It all began with the legendary gold medal won by Franco Nones (from Castello di Fiemme) in the 30 km cross-country race at the 1968 Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, wearing bib number 26: a remarkable achievement that marked a turning point in the world of cross-country skiing, until then dominated by the giants of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia. Thanks to this outstanding sporting result, and above all to his pioneering vision and work in tourism, Franco Nones, together with other enlightened entrepreneurs and athletes, shared the idea of the Marcialonga of Fiemme and Fassa. In 1971, the first edition took place. Since then, this race has become the most important and famous long-distance cross-country skiing competition in Italy and the second in the world, after the queen, the Vasaloppet. Building on this vision and foresight, in 1983 the Trofeo Topolino di Sci di Fondo, now known as the Skiri Trophy, was born a youth international cross-country skiing event that attracts over a thousand children and young athletes from around the world every year, held on the penultimate weekend of January. At the end of the 1980s, given the enormous interest in cross-country skiing in Val di Fiemme, the idea emerged to bid for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. The 1991 edition was thus awarded to Val di Fiemme, marking the first time the World Championships were held south of the Alps, in Trentino, practically in the Mediterranean area of Europe, “where lemons bloom in summer and olive trees grow” (quote by Giorgio Tononi, President of the Fiemme 1991 Organizing Committee).
Since then, the Trentino valley has never stopped. The first FIS World Cup took place in 1990, and to date, the international competitions organized in Val di Fiemme have exceeded 400. The 1991, 2003, and 2013 editions of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships were held in Val di Fiemme, along with the Junior & U23 World Championships in 2014 and the Skiroll World Championships in 2015, 2021, and 2024. Val di Fiemme played a major role in hosting the 2013 Winter Universiade in Trentino, accommodating not only Nordic disciplines (cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined), but also biathlon, figure skating, and ice hockey.
Since the first edition of the 2006/2007 season, Val di Fiemme has been the only location to appear consistently on the FIS Tour de Ski calendar, the famous stage race of the FIS Cross-Country World Cup. What makes the Tour de Ski truly special and unique is undoubtedly the legendary Final Climb of Alpe Cermis, which, even after 19 years, remains the most-watched cross-country World Cup race on television.
The crowning achievement of this long career in Nordic skiing is represented by the awarding of the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to the Milan-Cortina bid. Val di Fiemme, with the World Championship stadiums for cross-country skiing in Lago di Tesero and ski jumping in Predazzo, will serve as a Host Venue for the Nordic disciplines (cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, ski jumping), as well as for Paralympic cross-country skiing and biathlon.
A dream that has become reality for the entire Fiemme community, a valley that since the 1970s has believed in the all-encompassing importance of winter sports, investing time, energy, and resources. A valley that has been present from the very beginning on every occasion, with all local authorities and institutions, municipal administrations, sports groups primarily the Fiamme Gialle and Fiamme Oro sports clubs, and last but not least, the volunteers: an army of over 1,000 people who dedicate their free time with great passion and efficiency to ensure the success of both small and large sporting events in Val di Fiemme.
With the awarding of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Val di Fiemme becomes the only location in the world to have hosted all the major events in Nordic skiing disciplines (World Cup, Junior & Senior World Championships, Universiade, Olympic and Paralympic Games) a record that highlights the valley’s deep sporting passion and its capacity to host major events that promote both sport and the local territory.
