In February 2026 Italy will play host to the Winter Olympics, with the Winter Paralympics following in March. Unusually, the events will be spread out geographically across Northern Italy including Milan, mountain resorts and the historic city of Verona. Many of these mountain locations are close to where we hike in summer months with our groups, particularly our Northern Lombardy tour and our Austria and the Dolomites itinerary. The last time Italy hosted the Winter Olympics was in Turin in 2006, but Cortina d’Ampezzo in the heart of the Dolomites hosted back in 1956, so there will be a certain nostalgia to events returning there this time around.
Milan plays a central role in the 2026 Games with the opening ceremony being held at the iconic San Siro Stadium, which is traditionally a football venue but will welcome the Olympic flame for the first time. The city will host many of the ice sports such as figure skating, ice hockey and speed skating.
Cortina d’Ampezzo, in the Dolomite mountains in the Veneto region, is the venue for the women’s alpine skiing, along with the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton. The curling arena is also located here.
The Valtellina town of Bormio, in northern Lombardy, will host men’s alpine skiing and ski mountaineering, whilst nearby Livigno is the venue for freestyle skiing and snowboarding.
The Val di Fiemme which is located in the Trentino/Alto Adige region will host ski jumping, Nordic events and cross-country skiing. Anterselva, very close to the Austrian border, will host the biathlon which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
The closing ceremony of the Games will take place in the ancient Arena in Verona, the UNESCO Roman amphitheatre which, in the summer, is home to the world-famous Opera festival.
The Winter Olympics will be held from 6-22 February, and the Paralympics will follow from 6-15 March. If you love mountains, then we still have a few spots available on our Northern Lombardy tour from 19 – 27 October 2026.