The Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina will officially start on 6 February 2026 on facilities distributed across Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto. Considering the position of the various structures, it is natural to ask what is the criterion underlying the choices of the organizing committee and, above all, how the flow of athletes in the different territories will be managed. As can be seen from the official report of the Italian candidacy, only two key plants required completely new infrastructures. In all other cases, the offices already existed or only required some temporary or permanent redevelopment works. Furthermore, thanks to the three Olympic and Paralympic Villages (the Paralympics will begin on March 6) in charge and the collaboration with existing hotels, all athletes and officials will stay within a maximum distance of 30 minutes by car from the competition venue.
Where the Winter Olympics are held: map of locations
In the official documents, thanks to which Italy obtained the assignment of the event on its territory, we can find many fundamental values and principles. Among these, what certainly stands out is the strong desire to collaborate with local bodies and institutions in order to create a tangible legacy for the area concerned and carry out the entire event in compliance with the growth programs already launched at a local level some time ago. In fact, these are long-term projects that have the objective of increasing and improving regions and cities. To give some examples, we can cite: the Milan 2030 urban development plan, the regional development program for Lombardy 2018-2023 or the strategic plan of the Veneto region. These documents, together with the international ones, are the basis on which the entire logistical planning of the Games rests. From this perspective, every choice was made with the idea of organizing an event that could represent a milestone in the sector, but also a strong catalyst, capable of accelerating important programs already underway. In fact, the dossiers reveal the desire to strengthen, through games, Italy’s image in the world, promote new development models thanks to sport, enhance social power, encourage tourism development policies at a macro-regional level.
Following these evaluations, the organizing committee has selected, in the territories already listed, some strategic locations to guarantee the highest standards for the event. These can be divided into four clusters:
- The first is that of Milan, which includes three different race facilities: the PalaItalia Santa GiuliatheArena Hockey Milan and the Mediolanum Forum. The first two will be used for hockey, while the third will host figure skating and short track competitions. Then there are other areas of the cluster that will not be specifically used for competitions, but will still play a crucial role for the event. For example, the opening ceremony will take place in the San Siro “Giuseppe Meazza” stadium, the first Olympic Village will take place in the Porta Romana area and, finally, a modern Media Center will be located in the Rho exhibition centre.
- The second cluster is that of Valtellina. The first location affected is Bormio, home to the picturesque Stelvio slope and, therefore, to the men’s alpine skiing competitions. In Livigno, however, in the offices of Mottolino/Sitas and Tagliede/Carosello 3000 snowboard and freestyle competitions will take place. Just a five minute walk from the venues, there will also be an Olympic Village in Livigno to host participants (at the end of the event the latter will be converted into a structure with emergency accommodation for the Civil Protection).
- The third cluster is that of Val di Fiemme with three main locations: Baselga di Piné, Tesero and Predazzo. In the first, thanks to the already existing elite track, you can watch speed skating. Afterwards, still on existing facilities, you will be able to watch Nordic skiing (Tesero) and ski jumping (Predazzo) respectively. The latter two locations will also host Nordic combined competitions.
- The last cluster is that of Cortina. In this case, the first implant is lo Olympic Stadiumcarefully renovated, curling theater. On the trail Tofane, instead, you will be able to watch the women’s alpine skiing and the team event. For bobsleigh, luge and skeleton the facility chosen is that of Sliding Center ‘E. Mountainsalso renovated. To complete the picture, the last location is that of Anterselva/Antholz with the Südtirol Arena, among the largest biathlon facilities in the world. The closing ceremony will be hosted by the Verona Arena. Furthermore, Cortina will also be home to the third Olympic Village (again, at the end of the event converted into a structure with emergency accommodation for Civil Protection) and the Mountain Media Centre.
The reasons for the choices
Only two key Olympic facilities required new infrastructure, the other selected venues are either existing and ready or existing but with the need for temporary or permanent works (only three). To have a more detailed picture, we specify that the two venues “new” they are the Olympic Village in Milan (which will be converted into student accommodation) and the Pala Italia Santa Giulia (which will remain active as a multipurpose facility). The Milan Hockey Stadium, the Cortina Sliding Center and the Pinè ice rink are, however, the facilities that required permanent works.
The strategy for planning the venues for the Olympics therefore followed well-defined criteria with a view to creating a sustainable event in all its meanings. From an operational point of view, this translates into the choice of predominantly existing systems and with an iconic value recognized globally. New buildings or renovations were envisaged only if already planned in light of well-defined territorial needs and with the aim of increasing the sporting heritage of the host area. For all structures, especially if newly established, optimal use following the end of the Olympic Games has been studied and foreseen.
Distances and travel in Milan-Cortina
The travel of the Olympic teams and their companions will be reduced to the bare minimum. In fact, as already mentioned and as can also be seen from the map inserted above, the connections between the training and competition venues are excellent. Thanks to the three Olympic Villages and the agreements stipulated with the hotel facilities in the area, the maximum distance that an athlete can travel during the event is 30 minutes. In other cases, especially in the villages of Cortina and Livigno, there are even facilities that can be reached on foot in just 5 minutes.
More complicated situation for the public. Geography imposes considerable distances and travel times. For example, to move from Milan to Cortina d’Ampezzo let’s talk about 400 km and an estimated time (by car) of approx 4/5 hours. With public transport the time can increase, requiring changes in intermediate cities. While to go from Cortina d’Ampezzo in Bormiowhich as the crow flies are not that far away, you have to travel about 300 km, also in this case in more than 4 hours of travel. Finally, Milan and Bormio are connected by a car journey of approximately 200 km and a 3-hour journey.
To manage the influx of people from all over the world, cities have organized themselves with Olympic restricted traffic zones, territorial passes, strengthening of public transport and shuttle services. The organizers’ advice is to limit the use of personal cars.
