The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Belpiano (Schöneben) offers 40 kilometres of pristine skiing across sunny plateaus and north-facing slopes in South Tyrol's upper Vinschgau Valley, with elevations ranging from 1,500 to 2,900 metres. The resort combines family-friendly zones with challenging expert terrain, highlighted by the Erschbaum black run featuring sustained 65% gradients.
Modern snowmaking systems cover 95% of all marked runs, ensuring reliable conditions throughout winter despite the area's southern position. The resort's panoramic location delivers extraordinary views across the Ortler mountain range and into Switzerland, with distinctive Alpine scenery complementing the skiing experience.
930m
Vertical
12
Runs
65 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
The Terrain
12 runs across 65 km of piste
Belpiano (Schöneben) spreads 12 runs across 65 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 46%, with 5 beginner runs to find your feet and 1 advanced or expert run when you want to push.
Terrain split
12
runs
12 runs across 4 grades
Beginner5 runs · 45%
Intermediate6 runs · 46%
Advanced1 run · 9%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Belpiano (Schöneben)
The Belpiano winter season typically runs from early December through mid-April, with optimal conditions from January through March. The area benefits from a remarkable microclimate, receiving over 300 sunny days annually while maintaining excellent snow preservation on north-facing slopes.
The resort's high elevation and comprehensive snowmaking capabilities ensure reliable skiing from opening day, with operations typically beginning on upper mountain sectors before expanding across the entire network by Christmas week. March brings classic spring conditions with firm morning snow and increasingly longer daylight hours, complemented by spectacular Alpine panoramas.
Season 2025 - 2026
7 Dec 2025
Opens
26 Apr 2026
Closes
140
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Belpiano (Schöneben), and where to stay
Situated in South Tyrol's upper Vinschgau Valley, Belpiano sits 80 kilometres northwest of Bolzano and 70 kilometres east of St. Moritz, Switzerland. The resort operates above several traditional villages including Mals and Burgeis, which maintain authentic Alpine architecture and strong cultural connections to both Italian and Austrian heritage.
The surrounding region features remarkable biodiversity within the Stelvio National Park, with extensive protected forests accessible via winter hiking trails. The area's strategic location places it within South Tyrol's Ortler Skiarena network, providing connection opportunities to neighbouring Watles and Trafoi resorts through a unified lift pass.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Belpiano (Schöneben), powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Aspen Snowmass Marks 80th Anniversary With $3.75 Throwback Lift Tickets
Aspen Snowmass turns 80 this December, and it's marking the milestone with $3.75 lift tickets on the anniversary itself - the original 1946 price. A discounted long weekend, $19.46 dining specials, lodging deals up to 46 percent off, and a season of anniversary programming round out the celebration across all four mountains.
17 Sept 2026
Doppelmayr Group Posts 9.1% Revenue Growth in 2025/26, Passing 1.3 Billion Euros
Doppelmayr closed its 2025/26 business year with revenue up 9.1 percent to 1.3 billion euros, driven by projects including the Big Sky Explorer Gondola, Deer Valley's Mayflower East Village Gondola, and the first TRI-Line installation at Hoch-Ybrig. Headcount grew too, with the ropeway manufacturer now employing almost 4,000 people worldwide.
16 Sept 2026
Hintertux Glacier Replaces 40-Year-Old Gondola to Tuxer Fernerhaus
Hintertux Glacier is retiring its 40-year-old gondola to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. The replacement carries 10 people per cabin instead of four, with seat heating and nearly 40 percent more hourly capacity. Doppelmayr's new line opens at the end of October 2026, right as the glacier's high-altitude terrain becomes accessible again for the new season.
16 Sept 2026
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Belpiano (Schöneben) Lift System
The Belpiano lift system comprises 11 modern installations that efficiently serve the resort's varied terrain. The network's centrepiece is the Höllental gondola, which rises directly from Mals village to the mid-mountain hub at 1,970 metres, providing rapid access for day visitors.
Recent upgrades have introduced high-speed detachable chairlifts with weather protection bubbles on key sectors, significantly enhancing comfort and uphill capacity. The system's thoughtful design minimises traversing while providing logical progression through increasingly challenging terrain, making the resort particularly suitable for improving intermediates.
12lifts across 5 types
4
Gondolas
4
6-Person Chairs
1
Quad Chair
1
Triple Chair
2
T-Bars
Belpiano (Schöneben) lift system
Belpiano (Schöneben) is served by 12 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Belpiano (Schöneben) intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.