Renon Railway

A special narrow-gauge railway can be found on the Renon. It was opened in 1907, only four years after the Mendola Funicular in Caldaro, one of the steepest funiculars all over Europe, and ran directly from the Piazza Walther square in Bolzano up to the Renon. It was the time of the Belle Epoque, when the first guests reached the Renon High Plateau, located 1,000 m higher than South Tyrol's main town, with the cog railway. In 1966, the cog railway was replaced by a cable car.

The Renon Railway with its historic engines, however, was preserved and connects today on seven kilometres length the villages of Maria Assunta, Soprabolzano, Costalovàra, Stella and Collalbo. The panoramic views on the Dolomites from the train route are phenomenal. Some years ago the cable car was replaced by a modern aerial cableway, the valley station is a little further to the east of the Piazza Walther square, in the Via Renon road in Bolzano. Since 2021, the Renon Railway has been managed by the STA - South Tyrolean Transport Structures.

Since September 2026, the history of the Renon Railway have been brought to life in a new interactive exhibition space at the listed Collalbo station. The exhibition '120 Years on a Narrow Gauge' explores the railway’s history, present and future. And how to reach the railway?

The Renon Cable Car takes you from Bolzano to Soprabolzano, where the 'Rittner Bahnl' - how it is called - starts. It takes you comfortably to the hiking paths and excursion destinations of the Renon, such as the Beekeeping Museum and Lake Costavolara or the Funimal Forest and the Freud Promenade. In Advent, it becomes a special place: At the stations in Soprabolzano and Collalbo the 'Renon Christmas Train Market', one of the rural Christmas Markets, takes place.