Reaching Top Speed in the Dolomites

Nestled among high snowy peaks in northern Italy, Cortina d'Ampezzo is co-hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics with Milan. The town sits within the Dolomites, a mountain range known for sheer cliffs, rock pinnacles, tall peaks, and deep, narrow valleys, and several peaks over 3,000 meters rise above Cortina.

A three-dimensional oblique map was created by overlaying an image from the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8, acquired on January 27, 2026, onto a digital elevation model. Tofana di Mezzo, the third-highest peak in the Dolomites at 3,244 meters, hosts the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre where competitors descend 750 meters and tackle a steep 33-degree chute called the Tofana Schuss.

The Cortina Sliding Centre, rebuilt from the track used in the 1956 Olympics, is hosting bobsled, luge, and skeleton, while the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium—originally built for the 1956 figure skating competition and opening ceremony—now holds curling events.

Italy, Cortina d'Ampezzo

cortina, dolomites, winter olympics, 2026, tofana, tofana schuss, alpine skiing, sliding centre, bobsled, curling