Olympic Ice Stadium
The Olympic flame basin still sits at one end of the Stadio Olimpico del Ghiaccio, a reminder that this rink once hosted the opening ceremony of the 1956 Winter Games. Today the stadium runs public skating sessions year-round, draws Serie A hockey crowds on winter weekends, and doubles as a curling venue — most recently for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
The wooden stands, original to the 1950s construction, give the place an unhurried quality. Skate rental and instructors are on hand, there's a solarium and a children's play area, and during hockey intermissions someone will hand you a cup of hot mulled wine.
💛 What travellers fall for
Regulars tend to time a visit around a home hockey game. When the local side scores, fans stamp on the metal floors and the whole bowl shakes. Arrive a little early to find a seat in the original wooden stands — the sightlines from the upper rows are worth it, and the bar opens before the puck drops.
The story behind Olympic Ice Stadium
Mario Ghedina, a Cortina native then based in Rome, designed the stadium between 1952 and 1954. It opened on 26 October 1955 as an open-air arena seating up to 8,000, with temporary structures pushing capacity toward 12,000–15,000 for the 1956 Winter Olympics, when it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, figure skating competition, and some ice hockey.
A roof came later — sources place it sometime after 1981, with a more commonly cited date of 2003 — reducing permanent capacity to its current 3,100. In 1981 the stadium appeared in the James Bond film 'For Your Eyes Only'. Seventy years on from its inaugural Games, it served as the curling venue for the 2026 Winter Olympics and hosted the closing ceremony of the 2026 Winter Paralympics.
Good to know
The stadium sits within walking distance of Corso Italia. Buses from Venice Airport and Venice–Mestre stop at the terminal directly outside. The nearest train connections are at Calalzo di Cadore (35 km) and Dobbiaco (31 km), both served by regional bus. Public skating runs year-round; entry is around $7.
Where is Olympic Ice Stadium?
Location
- In Cortina d'Ampezzo
- 46.5367, 12.1383
- Open in Google Maps
Rating
4.4 ★ · 836 Google reviews
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What travellers say about Olympic Ice Stadium
Interesting and historic 1956 Winter Olympics ice rink a year before renovations for the 2026 Winter Olympics ...
A great place to see a hockey game, not a bad seat in the place. When the home team scores the fans stomp on the metal floors. Adult tickets are €20 or less and kids are €8. Vin brule (hot mulled wine) or non-alcoholic hot apple cider during intermission was only €2! 😍
Many parts were under renovation for 2026 Winter Olympic but still pretty cool!
Renovations in progress. Still a great piece of history.
We stopped here one night after skiing so our kids could do the open skate from 4p to 5:30p. The rental was super easy and the staff was super friendly, there was a gentleman in the skate rental area that was wonderful with our kids. The skating was not too busy and our kids had a blast. They loved it so much we ended up going back the next day!
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