Cortina d’Ampezzo lies nestled in the heart of the Dolomites — best known for hosting the 1956 Winter Olympics, and later, James Bond in For Your Eyes Only (1981).
I first came here with my parents in the early 1970s. I had memories of a quaint South Tyrolean village that I longed to revisit. That’s why the second stop on my journey took me to Cortina.
A Stage of Mountains
In summer, the scenery is breathtaking. The mountains that surround the town remain utterly majestic. The sunlight catches the bare rock of the peaks, throwing off reflections that feel almost unreal.
Among these wonders stand the Tre Cime di Lavaredo — three iconic peaks, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
If the weather allows, they rise like ancient monuments from the mist.
Unfortunately, when I arrived, their heads were lost in the clouds. I had to wait until the next morning to see them, finally revealed in golden sunlight.
From Alpine Village to Luxury Resort
Cortina has changed. Over the years, it has become one of the most exclusive mountain resorts in the Dolomites — perhaps in all of Italy.
The souvenir shops of my childhood have given way to luxury boutiques and high fashion. The cheerful little Fiat 500s have been replaced by Porsche Panameras.
The images I had carried with me were, inevitably, a little lost in translation.
The Memory and the Reality
Trying to relive childhood memories is a dangerous game. Forty-five years have passed. What I saw then, I saw through the eyes of a child.
The world has changed. And so have I.
I can’t say whether Cortina’s luxury and ostentation already existed back then. Perhaps they did — I certainly didn’t notice them. Now, it’s impossible not to.
Still, I’m not disappointed. Even if the town no longer matches the postcard in my mind, the landscape remains. And that, in itself, filled me with wonder.
The Destination and the Journey
Cortina was also a goal — a line on the map I wanted to reach, alone, on my motorcycle, far from home and deep in the mountains.
I’m proud I decided to go. Proud I arrived.
And the Road?
To get there, I rode nearly 1,000 km. The first leg took me to Ulm, Germany — 650 km of motorway and a chance to catch my breath. The second part brought me through the back roads of Austria.
I reached Innsbruck, rejoined the highway briefly, then left it again after crossing into Italy.
But it was only after leaving Cortina that the real roads began — mountain curves, endless bends, kilometre after kilometre toward Tolmezzo, with a grin stretched across my face.
But that… is another story.
That’s when the real quest begins.
