"Residents of Cortina, Italy, worry about the effects of the 2026 Winter Olympics on their town. JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Juana Summers. SCOTT DETROW, HOST: And I'm Scott Detrow. To Italy now. That's where Milan and Cortina will host the Winter Olympics in just 100 days. The mountain-based sports competitions will be based in the village of Cortina d'Ampezzo. It is a ski town in winter and a trekking outfitter spot in the warmer months."
"KYLE MCKINNON: Hiking the Dolomites, the mountain range in the Italian Alps that the U.N.'s World Heritage Convention labels as exceptional natural beauty. Ask anybody up here - those World Heritage people aren't lying. ENRICO MAIONI: Well, for me, the Dolomites are really unique. They're very, very beautiful. MCKINNON: Mountain guide Enrico Maioni is biased, of course, but he's hiked and climbed around the world, and he says nothing compares to these jagged peaks."
"MCKINNON: But they're not exactly a secret. Word has spread, and that means bucket loads of visitors, many seeking alpine solitude - winter, summer, spring and fall. (SOUNDBITE OF BELLS PEALING) MCKINNON: The village of Cortina d'Ampezzo sits at the center of it all, with mountain peaks of the limestone-like rock known as dolomite all around. Many of those on vacation in these parts start their holidays in Cortina, whose 5,500 residents, including Maioni, know they live somewhere special."
The Dolomites feature dramatic limestone peaks recognized for exceptional natural beauty. Cortina d'Ampezzo is a small mountain village of about 5,500 residents serving skiers in winter and trekkers in warmer months. The village will host mountain-based competitions as a co-host with Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Visitors arrive year-round, eroding alpine solitude and producing heavy tourist traffic. Preparations and infrastructure for the Olympics have disrupted the usual peacefulness of the town. Cortina previously hosted the 1956 Olympics, which contributed to its long-term popularity. Locals express pride in the landscape and concern about managing visitor impact and preserving heritage.
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