The Palio delle Contrade was held in Bormio despite the Olympics. © ANSA / MICHAEL BUHOLZER

For one day, the Olympics in Bormio become secondary.

For one evening, the entire town of Bormio was out and about – and it had nothing to do with the Olympic Games. Rather, a special tradition took center stage.

February 14, 2026

From: dpa/sn

Bormio is considered the least, well, enthusiastic of the various Olympic venues. On race days, the village is bustling with fans for at least a few hours, but otherwise, the streets are mostly empty. One evening, however, the whole town seemed to be out and about – and it had nothing to do with the Winter Games. On Friday evening, the traditional and annual Palio delle Contrade di Bormio took place in the mountain village.

A Palio is a competition between city districts. The most famous is the Palio di Siena, a world-renowned horse race in the Tuscan city. In the Palio in Bormio, the five districts compete against each other, usually in cross-country skiing and giant slalom. However, because the Stelvio slope was unavailable this year due to the Olympics, only the cross-country skiing took place.

Snow in the streets, mulled wine and brass band music

Countless cubic meters of snow were spread through the narrow streets of Bormio's historic old town, where children skied in the afternoon and adults in the evening. Initially, the various districts sent as many people as possible individually onto the circuit, some dressed in historical costumes and wearing wooden skis from the beginning of the last century.
The spectators were treated to mulled wine, Braulio – the herbal liqueur specialty from Bormio – and brass band music. Even Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini mingled with the crowd.

The Olympics took a backseat for a day in Bormio. © ANSA / MICHAEL BUHOLZER

The finale was a relay race with three male and two female skiers from each district. While the Olympic slope glowed brightly in the background, amateur athletes sprinted for glory and honor in Piazza Cavour. Next year, the giant slalom is scheduled to return to the Palio delle Contrade. "This time," the announcer in the Piazza said, "we're leaving our slope to the professionals."