SkiEurope Report :: Vol.6 No. 16, ISSN 1535-5993
In this issue of The SkiEurope Report, we’ll take you into the spectacular Dolomite Mountains of Italy with a visit to Cortina d’Ampezzo. We’ll tell you about the latest news at the European resorts and some great sightseeing in Salzburg. Well also tell you about our featured deal for a luxurious holiday vacation in the Alps.
Destination Snow: Cortina d?Ampezzo, Italy
As the small village of Cortina in Italy?s Ampezzo Valley is bathed in rosy pink light at sunset, it truly becomes magical. As evening falls, the passeggiata begins, and scores of locals and visitors fill the Corsa Italia on their evening promenade …more>
Featured Deal: Treat Yourself to a Luxurious Holiday in the Alps!
Enjoy a luxurious Christmas and New Year?s holiday in the shadow of the famed Matterhorn. Zermatt is a scenic, car-free village with a medieval center and provides a great base for some of the best skiing in the Alps …more>
Saas-Fee: Hotel Industry Celebrates 125th Anniversary with Saas Valley Card
Hotels in Saas-Fee and the Saas Valley will be looking back on 125 years of tourism, a good reason to celebrate this anniversary with their guests. In September, various nostalgic events will be taking place. Guests will even receive free rail and Post Bus passes …more>
Mountain Lifts of Gstaad: Behind the Scenes
In winter, around one million guests scale Saanenland?s peaks, comfortably, in one of the 62 lifts of Gstaad Mountain Rides. On the trail or on a sled run, in the snow-park, on the hiking path or in one of the numerous mountain restaurants, what reigns is pleasure, as light as the powder snow …more>
Salzburg’s Linzergasse: Mail Coaches, Inns and Taverns
Shielded and shaded by the Kapuzinerberg hill, the ancient Linzergasse leads up from the Platzl next to the Staatsbr?cke, to where the Linzer Tor marked the end of the city until 1894, and is a street which hasn?t lost any of its hustle and bustle …more>
As the small village of Cortina in Italy?s Ampezzo Valley is bathed in rosy pink light at sunset, it truly becomes magical. As evening falls, the passeggiata begins, and scores of locals and visitors fill the Corsa Italia on their evening promenade. You?re likely to see as many mink coats as you do skiwear; part of the fun of a winter vacation in this upscale resort is being seen.
The dramatic landscape surrounding the village of Cortina enchants visitors who come back year after year. The Dolomite Mountains are unique and beautiful. Steep stone walls and jagged peaks provide a backdrop different than any in Europe. In 1956, Cortina hosted the Winter Olympics, bringing world-wide attention to the resort.
Cortina has five ski areas connected by lifts or ski buses. There?s 140 kilometers (87 miles) of slopes with 101 downhill runs. Intermediate skiers have the advantage at Cortina with 62 percent of the trails designated for them. Thirty-three percent are beginner runs and five percent are for experts. Experts, though, will find challenging runs on Tofana, and over 100 advanced runs in the surrounding Dolomiti Superski Region. Cortina is one of twelve ski areas that make up the Dolomiti Superski Region. This vast ski region opens up 1,220 kilometers (762 miles) of trails to skiers of all skill levels. And better yet, all of these areas are included in one Dolomiti Superski lift pass.
If you are interested in ski tours there are several good ones to choose from. The Olimpia Skitour takes you down the trails used by the 1956 Winter Olympians including Pista Olimpia and Pista Vitelli, used for the downhill and slalom races. The Sella Ronda Skitour is the longest in the Dolomites at 26 kilometers (16 miles). This tour takes you through the Falzarego, Gardena, Sella, Pordoi and Campolongo passes. A very unique ski tour is the First World War Tour taking you along the Dolomites on a trail that shows you remnants of World War I, including emplacements, loopholes, and tunnels where soldiers on both sides endured freezing temperatures. This tour through history takes about seven to eight hours.
Snowboarders are welcomed on all of Cortina?s slopes and there?s a funpark with a half-pipe, as well. Beginning snowboarders find the resort a great place for learning with wide, gentle slopes. Seventy-three miles of trails are dedicated for cross-country skiers. Every year the resort hosts the Dobbiaco-Cortina race on a 30-kilometer (19-mile) track.
Cortina offers some of the best ski schools in Italy. More than 250 instructors work in the resort area and classes range from basic skiing and telemark skiing to carving and snowboarding. Some of these instructors are qualified to teach disabled skiers, as well. Lessons are available for both groups and individuals. The Alpine Guides offer assistance with off-trail skiing for the more adventurous.
Cortina has much more to offer than just skiing. In fact, some visitors come for the dining, shopping, and the apr?s-ski and never even hit the slopes. Non-skiers find adventure speeding down the Olympic bob-sleigh run (with the help of a trained driver), snow rafting down the Olympic ski jump, sledding, snowshoeing, riding a horse-drawn sleigh, or being whisked along on the snow by a team of sled dogs.
There are more than enough activities to keep you busy should you decide to take a break from winter sports. Shoppers delight in the Corso Italia?s designer boutiques. Shops offer everything from handmade wooden toys to the latest fashions and jewelry of Italian and international designers. Side trips to Venice and Salzburg are a fun option, also.
In the apr?s-ski category, this upscale resort has earned its glamorous image. Cortina has an international atmosphere with party makers coming from near and far to join in what is some of the most spirited apr?s-ski fun in the world. From discos and wine bars to pizza parlors and Bavarian-style pubs, Cortina celebrates the good life. The Enoteca wine bar alone serves over 700 different wines.
As you might expect, delicious Italian cuisine abounds in Cortina. Most of the area?s 80 restaurants serve traditional Italian cuisine but a few do offer international dishes. Many of the more popular restaurants are located a little bit away from the village. El Toul?, one of the pricier favorites, is located in an attractive, remodeled barn on the edge of Cortina. Another fun choice is to stop for a meal at a rifugi, once a mountain refuge, but now just a great place to get a good meal right on the slopes.
Everyone should visit Cortina at least once. The combination of the area?s distinctive mountains, its vast array of slopes, and la dolce vita of Italy, makes a winter vacation in Cortina d?Ampezzo a special experience.
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Zermatt, Switzerland from $3,269 per person
Enjoy a luxurious Christmas and New Year?s holiday in the shadow of the famed Matterhorn. Zermatt is a scenic, car-free village with a medieval center and provides a great base for some of the best skiing in the Alps. Three main ski areas, the Sunnegga, the Gornergrat, and the Klein Matterhorn, offer world-class excitement for every level of skier.
This trip includes:
- Round-trip airfare on Swiss International Airlines from New York/JFK to Geneva, Switzerland (Other departure airports are available for an additional fee).
- Ten nights at the 4-star Hotel Schweizerhof
- Christmas and New Year?s Day in Zermatt
- Breakfast daily (at the hotel)
- Choice of four restaurants for dinner during the holidays
- Transfers by Swiss Rail (second class)
- Local taxes and service charges in Europe
Travel dates: December 22, 2006 - January 2, 2007
For more information:
http://www.ski-europe.com/vac/vac.php?id=31&vac=54808
Prices are based on double occupancy.
Looking for more holiday trip ideas? Check out our holiday page with more great Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s vacations.
http://www.ski-europe.com/deals/holiday.html
For more information about other European destinations:
http://www.ski-europe.com/rfp/ser.html
Or, call our reservation center toll free for more information about other European destinations: 800-333-5533.
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