The Belvedere Cable Car and Winter Tourism in Cortina
The Belvedere cable car of Pocol marked the beginning of winter tourism in Cortina d'Ampezzo, revolutionizing access to the mountains and creating a model for modern ski resorts.
Two years ago, my wife and I decided to visit Pocol. We wanted to see Cortina and all the beautiful surroundings. My wife is tireless on vacation. She has to see everything! 😅
I must admit, I was easily convinced. Pocol has the Military Shrine, an impressive ossuary built to remember the Great War's fallen. Inside are the remains of thousands of Italian soldiers, including General Cantore, buried in the central crypt. The main tower is visible from afar, austere and almost silent.
I became passionate about history by listening to podcasts by Alessandro Barbero and Professor Ermanno Ferretti.
We wanted to go from Cortina to the Belvedere di Crepa. It's a natural balcony overlooking Cortina's basin, with mountains like Pomagagnon, Cristallo, Sorapiss, and Antelao as a backdrop. We thought about taking the old cable car from the center, the historic one near the Hotel de la Poste.
When we arrived at the square, we saw the starting station. It's still standing, renovated, and now it's the Galleria Farsetti, which we visited.
But no cable car. It's been gone for forty years. They dismantled it in the mid-'70s. By then, people used cars or ski lifts. Walking from the station to the slopes became inconvenient.
It's a shame because that eight-minute aerial ride was special. Back then, the cabin was open, no glass, and people leaned out despite the wind. Instead, we drove up the road to Pocol.
Up there, around 1500 meters, the arrival station is still there. They've turned it into a bar-restaurant. It's no longer a cable car entrance. Now it's a place with a terrace and valley views. We stopped for a bit, grabbed something, and enjoyed the view. Everything's changed, but the place feels the same. From there, Cortina looks tiny below, and the Dolomites look huge.
From there, by car, you can easily reach the slopes or trails to Falzarego and the Cinque Torri. We later took the Lagazuoi cable car, as I mentioned in another post. But that first cable car from 1925, the "teleferica," opened modern tourism here. It's a thought: too bad we couldn't try it. Who knows, maybe they'll talk about it again someday.
