Winter Olympians who have signed up to stay in Cortina d'Ampezzo's Athletes Village should not expect luxury accommodations or a cozy fire to snuggle up next to after a long day on the mountain.
The temporary Village that will house up to 1,400 athletes and other team members during the Feb. 6-22 Milan Cortina Games consists of 377 rented mobile homes arranged close to one another on a humid valley floor.
The Associated Press was the first international media outlet allowed in for an early look at the facility, which is in an unpopulated area about a 10-minute drive or one-hour walk north of downtown Cortina.
The rooms are simple and spartan.
In exchange for amenities, though, comes close contact to the Dolomites.
"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," said Fabio Saldini, the Italian government commissioner overseeing infrastructure for the Games.
"The beauty of a Village like this lies in the fact that everything will be removed afterward. Nothing is permanent; the environment will not return to its previous state but will be improved," Saldini added. "This is a temporary village, but of high design."
Providing lodging for athletes is one of the most important responsibilities for Olympic organizers. It's particularly challenging for the geographically dispersed Milan Cortina Games. Cortina's trailer park is one of the two main Olympic villages, the other in Milan.
Winter sports powerhouse Norway has chosen to house its skiers in hotels rather than in the official Olympic villages, according to Norwegian news agency NTB.
Many other nations like
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