Italia.

The walk also passes the Bocconi Campus, the Scalo Romana and the PalaItalia, the men's ice hockey venue.

While waiting to experience the unique event of the Milan - Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics it will be exciting to witness firsthand the heart of the Olympics while work is in progress.