Milan-Cortina 2026

It will be up to Milan to light the Olympic flame: the San Siro stadium will host the spectacular opening ceremony of the Games on 6 February, with breathtaking performances, the lighting of the Olympic torch and the parade of all the athletes. The city has truly experienced a renaissance with Expo 2020, and thanks to its leading role in the upcoming Winter Olympics and Paralympics, it will make its urban environment even more enchanting. This will involve increasingly eco-friendly and green choices, both for the city's architectural development and its transport.

The excitement increases - if possible - the already numerous reasons to plan a visit to the fashion capital by 2026. Milan's involvement in the Games goes further than the opening ceremony at San Siro: a number of indoor competitions included in the calendar will also take place in the city. Starting with ice hockey, for which Milan is a cradle, having already hosted the World Championship finals in 1994, with matches at the brand new PalaItalia Santa Giulia and Pala Sharp, which will become the Milano Hockey Arena for the occasion. Short track and figure skating are on the programme at the Forum in Assago.

The pearl, the queen and the Lady of the Dolomites. Cortina merits all these titles, and the Winter Olympics will only add to its prestige. Once again, this small town at the foot of breathtaking peaks will become the home and training ground for the stars of skiing and other winter sports competing in the Olympics. A wide range of sports will be staged in the shadow of the Tofane mountain range, from Alpine skiing to bobsleigh, skeleton, luge and para snowboarding. Curling and Wheelchair Curling events complete the picture. As the host of more than 100 World Cup races, as well as the 1956 Winter Olympics, there's no doubt that Cortina is the perfect place to live and breathe the excitement of live sport. The available accommodation capacity will allow anyone who books early enough to secure a place in a residence, hotel, mountain hut, or private home made available for the occasion. Choosing Cortina as your base means not only enjoying the heart of the Olympics, but also being in a place where charm and culture have always been at home. There will also be many opportunities to enjoy the exquisite local cuisine, both in the numerous typical restaurants that fully respect local tradition and in the seven Michelin-starred restaurants, which offer more contemporary interpretations. Undoubtedly, the main venue will be the Olympic Ice Stadium, the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, where the Winter Paralympic Games will draw to a close.

In the eastern part of Trentino, just 18 km from Trento, on the Pinè Plateau (at an altitude of around 1,000 metres), stands Baselga di Pinè, a small, traditional mountain village near the picturesque Lake Serraia. This is where the Italian National Speed Skating Team's Federal Centre is based. However, a visit to this area, whether before, after or during the Olympics, requires the exact opposite of speed: it only by total relaxation and enjoying each moment without hurry that the spirit of the local inhabitants can be truly appreciated. The landscape is enchanting: in winter it is a frozen kingdom, while in spring and summer it is dotted with fields of strawberries, raspberries and other small fruits among woodlands and lakes. Excursions on foot or by mountain bike will give you the opportunity to explore an area where nature is at its best.

Besides being the most populous town in Val di Fiemme, Predazzo boasts the widest concentration of geological varieties in the world, visible when exploring the geological Doss Capèl trail and visiting the Geological Museum of the Dolomites. In the warm season, you can follow the stunning trail to the gorge of Sottosassa, between waterfalls and walls of porphyry. The Ski Jumping Stadium "Giuseppe Dal Ben" has stood here since 1980, consisting of two main trampolines plus others used for training. This is where the most adrenaline-filled races of the entire Winter Olympics will be held. The facility is built to run all year round and is equipped with lighting for impressive night races. In addition to Ski Jumping, Predazzo will host the Nordic Combined competitions. Remember: nearby, in Valmaggiore, you will find the Bosco che Suona meaning the forest that plays music, where internationally renowned musicians have “christened” its resonance firs.

Tesero is renowned for its panoramic views at 1,000 m above sea level, as well as for having kept alive its artistic craftsmanship, furniture factories and its soundboard production used in piano and violin making. It welcomes visitors with its charming old town, where you can shop in traditional stores or try local dishes in restaurants, farms or taverns. Already home to the Nordic Skiing World Championships (1991, 2003 and 2013), the Cross Country Center at Lago di Tesero will host athletes and competitions for the Olympics and Paralympics in Cross Country, Cross Country Skiing, Nordic Combined, Para Cross Country-Skiing and Para Biathlon. The ski lifts in the hamlet of Pampeago lead to the Ski Center Latemar area  in winter and take tourists all the way up to the RespirArt art park and the Latemarium theme trails in the summer. Cycling enthusiasts will have a lot of fun here too, on the Dolomites bike trails, the many mountain bike trails, and finally on the legendary “pink climb” of the Giro d'Italia.

Luckily, you don't have to be one of the finalists of the Olympic Games to enjoy skiing in one of the most famous winter resorts in Europe. Livigno has always welcomed not only champions, but also beginners with a whole array of sports, shopping opportunities and gourmet temptations. If you are looking for a place in close contact with nature, you can go snowshoeing ("drezola" in Livigno dialect), cross-country skiing and horseback riding or even dog sledding. On the other hand, if you are looking for an adrenaline-rush, you have over 100 km of slopes of differing difficulty levels to challenge yourself. In the heart of Valtellina, Livigno is a popular destination for snowboarders. And in 2026, the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding competitions will be held here. Interesting fact: Livigno can also be considered a huge, high-altitude luxury outlet, with more than 250 stores where you can buy at duty-free prices.

There is a place in Valtellina that owes its fortune to a series of amazing coincidences, namely its geographic location, strategic for transalpine communications, the presence of thermal waters famous since ancient Rome, and the magnificent setting of the Stelvio National Park. This is the town of Bormio, with an historic center full of landmarks: churches, palaces and towers that speak of its past nobility. On the sporting front, the Stelvio’s piste is one the most scenic, technical and challenging in the world (140 km/h and jumps of 40 meters!). Illuminated and approved for night races, this is where we will see the protagonists of Alpine Skiing and Ski Mountaineering race against each other. Keep in mind that you are also in the paradise of Bresaola Doc and that its proximity to the Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo passes turn these areas into a two-wheeled Olympus in summer, where over the years many champions have made cycling history.

Anterselva is known worldwide not only for the beauty of its lake that goes by the same name, but also for the many Biathlon World Cup races and the IBU Biathlon World Championships, hosted for the sixth time in 2020. This is a small, charming village in south Tyrol with an amazing view of the Dolomites, surrounded by breathtaking peaks. Spring, summer, fall or winter: Anterselva, in the holiday region of Plan de Corones is the perfect destination for every season, offering a variety of outdoor experiences. For the Winter Olympics, it will host the Biathlon events.

The heart and soul of the city, with its centuries of history and splendour, will be the Arena di Verona, a theatre for opera, dance performances, classical, pop and rock concerts, which will host the spectacular Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games on 22 February and, thereafter, the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Paralympic Games on 6 March.Marking the end of the games on 15 March will be the Olympic Ice Stadium, the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, where an event that promises to showcase sport, inclusion and the beauty of the host regions will draw to a close.