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
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
Plose Brixen Ski Trails
Downloadable Plose Brixen trail map
Terrain split
20
runs
Beginner46%
Intermediate22%
Advanced32%
Expert0%
42.5 km of piste
Resort Stats
Elevation
Base1039m
Summit2505m
Annual snowfall
4m
Season
2025 - 2026
5 Dec 2025 - 6 Apr 2026
Trail coverage
20 runs
42.5 km
Plose Brixen ski trails
Plose Brixen offers 20 runs across a mix of difficulties. The terrain split and trail map here show how the mountain breaks down so you can plan a day that suits your group.
- • Match runs to your ability - the terrain split shows how much of Plose Brixen is beginner, intermediate and advanced.
- • Check grooming and open-run status against the live conditions before committing to the upper mountain.
- • Early season and after fresh snow, favour the lifts serving your preferred grade to make the most of the day.
More Plose Brixen intelligence: trail map, lift system, resort overview.