The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Plose is the local mountain of Brixen (Bressanone) in the Eisacktal in South Tyrol, a ski area spanning 1,039m to 2,505m across 42.5km of pistes on two peaks of the Plose massif - the Plose summit itself and the adjacent Cima Piatta (Pfannspitze). The terrain is broad, mostly south-facing and consistently sunny, with the ski area recording an average of 71 sunny days per season - among the highest of any resort in South Tyrol. From the summit, the panorama sweeps across the UNESCO Dolomites to the south and the main Alpine ridge to the north.
The ski area's most celebrated run is the Trametsch, a 9km descent from 2,446m at the Plosehütte to the gondola base at 1,067m, dropping 1,400m of vertical. It is one of the longest groomed valley descents in South Tyrol and runs as a black piste in its lower sections, making it a benchmark challenge for strong skiers ending the day. A Speed Check station on the mountain allows skiers to measure their velocity on designated stretches.
Off the slopes, the RudiRun is a 9km natural toboggan run - the longest in South Tyrol - descending from the gondola summit station to the valley base, with a shorter 4km variant finishing at the mid-station. The Plosebob, a separate rail-guided sled run, adds a further activity accessible from the top station. Snowmaking covers 80% of marked pistes, with the high-altitude position above 2,000m providing good natural snow retention through the core winter months.
Plose sits within the Dolomiti Superski network and also participates in the Gitschberg-Jochtal-Brixen regional pass, which gives access to a combined 98km of pistes across the two areas. A Rio Pusteria-Brixen multi-resort pass further extends access to five South Tyrolean ski areas including Lüsen, Velturno and Funes.
1466m
Vertical
20
Runs
42.5 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
The Terrain
20 runs across 42.5 km of piste
Plose Brixen spreads 20 runs across 42.5 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 46%, with 9 beginner runs to find your feet and 6 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
20
runs
20 runs across 4 grades
Beginner9 runs · 46%
Intermediate4 runs · 22%
Advanced6 runs · 32%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Plose Brixen
Plose operates from early December through to early April, with the 2025-26 season running from 5 December 2025 to 6 April 2026. The season window reflects the resort's mid-range altitude and predominantly south-facing aspect, with snowmaking covering 80% of marked pistes and the upper terrain above 2,000m typically holding natural snow well into March.
Annual snowfall averages 3.5 metres across the ski area, with the summit area around 2,500m maintaining reliable depth through the core winter period. Average snow depth at the summit peaks around 95cm in February and March - the deepest and sunniest months respectively - with March delivering around 21 sunny days on average, the highest of any month in the season. The south-facing aspect accelerates morning warm-up but also accelerates afternoon softening, making early starts on the mountain particularly rewarding.
The Trametsch valley run is at its best during the mid-season window from January through March, when full base depth allows the complete 9km descent from summit to valley station. The RudiRun toboggan run operates alongside the ski season with the same gondola access, adding an evening or alternative activity option for groups splitting ski and non-ski days.
Brixen itself provides a genuine off-slope draw throughout the season. The medieval city - one of the oldest in South Tyrol, with a cathedral dating to the 10th century - hosts a Christmas market in late November and December and offers year-round restaurants, cafés and the Acquarena wellness centre with 12,000m² of pools, saunas and fitness facilities.
Season 2025 - 2026
5 Dec 2025
Opens
6 Apr 2026
Closes
122
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Plose Brixen, and where to stay
Plose sits above the city of Brixen (Bressanone) in the Eisacktal in South Tyrol, with the gondola valley station at St. Andrä located 7km from the city centre. Brixen is directly on the A22 Brenner motorway corridor, with the Bressanone motorway exit placing skiers within 15 minutes of the gondola base. The city is one of the most accessible urban ski bases in the Dolomites for drivers coming from the north.
Innsbruck Airport in Austria is the closest international gateway, approximately 60km to the north via the A22 across the Brenner Pass. Verona Villafranca Airport to the south is around 200km via the same motorway. Bolzano Airport, with limited connections, sits around 40km to the south.
Brixen is served by the main Brenner rail line with frequent InterCity and regional services connecting to Innsbruck, Bolzano and Verona. From Brixen station, bus line 321 runs directly to the Plose gondola valley station at St. Andrä. The journey takes around 15-20 minutes. Drivers can also access the upper mountain from Palmschoss via a separate road, which suits visitors based in the villages above the valley floor.
