Thousands of Dinosaur Footprints Discovered Near 2026 Winter Olympics Venue in Italy
BORMIO, Italy — Just weeks before the 2026 Winter Olympics commence, a remarkable paleontological discovery has come to light near one of the event venues. A wildlife photographer exploring Stelvio National Park, close to the Swiss border and near the Alpine skiing site at Bormio, stumbled upon an extraordinary collection of dinosaur footprints estimated to number around 20,000. These prints, dating back approximately 210 million years to the Late Triassic Period, represent one of the largest known assemblages of dinosaur tracks in Europe.
Elio Della Ferrera, the photographer who made the discovery in September 2025, captured images of the footprints on a steep, north-facing wall of the Fraeel Valley, located between 7,900 and 9,200 feet above sea level. The site, previously unrecognized for dinosaur activity, lies just about a mile from where men’s Alpine skiing competitions are scheduled during the Winter Olympics, set to take place from February 6 to 22, 2026.
According to Cristiano Dal Sasso, a paleontologist at the Milan Natural History Museum, the footprints were made by long-necked, bipedal herbivores similar in size and shape to the Plateosaurus, a prosauropod dinosaur that could reach lengths of 33 feet and weigh up to four tons. “This time reality really surpasses fantasy,” Dal Sasso remarked, emphasizing the significance of the find.
The footprints are preserved on a prehistoric coastal area that had never before yielded dinosaur tracks, making the discovery even more exceptional. Dal Sasso noted that the prints are somewhat difficult to discern without specialized lenses due to their location and shading, but their sheer quantity is staggering. “The huge surprise was not so much in discovering the footprints, but in discovering such a huge quantity,” Della Ferrera said. “There are really tens of thousands of prints up there, more or less well-preserved.”
While there are currently no plans to open the site to public visitation, the discovery has been hailed as a “gift for the Olympics” by Attilio Fontana, the governor of Italy’s Lombardy region. The find adds a unique prehistoric dimension to the global sporting event and highlights the rich natural heritage of the area.
Stelvio National Park, which encompasses the discovery site, is renowned for its diverse wildlife and alpine landscapes. The park’s management has been collaborating with regional authorities and paleontologists to study and preserve the footprints. This collaboration underscores the importance of integrating scientific research with cultural and sporting events, enriching the experience for visitors and participants alike.
The Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will draw athletes and spectators from around the world, spotlighting northern Italy’s stunning mountain regions. The proximity of such a significant paleontological site to the Olympic venues offers a rare opportunity to connect the ancient past with contemporary human achievement.
For more information about the Winter Olympics and the region’s natural heritage, visit the official International Olympic Committee site and the Stelvio National Park official website. Details about the paleontological significance of the discovery can be found through the Natural History Museum Vienna’s Paleontology Department, which collaborates internationally on Triassic fossil research. Additionally, the National Park Service Fossil Resources provides educational resources on fossil preservation and management.
As the world prepares to celebrate athletic excellence in the shadow of the Alps, the footprints of giants from a distant era remind us of the deep history embedded in the landscapes we cherish today.
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