Kronplatz

Plan de Corones (Kronplatz) in South Tyrol is a top-class ski area on the slopes of the mountain of the same name. The Val Pusteria (Pustertal), which lies at the foot of Kronplatz, is home to thirteen holiday villages, the largest of which is the medieval town of Brunico (Bruneck). Plan de Corones (2,275 m) offers superb skiing. Its dome-shaped summit is completely treeless, so the pistes are wide and sunny, and the slopes give fine views of the Zillertal Alps and the Dolomites. The range of runs is huge: from flat nursery slopes for novices, through varied red pistes, to genuinely demanding black pistes for real experts. The resort is not only for fans of wide slopes and big carved turns. The two black pistes above Bruneck make the most of what Kronplatz has to offer, and the Herrnegg piste is even homologated for FIS races. The third black piste, below the summit of Piz de Plaites, is called Erta, which translates as "steep", and that is indeed the best description of it. The runs down to the valleys are 5 to 6.5 km long and, thanks to snowmaking, stay in excellent condition from the start of the season to the end. The modern, efficient lift network (14 gondolas, 10 chairlifts, 10 T-bars) has a very high capacity, so there are practically never any queues. Plan de Corones is part of the vast Dolomiti Superski area, with a total of 1,200 km of pistes. The Kronplatz area offers excellent cross-country skiing (200 km of trails). The trail along the Val Pusteria is the one cross-country skiers value most. Every January a ski marathon is held here, and in February the well-known races in the Valle di Casies. There is also a very extensive network of winter walking trails. The region also has well-prepared toboggan runs, ice rinks, swimming pools, indoor tennis courts, sleigh rides and horse riding. The après-ski scene is very lively. You can let your hair down in Valdaora, San Vigilio or Chienes. For those tired of the noise and bustle, the historic centre of Brunico is sure to appeal. Shoppers will find both exclusive designer boutiques and small shops selling local crafts in practically every one of the region's dozen or so villages.