As the Olympians leave, Italian ski resorts such as the Mottolino Ski Area in Livigno open up once again to regular skiers and snowboarders. (iStock)
It happens every time the Olympics play out: amazing athletes dazzle with their performances, oftentimes in disciplines mere mortals never even dreamed existed. Suddenly, bobsleigh and ski mountaineering seem like things we ordinary folk might excel at, too.
The good news is, once the games have finished, a hefty proportion of the infrastructure used for the competitions lives on. According to an October 2025 press release from the International Olympic Committee, 86% of all permanent venues used for the Olympic Games since Athens in 1896 remain in use today. While some have been repurposed, many still serve their original function. The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games are notable in that 85% to 90% of the venues are either existing or temporary structures, making it one of the most sustainable editions in history. Once the games are done and dusted for another four years, a host of winter sports venues will open or reopen to professional and amateur athletes alike. Many other European cities with Olympics in their past histories offer places to bask in the glory of sportsmen and sportswomen who have gone before.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany: It was here in the host city of the 1936 Olympic games that alpine skiing events were included in the roster for the first time. One of the slopes those athletes of yesteryear took on, the legendary Kandahar descent, remains a challenge for skiers today, and the elite FIS Alpine Ski World Cup races are still held on it.
Non-professional skiers with sufficient skill can also take on the Kandahar, a 4.3-mile run offering more than a mile of vertical drop and a maximum gradient of 92%, along which the fastest racers achieve speeds of up to 80 mph. The run starts at the top of the Kreuzeck/Alpspitze area and can be accessed with the Garmisch-Classic skipass.
On occasion, it’s possible to take on the Kandahar early in the morning in the company of a former World Cup racer; the next such experience will be offered on March 7. Its 109-euro price tag includes a single-day ski pass along with breakfast and a hot drink at the Drehmöser 9 restaurant. Online: tinyurl.com/2m9k559f
Innsbruck, Austria: Innsbruck hosted the Winter Olympics on two occasions; first in 1964, and then again in 1976, after Denver, Colo., withdrew its offer to host due to environmental concerns and other factors. All nine competition venues used for the games back then remain in use to date. Many of these make up part of the city’s Olympiaworld, a multi-purpose sports and events complex featuring six specialized arenas and space used for trade fairs, concerts, sporting competitions and other cultural events. The complex’s Olympic Ice Canal is an artificial ice chute offering space for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions. Members of the public can also experience the track by taking an adrenaline-inducing ride down it in a bobraft or bobsleigh driven by a professional pilot. The experience is offered December through January only; a voucher for a bobraft ride valid in the 2026/2027 season goes for 45 euros. Online: olympiaworld.at/en
Turin, Italy: The 2006 Winter Olympics are seen as having played a key role in the transformation of this once-industrial city into the cultural and tourist destination it is today. Among its notable Olympic-legacy infrastructure is the Palavela indoor arena and ice-skating rink, where the figure skating and short track competitions were held. The rink remains a lively place, regularly hosting family-friendly outings such as themed parties and discos. The next such event will take place at 9 p.m. on Feb. 28, when a DJ will spin tunes from the 1990s. At various other time slots, the rink is open to drop-in visitors. A skating session goes for 11 euros for adults or 9 euros for children ages 12 and under; skate rental bumps the price up an additional 5 euros. Online: palavelatorino.it
Livigno, Italy: This high-altitude, snow-sure ski resort in the Lombardy region of northern Italy sits close to the Swiss border. Due to its geographical isolation, tax exemptions have long been in place to encourage settlement, and the town enjoys duty-free status to date. Attracting visitors hasn’t been a problem over the past few weeks, however, as Livigno has been hosting Olympics snowboarding and freestyle events. The action has been concentrated on two specific locations, the Mottolino Ski Area (a snowpark) and the Carosello 3000 area.
Once the Olympics hubbub dies down, winter sports lovers of lesser caliber can see how they fare across the very same slopes, moguls and features that challenged the world’s best. A single-day adult pass offering access to Livigno’s 31 lifts, 70 miles of pistes and snowpark goes for 72 euros. Online: livigno.eu/en
