Herrnsteig - The legend

After taking the bike shuttle from San Vigilio to the Furkel Pass and then the cable car up to the 2,275 metre high Kronplatz, we, like everyone else here, first go to the Concordia 2000 peace bell. The imposing bell on the summit plateau, which was erected in summer 2003 on the advice of ski pioneer Erich Kastlunger, is a reminder of harmony and peace. It is dedicated to St Bernard, the patron saint of the inhabitants of the Alps. We then make a detour to the LUMEN Museum of Mountain Photography and finally to the architectural highlight at the summit of Kronplatz: the Messner Mountain Museum by Reinhold Messner. The building, designed by Zaha Hadid, opens up to the surrounding mountains in all directions, focussing the visitor's gaze on selected panoramic views of the South Tyrolean mountain landscape and the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site.

And it is precisely this focus that we now need when we turn our attention to the Herrnsteig single trail legend. After all, we have 8 kilometres and 1,300 metres of descent ahead of us. The MTB single trail is considered to be the cradle of mountain biking on Plan de Corones/Kronplatz, as this is where it all began. The signature trail of the San Vigilio Dolomites - Plan de Corones region offers a good first taste of the trail enjoyment to come right at the start with

• some berms,
• Jumps
• and fast crossings

The main Alpine ridge and the Pustertal valley deep below us are always in view. At first we still have a lot of respect for the Kronplatz legend, but then we get into the flow. Our joy grows with every bend and we recognise the successful work of the trail builders, who have really done a great job here.

After a while, we enter the dense forest. Here it gets steeper, more rooty and also more technical. So that we mountain bikers don't get bored so quickly, the organisers have come up with something special here: With Hans and Franz, there are two variants to the Herrnsteig in the lower section. Fun fact: the names of the two trail variants are derived from the names of the landowners - just like other trail names at Kronplatz. Or particularly hard-working employees.

Franz is the first hand-built trail at Kronplatz and only for experts:

• steep trail for really experienced mountain bikers
• technically demanding through the dense forest
• with small counter-climbs

At the end of the trail is Hans, which takes up the character of Franz and is also an ideal single trail section for really experienced mountain bikers who are guaranteed to have fun here.

At the end of Hans, we rejoin the original Herrnsteig, enjoying the last bends, the last undulations and the last fast crossings. This trail is quite rightly a legend. Here at Kronplatz, people have managed to peacefully combine their love of the mountains and alpinism with their passion for mountain biking. From relaxed and enjoyable enduro races and the promotion of young talent to challenging trails and skills courses, Kronplatz offers everything an alpine mountain biker's heart desires.