Last weekend the new cable car top station at the Helbronner opened to the public, after 2 or 3 years of work, on the Italian/French border in the Mont Blanc massif. Today I took the Panoramic gondola over from the Aiguille du Midi to check it out.
The new top station building is pretty modern looking, with lots of shiny glass and metal, and some nice wood finish. There is a café/bar, and a nice sunny panoramic terrace, like at the old top station, but it is more spacious. It seems more relaxed than the Aiguille du Midi for the moment.
There is an elevator down into the mountain, and a tunnel, in order to access the Refuge Torino, and currently to access the glacier, as they are still rebuilding the higher glacier access.
The cable car is supposed to revolve, for an extra panoramic view. I didn't take it down into the Italian side, as it required a seperate ticket, but it looks pretty smooth, and has a capacity of 70 people or so.
Photos by Steve Baldwin "Snow Tales & Powder Trails"
![Punta Helbronner revolving cable car Punta Helbronner cable car](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2830.jpg?itok=hLP2SO7r)
![Punta Helbronner revolving cable car Punta Helbronner cable car](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2818.jpg?itok=Ena01rg9)
![Shiny new buildings Punta Helbroner Mont Blanc](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2817.jpg?itok=M9KeY21t)
![Panoramic terrace at the top Punta Helbroner panoramic terrace](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2825.jpg?itok=vpiH7Lf4)
![Panoramic terrace at the top Panoramic terrace Punta Helbroner](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2824.jpg?itok=_bVxcG-D)
![Shiny new buildings](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2834.jpg?itok=b3KQEnat)
![](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2822.jpg?itok=Yany7jfC)
![](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2823.jpg?itok=aWWiTotN)
![The tunnel through the mountain to the refuge Torino Punta Helbroner tunnel refuge Torino](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2828.jpg?itok=vSOQm4Cn)
![The top station from the refuge Torino Refuge Torino top station](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2829.jpg?itok=XxGSfw-0)
![Looking down at the refuge Torino Refuge Torino view](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2826.jpg?itok=_IaMQ49g)
![Fancy benches](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2832.jpg?itok=yW7gGj4A)
![Mt Blanc gallery Mont Blanc gallery](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2814.jpg?itok=NVAoCbf0)
![The view from the Panoramic gondola Panoramic gondola view](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2839.jpg?itok=vSIMUCfW)
![Dome du Gouter from the Midi, before the storm came in today Dome du Gouter](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/IMG_2845.jpg?itok=u5NeyHQ3)