Inside Cortina’s Temporary Olympic Village: 377 Mobile Homes for 1,400 Athletes

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy — For the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Games, a temporary Athletes Village set amid the Dolomites will house up to 1,400 competitors and team staff in 377 rented mobile homes. Positioned on a valley floor about a 10-minute drive (or roughly a one-hour walk) north of downtown Cortina, the site prioritizes proximity to the mountains over luxury.

Location and layout

The Village stretches roughly 1.4 kilometers (nearly one mile) along a relatively unpopulated stretch of the valley at about 1,292 meters (4,239 feet) above sea level. Mobile homes are placed close together on a humid valley floor, with shared facilities clustered in the center: a cafeteria, gym, games room, offices, relaxation areas and a laundromat.

Living quarters

Each mobile home contains two separate rooms, each roughly 18 square meters (about 200 square feet). Rooms are simple and functional, and each includes a private bathroom and shower. One room in each unit is slightly larger and is fitted for Paralympic athletes, with accessible showers, toilets and beds.

Comfort and climate control

Organizers have installed individual electric climate controls in every room: a wall-mounted heating unit governed by a thermostat plus an infrared panel on the ceiling. According to the site's construction manager, these units can raise temperatures to around 25–26°C (77–79°F) without heavy power draw. Still, the alpine setting means weather will vary — residents may encounter strong winds and snow at times, or crisp, sunny mountain mornings at others.

“It’s located in a very quiet area of Cortina, where you have the opportunity to hear the sound of the mountains, isolate yourself if you wish, concentrate if you desire, or go out for a pleasant workout,”

— Fabio Saldini, government commissioner overseeing infrastructure for the Games

Facilities and accessibility

Shared amenities are concentrated in the Village core. Athletes staying on the outskirts may face a 10-minute walk to reach the central cafeteria and communal spaces. The larger temporary buildings that house common areas are served by a natural-gas thermal plant for heating and hot water; air-handling units regulate indoor air.

Costs, reuse and legacy

The Village project is budgeted at about €38 million (roughly $44 million). The mobile homes are rented for the Games; buying a unit would cost considerably more. After the Olympics and Paralympics, organizers plan to redeploy the units at campsites and other facilities across Italy, and some have been allocated to local sports clubs.

Environmental considerations

Setting up the Village required removing some trees, a move that drew protests from environmental activists. Construction managers say many removed trees were already dead and that new plants and trees have been planted to restore and improve the site when the temporary structures are removed.

Who will stay there?

Many countries plan to use the Villages for housing and shared facilities, while some teams — notably Norway — have opted for hotels. Top alpine stars sometimes choose private accommodation instead of village living, but organizers expect most delegations to use the Village for training spaces and communal services even if individual athletes are housed elsewhere.

Photographers and visitors say the Village pairs pragmatic, modest accommodations with dramatic alpine scenery: basic, well-equipped units set against the iconic peaks of the Dolomites.

By Andrew Dampf