| Skiing Europe's Best |
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Page 4 of 6 Italian Largesse Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy Only in Italy could eating come close to upstaging powder skiing. That’s saying a lot at Cortina, a megaresort complex in the Dolomites with 460 lifts and more than 700 miles of trails—the biggest interconnected winter playground in the world. Everything’s on a grand scale here, including the restaurants, of which there are hundreds scattered throughout Cortina’s hyper-stylish pedestrian center, the Corso Italia, and into the outlying villages. If the skiing weren’t so vast or varied, you’d think hopping on a lift was simply the easiest way to get to your next plate of stewed beef or gnocchi. “The Italians can drink and eat all night long, then get it together to meet for lift-accessed ski tours first thing in the morning,” says Kit DesLauriers, the first person to ski off the tops of all Seven Summits. “I suggest an afternoon nap to keep up.” Snow Report The Dolomiti Superski, of which Cortina is the undisputed hub, swallows 12 separate ski areas. Start from Tofana village, on the west side of town, where you can make loops on the chutes below the gnarled face of 9,317-foot Tofana peak all day long. If you prefer moving forward, the 25-mile Sella Ronde loop, accessible from the Alta Badia ski area to the west, circumnavigates some of the region’s biggest spires, with plenty of rifugi, or mountain cafés, en route, serving espresso, wine, and fresh-made pasta. The Dolomiti Superski Skipass (from $46; www.dolomitisuperski.com) lets you ride all 460 lifts. Go for It Ski the Freedom Tour, a 60-mile ski/sleigh/bus ramble that follows the old front line between Italian troops and the Austro-Hungarian army, who fought for control of these peaks from 1915 to 1917. Lodging Corso Italia’s Hotel Ancora has been a local institution since 1826; the hand-carved ceilings give it an Old World aesthetic, and its proximity to high-end shops and restaurants make it even more attractive (doubles from $435; hotelancoracortina.it). In the village of San Cassiano, 16 miles west at the base of Alta Badia, Rosa Alpina Hotel and Spa (from $370; rosalpina.it) is a refuge from the weekend crowds that pour into Cortina from Milan. Après Dive into the culinary bounty at Baita Piè Tofana, a rustic wood cabin with an innovative Italian-country menu; ask for the table next to the fireplace. More stylish après can be had at the wine bar Enotoca and at L.P. 26, a café that pairs aperitivi with wild-boar antipasti. > HONORABLE MENTIONS France’s Trois Vallées, a three-way merger of the resorts of Courchevel, Méribel, and Val Thorens, features 360 miles of trails. Stay At 6,000 feet in Courchevel, the ski-in Les Grandes Alpes (doubles from $520; lesgrandesalpes.com) sets the standard. Innsbruck, Austria, is the gateway to nine Tyrolean ski areas, including the famed powder of Stubai Glacier. The Innsbruck Glacier ski pass (three days from $135; www.innsbruck.info) serves all nine resorts, plus a bonus day at both Kitzbühel and St. Anton. Stay Mick Jagger prefers Grand Hotel Europa (doubles from $280; grandhoteleuropa.at), across from Innsbruck’s central train station, so why shouldn’t you? |
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