Brixen is a functioning city of around 22,000 people with a well-preserved medieval centre, a full range of accommodation across all categories, and a restaurant scene that draws on both South Tyrolean and northern Italian culinary traditions. The combination of urban amenity and direct gondola access to a 2,500m ski area within 20 minutes is unusual in the Dolomites context and is Plose's clearest point of difference in the regional market.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Plose Brixen, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Saalbach Hinterglemm Resort Review: 270 km of Piste, 70 Lifts and a Three-Resort Pass
Four connected areas, 70 lifts and a World Championship course, yet Saalbach Hinterglemm still runs like a family holiday. Two days on snow and a Worlds Super-G later, here is who it suits, what the Ski ALPIN CARD covers and why Epic Pass holders should pay attention. Big on blues, light on steeps.
30 Sept 2026
Sölden Plans Four-Race World Cup Opener on the Rettenbach Glacier from 2027
Sölden's World Cup opener has been two giant slaloms on the Rettenbach glacier for as long as most fans can remember. From 2027/28 it could be four. Director Jack Falkner wants to add two Super-Gs, backed by a nod from Vincent Kriechmayr, and turn the opening into a full week where the ski world gathers in the Ötztal. FIS and the ÖSV are yet to sign off. This year, it's still just the two GS races on 24 and 25 October.
29 Sept 2026
Hokkaido Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026/27: Sapporo Kokusai Leads Off on 20 November
Hokkaido's lift season now has dates. Sapporo Kokusai opens first on 20 November, Niseko United, Kiroro, Rusutsu and Furano follow on 28 November, and Kamui closes the list on 12 December. Everything hinges on snow, and with a strong El Niño in play, the JMA gives Hokkaido's Japan Sea side a 40% chance of below-normal snowfall. Honshu's Japan Sea coast looks shakier.
28 Sept 2026
Swiss Ski Resorts Post Second-Highest Winter Revenue on Record Despite a Warm Season
Switzerland logged 25.7 million ski days last winter, only 2.3% off the record, in a season that ranked sixth-warmest since records began. Revenue hit CHF 895.8 million, second only to 2024/25. Zermatt led on visits and takings, foreign guests hit a ten-year high, and 12 resorts never opened at all. Snowmaking, late storms and high altitude carried the numbers. Anything sitting at 1,000-1,200 m had a far rougher time.
26 Sept 2026
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
Plose Brixen Lift System
Seven lifts serve Plose's terrain between 1,039m and 2,505m, comprising two gondolas, one six-seat chairlift, one quad chairlift, one triple chairlift, one double chairlift and one T-bar. The compact network belies the scale of the vertical on offer, with the two main gondolas providing efficient access to the upper ski area from two separate valley entry points.
The primary access from St. Andrä (Sant'Andrea), 7km from Brixen city centre, is the Plose gondola - a 10-seat installation renewed for the 2023-24 season, carrying skiers to the Kreuztal mid-station at 2,060m before continuing to the upper ski area. The Pfannspitze gondola, also a 10-seat installation, provides a second valley entry point from Palmschoss at 1,697m, climbing to the Cima Piatta area at 2,463m and opening up terrain on the eastern face of the massif.
The Rossalm six-seat chairlift serves the upper mountain terrain and connects the two gondola zones at altitude, while the remaining chairlifts cover the mid-mountain sectors and the beginner terrain below 2,000m. A dedicated beginners' drag lift and magic carpet conveyors at the snow schools operate independently of the main network. All three valley entry points - St. Andrä, Palmschoss and the Skihütte at 1,900m - have valley return runs giving skiers the option of descending to whichever base suits their accommodation.
The gondola from St. Andrä doubles as the access lift for the RudiRun toboggan run, with the summit station serving as the start for the full 9km descent. Bus line 321 connects Brixen city centre to the gondola valley station throughout the ski season.
7lifts across 6 types
2
Gondolas
1
6-Person Chair
1
Quad Chair
1
Triple Chair
1
Double Chair
1
T-Bar
Plose Brixen lift system
Plose Brixen is served by 7 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 Plose Brixen intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.