The International Olympic Committee announced this week that the 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be hosted by Milan & Cortina, Italy … the first time the Winter Games will be held in central Europe since 2006 in Torino, Italy. Although Milan and Cortina are around 250 miles apart, the IOC cites the sustainability of Milan-Cortina’s bid as one of the main reasons for the decision. They will use many of the existing venues in northern Italy to host events.

The indoor sports will be held in Milan, Italy’s second largest city, known for its design and fashion. Cortina will host the Alpine ski events on many of the same venues used for the 2021 Alpine World Championships. Livigno is a popular cross country destination, known for its early season snow, but it is hosting the snowboard and freestyle events like aerials, moguls, halfpipe, slopestyle and big air. Antholz, host of the 2020 Biathlon World Championships, will also be the Olympic venue.

The Nordic events will be held in Val di Fiemme. Val di Fiemme has a long history of hosting big Nordic events, including World Championships in 1991, 2003 and 2013. The Marcialonga is one of the original Worldloppet Ski Marathons and will be celebrating 47 years this January. The Marcialonga course travels through the Val di Fiemme valley and the World Championship stadium. Val di Fiemme is also the start of the infamous hill climb up Alpe Cermis at the end of the Tour de Ski.

If you don’t want to wait until 2026 to ski in this world-class venue, check out some of the Lumi Experiences trips. We offer a group trips to the Marcialonga Ski Marathon as well as a self-guided itinerary to the Val di Fiemme and surrounding ski areas.