• A. France
  • B. Italy
  • C. Switzerland
  • D. Austria

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The two host cities are both located in the north of this southern country, close to the Alps. One city is known for fashion and design, the other for snowy mountain peaks.

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The correct answer is B. Italy.

The 2026 Winter Olympics took place in Italy, with the organisation spread across two main venues in the north of the country. It was the first time in the history of the modern Winter Games that two cities jointly shared the hosting duties, with sporting events distributed across various regions in and around the Italian Alps.

📚 More background information

Italy is no stranger to hosting the Winter Games. The country had already done so in 1956 and 2006, making 2026 the third time. What set this edition apart was the deliberate choice to use existing facilities rather than building new complexes from scratch. This saves considerably on costs and prevents enormous stadiums from sitting empty and rusting away after the Games are over.

This approach fits into a broader shift in direction by the International Olympic Committee, which has been increasingly encouraging host countries to organise in a more sustainable way. Decades of enormously expensive infrastructure projects that were barely used after the Games had taken their toll on both government budgets and the enthusiasm of potential host countries.

For Dutch viewers, the Winter Games are of particular interest because of the speed skating events. The Netherlands has a strong international reputation on the ice, which makes the skating programme traditionally the most-watched part of the Games in our country.