It is not too early to start looking ahead to the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be staged across two locations — the city of Milano and the mountain resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo. Many of Cortina’s piste-side mountain lodges still retain links to the town’s pioneering role in winter sports, dating back to the 1956 Winter Games held in Italy.
While times and tourism have evolved, those early decades left a lasting legacy visible throughout the Dolomites: the historic mountain refuges and lodges that continue to welcome skiers and visitors.
Rifugio Duca d’Aosta was built in 1938 by local builder Giuseppe Lancedelli in a strategic position at the base of the Tofana, at an altitude of 6,883 feet. The hut takes its name from one of its most distinguished guests, Prince Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of Aosta. During the 1956 Winter Olympics several ski races ran on the Tofana slope, with the course passing alongside Rifugio Duca d’Aosta, reinforcing the hut’s connection to Cortina’s Olympic history.
Rifugio Duca d’Aosta © Gianluca Lancedelli
Rifugio Pomedes was also sited beside an Olympic slope, close to the start of several races. Named after the Pomedes area, the hut occupies a vantage point overlooking the Ampezzo Valley. Luigi Ghedina, a talented climber and respected Cortina mountain guide, dreamed of creating a piste-side refuge for climbers and tourists. As the 1956 Games approached, he seized the chance to open Rifugio Pomedes at the end of 1955. It became a favored viewing spot when Austrian skier Toni Sailer claimed the downhill gold — the first of three Olympic victories he would achieve in Cortina.
Baita Pié Tofana is the third mountain lodge with direct ties to the 1956 Olympics. Chosen as the timekeepers’ hut because of its proximity to the lower section of the Olympic slope, it later fell into disuse for several years. Livio Calzà, brother of Olympian Carlo Calzà, eventually restored the hut and transformed it into a restaurant. Baita Pié Tofana gained a reputation as one of Cortina’s finest dining destinations, and its enduring quality was recognized with inclusion in the 2022 Michelin Guide Italy.
Today, Rifugio Duca d’Aosta, Rifugio Pomedes and Baita Pié Tofana remain integral to Cortina’s social and economic life. These lodges continue to combine piste-side convenience with deep-rooted history, ready to welcome visitors again for the 2026 Winter Olympics and beyond.