Spotguide Cortina d'Ampezzo

Cortina d'Ampezzo is one of the hotspots in the Dolomites. Also for mountain bikers. Some of the most iconic and adventurous MTB routes in Italy are located here, but they generally require good riding technique.

In particular, those who like to put their mountain bike on their shoulders for a while will be rewarded with a few high alpine and spectacular descents and passages around Cortina. Virtually all of them are listed in the Ride tour database.

But there are also more moderate routes in the region! And it's getting better and better because more and more good bike trails are being created in the area. Cortina has slept through mountain biking for decades, but is now catching up in a big way. The region (as in the entire Dolomites) offers beautiful and long mountain bike tours with integrated cable car sections. These include, for example, the Tofana circuit with the legendary Fanes plateau or the Strada della Vena on the south side of the Cinque Torri.

Cortina as a town is no particular gem, even if it is being spruced up for the 2026 Olympic Games (the alpine ski races will take place here). Cortina impresses with its scenery and less with its local charm.

Tip: Don't go to Cortina in August. It feels like the whole of Italy is on vacation then and the entire Dolomites are practically overcrowded. The ideal time for a mountain bike trip is June and September. However, many mountain railroads close for the summer season in September. The best time of year is October, when virtually all cable cars are closed, you have the trails to yourself and the crystal-clear views are not spoiled by the loud discussions of an Italian family.

Bucket list

Circumnavigation of the Tofana with the fantastic passage through the Fanes plateau

Side trip to the Three Peaks, ideally at off-peak times

Prato Piazza Trail, a long-standing MTB classic

Stop off at the legendary Rifugio Nuvolau

In the area there are numerous high alpine and breathtaking routes with bike carry

Best season

Jan

Feb

Mar

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Mai

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Okt

Nov

Dez

Getting there

Arrival by public transport

Forget it. Getting to Cortina d'Ampezzo by public transport makes little sense, at least from German-speaking countries. There used to be a train line from the Puster Valley to Cortina, but it is long gone and the train track is now a cycle path.

Arrival by car

The easiest way to get to Cortina by car is via the Pustertal Valley. It is a good 30 kilometers or around 40 minutes' drive from Dobbiaco to Cortina. The more spectacular version of the journey is over the Alpine passes and through the heart of the Dolomites. This usually involves driving through Val Gardena, then over the Gardena Pass into the Alta Badia region and finally over the Falzarego Pass to Cortina.

Inspirations

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Trail Map

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Ride tours

The twelve most popular tours in the region

Paternsattel (Drei Zinnen)

The route over the Paternsattel is a southern Three Peaks circuit between tourist trails and remote paths, but always on the legal side and still in the middle of the natural paradise of the Three Peaks.

Carbonin

33 km

1150 m

Monte Piana

Monte Piana and Monte Piano form a mountain plateau near the Three Peaks and were heavily fought over by the Austrian/Hungarian and Italian forces during the First World War. The mountain itself lies in the middle of the most beautiful mountains in the world and offers some interesting but very challenging trail descents.

Carbonin

23 km

1005 m

Rifugio Auronzo

Cadini-Umrundung (Drei Zinnen)

While the south side of the Three Peaks is a difficult terrain for mountain bikers, there are several attractive trail options on the north side. One of the MTB classics is the tour around the Cadini di Misurina.

Misurina

29 km

1550 m

Fanes

Tofana-Umrundung

The three peaks of the Tofana tower high above Cortina and invite you to ride around them on a mountain bike. The result is an exceptionally impressive trail loop through the Fanes National Park.

Cortina d’Ampezzo

45 km

1450 m

2000 m

Dürrensee / Lago di Landro

Plätzwiesen-Trail (Strudelkopf)

The Strudelkopf lies somewhat inconspicuously opposite the famous Three Peaks. Among mountain bikers, the summit is known as the starting point for the legendary Prato Piazza trail. A great descent with a dash of adventure feeling.

Carbonin

20 km

930 m

Lago Federa (Cortina)

Lago Federa

Great cinema at Lago Federa high above Cortina d'Ampezzo. The well-known excursion destination not only offers a fantastic landscape with the idyllic mountain lake, but also plenty of singletrail downhill fun.

Cortina d’Ampezzo

17 km

970 m

Cresta Bianca

The Cresta Bianca and Monte Cristallo between Cortina and Dobbiaco form the heart of the Dolomites. Shaped by the First World War, there are several almost perfectly laid out war trails in the area, which several hundred years later allow us mountain bikers to descend in areas that are actually impassable.

Carbonin

27 km

1470 m

Oberbachernspitze

Oberbachernspitze (Drei Zinnen)

The Oberbachernspitze is located between the Three Peaks and the Croda Rossa di Sesto and is an alpine mountain experience that can be completed as an ideal mountain bike tour. Buildings steeped in history and a surreal landscape allow body and soul to escape into another world.

Misurina

44 km

1945 m

Vallon Bianco

The Vallon Bianco is a high alpine mountain steeped in history in the middle of the Sennes-Fanes region, on which a military road from 1915 winds its way up to an altitude of 2684 meters above sea level. The Sennes-Fanes region was a heavily contested mountain front during the First World War.

Sankt Vigil

49 km

1655 m

Seekofelhütte (Rifugio Biella)

Fanes - Seekofel

The Fanes region is one of the most impressive sceneries in the Dolomites. From the Cortina region, this circular tour provides a wonderful insight into the region in the shadow of the Vallon Bianco, the Seekofel and the Hohe Gaisl, spiced up with a load of moderate trail fun.

Fiames

39 km

1840 m

Monte Ciaval

Monte Ciaval is located in the middle of the Sennes-Fanes area and almost reaches the 3000-meter mark. The high alpine character of this mountain is characterized by former positions and infrastructure of the First World War, as well as by a tremendous all-round panorama in the middle of the Dolomites.

Sankt Vigil

28 km

1480 m

Dürrenstein (Picco di Vallandro)

Dürrenstein

The Dürrenstein is an isolated, alpine bike mountain in the middle of the Fanes-Sennes-Prags area of the Dolomites and stands out with its magnificent descent and incredible panorama.

Niederdorf

47 km

1760 m