Winter is here! Cortina d'Ampezzo opens early due to the superb snow conditions, with the official launch coming next week in typically cool, chic Italian style, bringing five days of fashion, aperitifs and music throughout the town.

The glamourous Queen of The Dolomites will be showcasing outdoor fashion in this year's Cortina Fashion Weekend and Week from 5-9 December throughout shops, boutiques, restaurants, art galleries, museums and nightspots.

The Cortina ski area offers skiers and boarders an impressive 146 kms of piste on 91 slopes served by 42 lifts – and 95% snow making coverage. In addition the area is part of Dolomiti Superski, the world's largest ski carousel connecting 12 resorts, 450 ski lifts and 1220 kms of spectacular slopes on a single skipass. The first lifts will open on Saturday (28 November) in the Faloria ski area.

Events run throughout the winter, including the Women's Ski World Cup in January – a classic two-day event which has been held on the Olympia delle Tofane slope for 24 consecutive winters; the Dobbiaco-Cortina Nordic ski race in February; and the Freeride Challenge Punta Nera freeride, ski mountaineering and competitive climbing event in March.

There's so much on offer on a snowy holiday in Cortina,  so try ice skating, ice climbing, winter via ferrata, fat-biking and snowshoeing in addition to skiing and snowboarding. And off the slopes there's fabulous food, drink and wellness, plus shopping in the renowned Corso Italia.