Cortina's main draws are the mountains themselves — skiing in winter, hiking and via ferrata in summer — but the town has its own attractions worth an hour or two. The Corso Italia is the social heart of the resort, a pedestrian street where the evening passeggiata is as much a performance as a walk. The surrounding peaks are visible from almost everywhere, and the best thing to do in the first hour after arrival is simply to orient yourself: identify the Tofane to the west, Cristallo to the northeast, Faloria to the east, and the distinctive silhouette of the Cinque Torri to the south.
WWI history is woven into this landscape. The Dolomites were the front line between Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces from 1915 to 1918, and the high-altitude fortifications — tunnels, galleries, gun emplacements — are remarkably well preserved. The Cinque Torri outdoor museum near Falzarego Pass is the best introduction.