Gassl Trail

The Gassl Trail is something like the missing link between mountain and valley. As one of the longest and at the same time the youngest single trail on Plan de Corones, it combines long-distance views, summit bliss and valley adventure as well as a beginner's experience and advanced flow. We start in the valley and take the super-fast cable car up to 2,275 metres in around 10 minutes in a comfortable and energy-saving way. Several architectural masterpieces await us at the summit of Kronplatz:

• the imposing mountain station of the modern Olang I + II gondola lift
• the spectacular MMM Corones Alpinism Museum
• and the LUMEN Photography Museum

The Messner Mountain Museum, designed by Zaha Hadid, delights visitors with guided panoramic views of the Dolomite mountains. And a journey through the history of traditional mountaineering. A return to a form of modesty and also to mountains as creative works of art. LUMEN - a museum of mountain photography next door picks up on this thread. And the Gassl Trail is also playfully integrated into this storytelling. Up here and on our way along the single trail, we are constantly captivated by the views of the Dolomites, the Rieserferner Group, the view of the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park and the views down into the Pustertal Valley.

The MBH Singletrail Gassl Trail is one of the longest trails on Kronplatz alongside the legendary Herrensteig. It winds along the eastern slope of the mountain down into the valley. It's a good thing that it goes downhill flowing curve after curve. The easy jumps, gentle berms and varied lines don't distract too much from the fantastic panorama. This makes the Signature Trail of the Kronplatz holiday region the ideal playground for first freeride taster tours and also offers inexperienced bikers plenty of flow and fun. The view accompanies us on every bend - new and exciting perspectives are always waiting for us. Inspired by the preliminary visit to LUMEN, we are sensitised to the beauty of the high alpine mountain world. This makes the Gassl Trail a real pleasure and an experience on many sensory levels.

And so we reach the valley floor after a good 1,000 metres and around 8 km (in conjunction with the Dragon Trail). Exhausted, but happy and with many new impressions. As we roll through Olang, we discover the wood carving workshop of Konrad and Rosa Bachmann. Traditional, restrained and yet so expressive. We look inside and are suddenly immersed in another world. These hours of dedication to a work, to a material. The Bachmanns' obsession with detail and focus is impressive: it's always about completion, about perfection. And so the circle that began at 2,275 metres above sea level comes full circle down here in the valley. The immense power of this form of recollection and focus is palpable. For us, the Gassl Trail is the direct expression of this feeling, as it connects the mountain with the valley. It opens up new perspectives and blurs the boundaries between vision and focus.

The passion of local producers catches the eye in many places in Olang. Peter from the Unterhölzlhof organic farm is a good example of the diversity of cultural craftsmanship in practice: since 2010, goat's milk from the German Edelziege goat has been processed into cheese here (and no, he is not the goat Peter). Peter is not alone in the Valdaora - Plan de Corones region with his enthusiasm for organic products. A large number of local producers supply guests and locals with high-quality, organic products - and therefore also with a great deal of foresight.

But that's not all! Right at the end of the Gassl Trail, at the Olang 1+2 valley station in Gassl, another highlight awaits bike fans: the new Gassl Jump Area. Three drops, a kicker, a dirt jump kicker and a kicker with airbag landing guarantee action and fun for every level. Thanks to an 80-metre-long conveyor belt, you can effortlessly return to the start – for endless riding fun without exertion. And if you want to take a breather in between, the sun terrace of the Bar Gassl next door is the perfect place to relax – and watch the spectacular jumps.