Spectacular! There is no lens but that of human eye that can catch and truly comprehend the stark grandeur of the Dolomites of Cortina d'Ampezzo, and even that fine instrument can sometimes be overwhelmed by the majesty of Cortina's compelling surroundings.
In summer, dramatic sunsets silhouette the gigantic ruptures of earth and stone, the soft verdure of the Ampezzo Valley lying snugly within these finely etched mountains. Photographers must surely experience intense emotions as they try to capture this ever-shifting, almost primeval scene on film. The colors of the landscape change constantly as the sun moves across the sky, the azure lakes reflect the hard-edged peacks. The delicate green meadows ablaze with wildflowers versus the unforgiving, jagged rock formations make for an intriguing dichotomy. Easy Walkers are in for the time of their lives-seven days of walking in the incomparable beauty of the Dolomites and casual evenings strolling the pedestrian street in the elegant town of Cortina d'Ampezzo.The first outsiders to visit the Ampezzo Valley were mountain climbers hearing about Cortina from Deodat de Dolomieu, the French geologist who first described these soaring peaks.
Foreign tourists soon followed, spreading stories about the wonderous sights around Cortina, and the town became famous, in winter for its incomparable skiing, in summer for its mountain climbing and hiking. Cortina attracted illustrious guests-kings, princes, movie stars, politicians, authors amd business leaders. It was, and still is, chic to see and to be seen in Cortina, and almost all visitors stroll up and down the Corso (pedestrian thoroughfare) between 5:00 and 7:00 pm, filling the stores, window shopping or sipping a pre-dinner aperitif at la Post Hotel, on thi fashionable street lined with hotels, art galleries, antique shops, jewelers, boutiques, cafés and restaurants.