Plan de Corones (Kronplatz) Summit — 2,275 m
The flat-topped plateau of Plan de Corones floats above Brunico at 2,275 metres and delivers one of the most complete panoramas in the eastern Dolomites — on a clear day you can pick out more than 80 named peaks, from the Tre Cime di Lavaredo to the Austrian Hohe Tauern. A modern gondola whisks you up from the edge of town in under 20 minutes.
The View and How to Reach It
Three separate cable-car lines converge on the summit from Brunico, Riscone and St. Vigilio di Marebbe, making it accessible from multiple bases. The Brunico gondola departs from the Reischach/Riscone district, a short bus ride or taxi from the old town.
At the top, the flat summit plateau means you can walk the full perimeter in about 30 minutes with unobstructed sightlines in every direction. Sunrise visits in summer are particularly rewarding: the first light turns the Dolomite limestone columns a vivid orange-pink known as enrosadira.
Messner Mountain Museum Corones
Embedded into the summit ridge like a bunker, the Messner Mountain Museum Corones — designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and opened in 2015 — is reason alone to make the ascent even in cloud. The concrete-and-glass structure appears to grow out of the mountain itself and houses Reinhold Messner's collection of Himalayan artefacts, expedition photographs and mountaineering history.
The interior circulation follows a dramatic ramp that descends through the ridge, revealing framed views of the Dolomites through floor-to-ceiling windows at unexpected moments. Allow 90 minutes minimum.
Summer Hiking and Winter Skiing
In summer, Plan de Corones sits at the hub of a well-signed trail network; the ridge walk south toward Furcia dei Rii (2,913 m) is achievable for fit hikers with proper footwear and rewards with close-up views of the Fanes massif. Trail maps are free at the valley gondola stations.
In winter, Kronplatz is one of the largest ski areas in South Tyrol with 119 km of pistes, and the summit run back to Brunico — the Herrneigen black — is a local favourite for its sustained gradient and reliable snow cover.
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