Parco naturale regionale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo, Regional nature park in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
The Parco naturale regionale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo is a protected area in the Dolomites, located around Cortina d'Ampezzo in northern Italy. It covers rocky peaks, conifer forests, high meadows, and several mountain ridges all connected by a network of marked trails.
The park was officially founded in 1990, but the community of Cortina d'Ampezzo had been managing this land since the Middle Ages through a collective governance system known as the Regole. That system controlled the use of forests and pastures, and it remains active to this day.
The area around Cortina d'Ampezzo is shaped by Ladin culture, a small language community with its own traditions and tongue, still visible on signs and place names throughout the park. In the high meadows during summer, cattle and sheep graze just as they have for centuries, keeping old mountain farming practices alive.
The park is open year-round, with summer being the easiest season for walking and winter allowing snowshoe treks and cross-country skiing on some routes. A few mountain huts offer food and shelter, making longer stays in the higher areas possible.
The park is managed not by the state but by the Regole d'Ampezzo, an ancient civic body made up of families who have held ownership of these lands for centuries. This means that decisions about the park are made by a local assembly, not a government agency.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
