Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

Cortina d'Ampezzo The Dolomites, Italy

" .. when I climb from the plains and see the rocky peaks appear at the end of the valley, and the walls suddenly shine in the sun with their inexpressible color, that no one has ever been able to describe, and the candid glacier outlines flash on the highest peaks like an unreachable mirage..."
author Dino Buzzati on the Dolomites

The Dolomites rose from the sea, from the tropical waters of the Dolomitic area in the Triassic period, 200 million years ago. They originated and grew from here over millions of years, constantly driven by the African and European continents to make them what they are today.
Buried traces of the past are found in the coral, brachipod, sponge, mussel and sea urchin fossils. To get an idea of this long journey, the Cortina "Rinaldo Zardini" paleontology museum at the Ciasa de ra Regoles is a great resource.
The name Dolomites comes from the scholar the Marquis de Dolomieu who was the first to describe the rock content (double calcium and magnesium carbonate).
The rock peaks seem fragile and the current situation has divided scholars on how it will be effected by current climatic changes.
Around Cortina, the Dolomites originated from overlapping rock layers created by sediment deposited by the water. Everyone can see the results in Cortina: the Tofane (rising 3,244 meters above sea level), the Cristallo (3,221 meters above sea level), Croda da Lago (2,709 meters above sea level), the Cinque Torri (5 impressive towers rising from 2,190 to 2,361 meters above sea level) just to mention a few.

Shelters

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Shelters for hikers
 

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Ski lifts

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Ski lift information

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Enrosadira

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The spectacular red and pink color combination of the Dolomites at sunset...

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