Winter Olympics 2026

Monday – February 9 – Milano to St. Moritz

The Winter Olympics 2026 – Milan and Cortina, Italy

This 2026 Winter Games is unusual with four different locations – Milan, of course, plus three more in the Italian Alps. Livigno, Italy, will be our destination for Tuesday and Wednesday. We will stay in St. Moritz at the world-famous Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, driving one and a half hours each way to the Livigno Olympic site both days.

After another beautiful buffet breakfast, we pack up for the journey to St. Moritz, which will be our home for the next three nights. Sergio warns us that the road is winding, with many tunnels, in fact, around 30 miles of tunnels. I cannot imagine what this must have cost. Everything is super clean and in great condition.

We stop for lunch near Lake Como, at La Fiorida, a small hotel with incredible dining (one Michelin Star). The setting is a farm, an elegant farm. Right away, I see a notice of a photography show from the 1924 Winter Olympics. There were dozens of photographs lining the walls of the restaurant. It turns out, this art show was a project of a young, female high school student.

On our way in, I spot the wine and cheese room. This area is important for their special Swiss cheeses. Think of a wine cellar with tables full of cheese rounds.

We are seated in the casual restaurant with a great view of a huge kitchen. By the way, we invited Sergio and Sami to join us. They are great at providing comments on the food and the culture in general. Jonathan orders cheese and a plate of cold meats for the table, paired with a sparkling rose followed by a local red wine. I can sense there will be plenty of food, so I do not order lunch. It was a relaxed, delicious experience.

We pass several large, frozen lakes. Cross-country skiers, hikers, ice fishermen, and even one para skiing (speed rider), dot the vast expanse of snow. We pass from Italy into Switzerland. The tall mountains on either side of the road have grown into the clouds. It is so beautiful!

As we enter St. Moritz, I spot a heliport. An airport in these mountains is not possible; the really rich and famous arrive by helicopter from Zurich. The streets are lined with all the elegant brands. We remark that St. Moritz is the Aspen of Europe (or vice versa). 

Our 130-year-old hotel is remarkable! I have never ever seen such a grand expansive lobby. Our rooms are across the street through a special tunnel. As I enter my room, I spot a special table with all the preparations for the DuncanTini – bottles of local vodka and gin, two martini glasses, a fresh lemon with a knife, and ice to chill the glasses. UNBELIEVABLE! A note from Derrick explains it all. Thank you, Chris and Derrick.

For our evening dinner, we are driven to a nearby village to the BellaVista restaurant. Again, we enjoyed a fabulous casual meal beginning with raclette, followed by pasta with mushrooms and Wiener Schnitzel, paired with a vodka and another fine red wine. Another perfect day!

Robert