Cable car · Trentino Alto Adige
Kronplatz (Plan de Corones) cable car
Kronplatz cable car from Brunico: 2,400 people per hour up to 2,275 m, the LUMEN museum at the top, 32 slopes in winter and bike trails in summer.
Base altitude
935 m
Top altitude
2,275 m
Vertical drop
1,340 m
Length
4,300 m
Affiliate link: if you book through it we earn a commission. The price you pay does not change.
Photo: ottori1982 · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Manufacturer
Leitner
Year built
2011
Hourly capacity
2,400 p/h
Kronplatz (Plan de Corones), whose German name hints at the mountain’s Central European soul, is widely known as the ‘Balcony of the Dolomites’. It is not just a marketing line: it describes exactly what you get from the 2,275-metre summit.
The 360° view from the top is one of the most complete in the Alps. In a single sweep you take in the Dolomites to the east, the Ötztal Alps and the Zillertal Alps to the north, the Stubai to the west and the Pale di San Martino to the south-east. No wonder it is one of the best-loved and busiest viewpoints in South Tyrol (Alto Adige).
The cable car from Brunico
The cable car from Brunico/Bruneck, built by Leitner in 2011, is among the most modern and highest-capacity lifts in the region, carrying 2,400 people an hour. The valley station is practically in the town centre of Brunico, the lively medieval town that is the main centre of the Puster Valley.
That is a real advantage: you can leave the car behind and ride straight up from town, which cuts traffic and makes the mountain easy to reach even if you arrive by train on the Brenner line.
The ride takes about 10 minutes. As you climb, the bell towers and roofs of the old town shrink until they are just a detail in the wider pattern of the valley.
Culture at the summit
The top of Kronplatz is home to one of the most original cultural venues in the Alps: LUMEN, the museum of mountain photography, which opened in 2018. It was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the same firm behind the remarkable Messner Mountain Museum Corones, opened on the summit in 2015 at the initiative of Reinhold Messner.
LUMEN has a permanent collection of first-class alpine photography and temporary exhibitions that draw visitors from all over Europe, making Kronplatz a cultural destination as well as a sporting one. A few kilometres below, Brunico has its town museum and the medieval castle above the town, so you can combine art, history and mountains in a single day.
Skiing on Kronplatz
The Kronplatz ski area is considered one of the best organised and most modern in South Tyrol. Its 32 slopes spread over four sides of the mountain, Brunico, Riscone, San Vigilio di Marebbe and Valdaora, and cover every level of difficulty.
They are linked by state-of-the-art lifts designed to keep queues and bottlenecks to a minimum. Some of the steepest runs on the Valdaora side have hosted international downhill and super-G races, proof of the area’s high technical standard. The snowmaking system is among the most efficient in South Tyrol and keeps the slopes well covered even in leaner winters.
Kronplatz in summer
In summer Kronplatz reinvents itself completely. Dozens of trails leave from the summit for hikers of every level, from easy family loops to demanding routes towards the surrounding peaks.
Mountain biking is a local passion. The Kronplatz Bike Park has several downhill trails of different difficulty, from easy flow trails for beginners to technical lines for experienced riders. The Family Park on the mountainside keeps children busy with play areas, archery and adventure trails, so Kronplatz is a great family destination outside the ski season too.
With culture, sport and scenery all in one place, Kronplatz is one of the most complete and versatile mountain destinations in the whole of South Tyrol.