How far is Cortina from Milan? Explaining distance between 2026 Olympic events venues in Italy originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are the first in history to be shared by two major host cities, weaving together the sleek, metropolitan pulse of Milan with the rugged, snow-dusted majesty of Cortina.

However, this pioneering dual-city approach presents a logistical puzzle as vast as the Italian Alps themselves. While the athletes in the skating rinks of Milan and the skiers on the Tofane slopes of Cortina are competing under the same banner, they are separated by a journey that winds through hours of changing elevation and deep mountain valleys. For spectators and organizers alike, the 2026 Games are bridging a significant geographical divide.

Here’s the distance between Milan and Cortina and what events are happening in each location.

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How far is Cortina from Milan?

While they share the title of host city for the 2026 Winter Games, Milan and Cortina are separated by a significant stretch of Northern Italy.

Because organizers prioritized using existing venues over building new ones, the distance between the two primary pillars — metropolitan Milan and alpine Cortina d’Ampezzo — reaches approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles).

This geographical spread effectively creates two distinct Olympic worlds. While Milan hosts the “ice” disciplines like figure skating and hockey, Cortina serves as the heart of the “snow” events, including curling and women’s alpine skiing. For those attempting to bridge the gap, the journey across the Lombardy and Veneto regions typically requires 4.5 to 5.5 hours by road or rail, making these the most decentralized Winter Games in history.

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What Olympic events are in Milan?

Milan serves as the high-energy “Ice Hub” of the 2026 Games. The city’s metropolitan arenas are hosting the majority of the indoor skating and team sports. This includes figure skating and short track speed skating, both held at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

The city is also the primary stage for Ice Hockey, split between the newly constructed Santa Giulia Arena and the Rho Fiera complex. Additionally, the Fiera Milano exhibition center has been transformed to host Speed Skating on a temporary indoor oval.

Beyond the competitions, Milan’s iconic San Siro Stadium hosts the Opening Ceremony, cementing the city’s role as the Games’ cultural anchor.

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What Olympic events are in Cortina?

Cortina d’Ampezzo is the heart of the “Snow and Sliding” disciplines. The Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre is the designated home for Women’s Alpine Skiing, featuring the legendary Olympia delle Tofane slope.

Cortina also hosts the high-speed sliding sports — Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton — at the newly renovated Cortina Sliding Centre. Meanwhile, the Olympic Ice Stadium, a relic from the 1956 Games, has been repurposed to host the Curling competitions.

By utilizing these mountain venues, Cortina maintains its heritage as a classic winter sports capital while Milan handles the metropolitan spectacles.

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List of Olympic venue locations 2026

Ceremony Locations

Milan

Cortina Cluster (Mountain and Sliding Sports)

Additional Competition Clusters