About kilometres of slopes, the art of logistics and three different cultures that come together every day at the Kronplatz summit.
11 amazing facts about Kronplatz – who would have thought?


  1. One mountain, three languages:
    The Kronplatz region is a melting pot of cultures. Every day on the mountain, three South Tyrolean language groups come into direct contact amongst the local population: German, Italian and Ladin.
    Ladin, the minority language of South Tyrol. The Ladin-speaking community accounts for just over 4 per cent of the population and is the third official language of the province, alongside German and Italian. Whilst virtually all South Tyroleans speak and understand German and Italian, only true-born Ladins actually speak and understand Ladin. Ladin is already spoken at the nearby Furkel Pass, the connecting road to Alta Badia.

  2. The “CONCORDIA 2000” Peace Bell:
    The massive Concordia 2000 Peace Bell stands proudly right at the summit of Kronplatz. It weighs over 18 tonnes, has a diameter of 3 metres and rings every day at 12 noon as a symbol of peace and international understanding. The 500-kilogramme forged clapper causes it to ring out in the note C sharp0.
    The bell was installed and inaugurated on the 2,275-metre-high summit in the summer of 2003 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Kronplatz ski resort. Before its journey to South Tyrol, it was exhibited, amongst other places, for example near the Salzburg Cathedral. The extraordinary heavy-lift transport and the steep journey up to the summit plateau of Kronplatz were carried out by road using lorries.
    Once on site, this unique piece was mounted using specialised equipment on the 21.8-metre-high observation tower, or belfry, that had been erected.

  3.  Record-breaking ‘Kronplatz 2000’ cable car & state-of-the-art ski lifts:
    With 32 modern lifts (mostly high-speed gondola lifts), the ski resort has a transport capacity of around 70,000 to 73,000 people per hour. In 2000, what was then the world’s largest single-cable circulating lift (“Kronplatz 2000”) came into operation here.

  4. 100% guaranteed snow:
    The entire Kronplatz area can be covered with artificial snow.     The system comprises hundreds of snow cannons and enormous water reservoirs, which often ensure skiing conditions well into spring. Every year, it is a technical masterpiece for thousands of skiing enthusiasts.

  5. Why artificial snow is now ‘better’ to ski on:
    From a sporting perspective and in terms of piste preparation, artificial snow has clear physical advantages over natural snow:

    • Higher density and compactness: Natural snow consists of delicate, hexagonal snow crystals containing a lot of trapped air (it is loose and fluffy). Artificial snow is sprayed into the air as fine water droplets, which freeze into tiny, compact ice pellets. This makes it up to four times denser.
    • Extreme durability: thanks to its high density, the slope is extremely resilient. It can withstand thousands of skiers a day without deep, dangerous bumps or ruts forming. The slope retains its ‘grip’ from morning until afternoon.
    • Resistance to heat: due to its compactness, artificially produced snow melts significantly more slowly than natural snow. Even at mild spring temperatures, the surface remains stable and does not turn into heavy slush so quickly.
    • Perfect for edge grip: for competitive skiers, the hard, uniform artificial snow offers predictable, aggressive grip for the ski edges. For this reason, all World Cup races (such as on the Erta run at Kronplatz) are held exclusively on pure technical snow.

  6. 1, 2, 3, 4 … water reservoirs and their sizes:
    The reservoirs at Kronplatz vary depending on the side of the slope, in order to meet the enormous demand. Smaller and larger reservoirs have been built over the years; whilst the large ones hold between 100,000 and 120,000 cubic metres of water, the smaller, older reservoirs hold around 54,000 cubic metres.

  7. And how does the water reach the places where it is needed?
    In spring and summer, the reservoirs are fed primarily by meltwater, natural tributaries and streams. The water is collected and transported uphill via high-pressure pumping stations, or distributed as required.
    TOP FACT: in summer, they also serve as multi-purpose reservoirs for agriculture or as a reserve of water for firefighting.

  8. High-speed snowmaking:
    When temperatures drop below freezing in late autumn (usually November), Kronplatz’s highly efficient snowmaking systems often mean that just 3 to 5 days (or nights) of continuous frost are enough to guarantee comprehensive base snow cover for the start of the season. In no time at all, over 100 kilometres of slopes are covered in "white gold".

  9.  Snow cannons & their performance:
    A modern snow cannon produces around 2.5 cubic metres of snow from 1 cubic metre of water. Depending on the temperature, humidity and model, a high-performance snow cannon can produce several dozen cubic metres of snow per hour.

  10. One mountain, many jobs:
    Kronplatz Holding as a whole employs around 500 permanent staff across its various divisions (cable cars, catering, transport). If we include all the ski instructors, external catering staff and employees of all affiliated partner businesses directly on the mountain during the peak of winter, the ski resort supports well over 1,000 jobs in the region.

  11. For the first time:
    In the summer of 2026, Kronplatz tried ‘snow farming’ for the first time (storing snow under tarpaulins or wood chips over the summer).
    Naturally, as of autumn 2026, there are no facts or figures available yet – the snow is still slumbering under the tarpaulin – so it remains to be seen.
    There seem to be no limits to modernity and forward-thinking, and Kronplatz is always right at the forefront – swimming, ähhmmm, skiing, that is!