Behind the scenes of Cortina’s trailer-park Olympic Village: 400 mobile homes in an Alpine valley

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The 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 in close proximity 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 1-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 one is 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 the U.S. and Germany, plus host Italy, said their athletes will stay in the villages, though it’s unlikely Alpine superstars Lindsey Vonn or Mikaela Shiffrin will stay in the mobile home park in Cortina.

Cortina will host women’s Alpine skiing, curling, bobsled, luge and skeleton during the games. The Village will also be essential for the Paralympics, which will be held March 6-15.

“Most of the nations will use the Village — both for the living part and above all for the common areas like the gym,” Saldini said. “Even those staying outside the Village will come here.”

Each trailer is divided into two rooms, with up to two people in each room. Every room has its own bathroom and shower. But open the trailer door and athletes could be met with a biting wind each morning — or they might be treated to unforgettable images of the sun lighting up and reflecting off jagged mountain peaks.

Warm boots — not slippers — might be the best attire for the walk to the big cafeteria for breakfast. Anyone staying in trailers near the outskirts of the 1.4-kilometer long (nearly mile-long) Village will have a 10-minute walk to the common areas — which also include a gym, game room, offices, relaxation areas and a laundromat.

A snowstorm made for blizzard-like conditions during AP's visit in late November, without any permanent buildings to block the wind.

February, though, brings more hours of sunlight to the area.

The altitude at the Village area is 1,292 meters (4,239 feet) — slightly higher than in downtown Cortina.

“There’s just the forest here,” said Paride Casagrande, the Village’s construction manager. “The wind is an element. But it doesn’t blow all day long every day. It depends on the day. There could be very cold days and there could be very comfortable days. But the fact remains that we’re in a natural area where it’s cold.”

When organizers of the Paris Summer Olympics announced that they would not provide air conditioners in the Athletes Village, the U.S. and other teams brought their own machines — undercutting plans to cut carbon emissions.

Nobody should have to bring their own climate-controlling machines this time.

Every room in the Cortina Village has its own heating controls.

A thermostat regulates a heating unit mounted on the wall and there’s also an infrared panel on the ceiling that helps maintain the temperature — both run on electricity.

“Without much power, the temperature can be brought up to 25-26 degrees Celsius (77-79 Fahrenheit), which should be all that’s necessary,” Casagrande said.

“But it’s all subjective, considering that I’ve been seeing athletes walking around outside in their underwear even though it’s snowing out,” Casagrande added, referring to sliding competitors in town for a test event. “The choice is up to the athletes.”

Every mobile home sits on at least two wheels, used only for positioning, not transport, Casagrande said.

The homes were brought to Cortina by oversize-load trucks.

All of the rooms are about 18 square meters (200 square feet), with one of the two rooms in each mobile home slightly larger than the other to accommodate Paralympians.

The rooms for Paralympians also have handicap-accessible showers, toilets and beds.

The total cost for the Village is 38 million euros ($44 million).

While the mobile homes are being rented, it would cost up to 80,000 euros ($93,000) to buy one.

After the Olympics and the Paralympics, the mobile homes will be re-used at camping sites around Italy, with some of them already destined for a hockey club in nearby Brunico.

The bigger buildings — also temporary — for the cafeteria, gym and other common areas are already being heated by a thermal power plant running on natural gas that also warms the Village’s water supply. Air handling units placed on top of the buildings regulate the air.

Trees were cut down to set the Village up, drawing some protests from climate activists.

“Most of them were already dead,” Casagrande said. “But we’ve also brought in new plants and (trees). … This is a natural park and we’re going to leave it just as we found it.”

Andrew Dampf is at https://x.com/AndrewDampf

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

A view of the athlete's village for the Cortina Milan Winter Olympics, in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Workers pull cables in the athlete's village for the Cortina Milan Winter Olympics, in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A view of the interior of one of the trailer homes at the athlete's village for the Cortina Milan Winter Olympics, in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A view of the athlete's village for the Cortina Milan Winter Olympics, in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A view of the athlete's village for the Cortina Milan Winter Olympics, in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Monday that leader Kim Jong Un observed test-flights of hypersonic missiles and underscored the need to bolster the country’s nuclear war deterrent, as the country dials up weapons displays ahead of its major political conference.

North Korea reported on the drill a day after its neighbors said they detected multiple ballistic missile launches and accused the North of carrying out provocations. The tests came just hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed for China for a summit with President Xi Jinping.

The official Korean Central News Agency said Sunday’s drill involving a hypersonic weapon system was meant to examine its readiness, enhance missile troops’ firepower operational skills and evaluate operational capabilities of the country’s war deterrent.

“Through today’s launching drill, we can confirm that a very important technology task for national defense has been carried out,” Kim said, according to KCNA. “We must continuously upgrade the military means, especially offensive weapon systems."

The possession of a functioning hypersonic weapon would give North Korea an ability to penetrate the U.S. and South Korea's missile defense shields. In past years, North Korea has performed a series of tests to acquire it, but many foreign experts question whether the tested missiles have achieved their desired speed and maneuverability during flights.

In recent weeks, North Korea test-fired what it called long-range strategic cruise missiles and new anti-air missiles and released photos showing apparent progress in the construction of its first nuclear-powered submarine.

Observers say North Korea aims to demonstrate or review its achievements on the weapons development sector ahead of the ruling Workers' Party congress, the first of its kind in five years. Keen attention is on whether Kim would use the congress to set a new approach on relations with the U.S. and resume long-dormant talks.

North Korea's nuclear program is expected to be discussed when Lee and Xi meet for a summit later Monday. Lee's office earlier said he would call for China, North Korea’s major ally and economic pipeline take “a constructive role” in efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The latest launches followed Saturday’s audacious U.S. military operation that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power and brought him to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. North Korea slammed the operation, saying it again shows “the rogue and brutal nature of the U.S."

Many experts say the U.S. operation likely leave Kim pushing to further expand his nuclear weapons capabilities that he thinks guarantees the survival of his government and state sovereignty in the face of U.S.-led hostilities.

During Sunday's launch drill, Kim defended his push for a stronger nuclear program. “Why it is necessary is exemplified by the recent geopolitical crisis and complicated international events,” he said.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un, center, inspects test-flights of hypersonic missiles, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un walks on a road as he inspects test-flights of hypersonic missiles, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, center left, and his wife Kim Hea Kyung arrive to depart for China at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, front right, visits a major munitions factory at an undisclosed place in North Korea Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)