Germany & Bavaria Ski Resort Index 2027
Every commercially significant German ski area — Bavarian Alps, Allgäu, Black Forest, Sauerland, Harz, Thuringian Forest and Rhön — compared on adult walk-up day pass (EUR), piste kilometres, top elevation and snow reliability band. Filter by region or snow band, sort by size, value or altitude.
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21 resorts in the index
| Resort | Region | Pass (€) | Piste (km) | €/km | Top (m) | Snow band | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garmisch-Classic | Bavarian Alps | €56 | 40 | €1.40 | 2,050 | High alpine | Largest Bavarian non-glacier area, ICE 80 min from Munich |
| Fellhorn-Kanzelwand | Allgäu Alps | €54 | 36 | €1.50 | 2,037 | High alpine | Cross-border with Austrian Kleinwalsertal |
| Reit im Winkl-Winklmoosalm | Bavarian Alps | €46 | 32 | €1.44 | 1,850 | Mid altitude | Cross-border Steinplatte link, family favourite |
| Brauneck-Lenggries | Bavarian Alps | €44 | 32 | €1.38 | 1,700 | Mid altitude | Isarwinkel valley, freeride scene |
| Oberjoch | Allgäu Alps | €42 | 32 | €1.31 | 1,413 | Mid altitude | Highest Allgäu village, family focus |
| Sudelfeld | Bavarian Alps | €42 | 31 | €1.35 | 1,563 | Mid altitude | Largest Bavarian beginner zone, 90 min from Munich |
| Feldberg | Black Forest | €41 | 30 | €1.37 | 1,493 | Mid altitude | Highest Black Forest peak, Stuttgart day-trip |
| Winterberg | Sauerland | €49 | 27 | €1.81 | 820 | Snowmaking-dependent | Northern Germany #1 family resort, autobahn access |
| Balderschwang | Allgäu Alps | €42 | 23 | €1.83 | 1,500 | Mid altitude | Snow pocket microclimate, longest Allgäu season |
| Zugspitz Glacier | Bavarian Alps | €62 | 20 | €3.10 | 2,720 | Glacier | Germany's only glacier ski area, snow-guaranteed Christmas |
| Spitzingsee-Tegernsee | Bavarian Alps | €45 | 20 | €2.25 | 1,580 | Mid altitude | Tegernsee lake region, weekend Munich market |
| Willingen | Sauerland | €37 | 16 | €2.31 | 838 | Snowmaking-dependent | Largest single chairlift in central Germany, Hesse |
| Berchtesgaden-Jenner | Bavarian Alps | €48 | 13 | €3.69 | 1,800 | High alpine | Königssee views, Watzmann massif, Buttnmandl tradition |
| Oberstdorf-Nebelhorn | Allgäu Alps | €54 | 11 | €4.91 | 2,224 | High alpine | Most southern German town, Allgäu Bergbahnen pass |
| Todtnauberg | Black Forest | €36 | 10 | €3.60 | 1,360 | Snowmaking-dependent | Black Forest village, family budget choice |
| Braunlage-Hahnenklee | Harz | €34 | 9 | €3.78 | 727 | Snowmaking-dependent | Hanover and Hamburg weekend market |
| Oberhof | Thuringian Forest | €34 | 8 | €4.25 | 837 | Snowmaking-dependent | Biathlon capital, Berlin and Leipzig market |
| Schmallenberg-Bödefeld | Sauerland | €35 | 7 | €5.00 | 776 | Snowmaking-dependent | Hochsauerland village, Wintersport-Arena member |
| Belchen | Black Forest | €36 | 6 | €6.00 | 1,414 | Mid altitude | Quiet alternative to Feldberg, Schwarzwald-pass |
| Wurmberg | Harz | €32 | 4 | €8.00 | 971 | Snowmaking-dependent | Cheapest German day pass, Lower Saxony |
| Wasserkuppe | Rhön | €32 | 3 | €10.67 | 950 | Snowmaking-dependent | Highest Hesse peak, Frankfurt weekend day-trip |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Germany has 70+ commercially operating ski areas across seven mountain belts: Bavarian Alps (24 areas), Allgäu Alps (12), Black Forest (15), Sauerland (9 in Wintersport-Arena + 6 independent), Harz (6), Thuringian Forest (5) and Rhön (3). The 21 commercially significant resorts shown in this index cover over 95% of German skier-days. Only the Zugspitz Glacier at Garmisch operates year-round; all other resorts run December through March/early April depending on altitude.
Garmisch-Classic (Bavarian Alps) is the largest single German ski area at 40 km of piste, with a 2,050m top station and connection to the Zugspitz Glacier (Germany's only glacier ski area at 2,720m). Fellhorn-Kanzelwand (Allgäu) is second at 36 km piste, sharing terrain with the Austrian Kleinwalsertal. Sudelfeld (31 km), Reit im Winkl (32 km) and Brauneck-Lenggries (32 km) are the next tier. Combined regional passes — Allgäuer Bergbahnen (130 km) and Wintersport-Arena Sauerland (75 km) — exceed these single-resort figures.
The Zugspitz Glacier at Garmisch is the only effectively snow-guaranteed German ski area — operational every season since opening, with skiing from October through May. The next reliability tier (Nebelhorn 2,224m at Oberstdorf, Berchtesgaden-Jenner 1,800m, Reit im Winkl-Steinplatte 1,850m, Sudelfeld 1,563m and Feldberg 1,493m in the Black Forest) operates reliably from late December through early April. Sauerland, Harz, Thuringian Forest and Rhön resorts depend heavily on snowmaking and operate fewer than 90 ski days in mild winters.
Yes — typically 25–40% cheaper. German day passes average EUR 38–55 vs. Austrian EUR 58–75. Mountain restaurant meals run EUR 12–18 in Germany vs. EUR 22–35 in Austria. 3-star hotels in equivalent ski-resort villages run EUR 75–125 in Germany vs. EUR 160–240 in Austria. The trade-off is scale: only Garmisch-Classic, Oberstdorf-Nebelhorn and Fellhorn-Kanzelwand approach mid-Austrian resort size. The Allgäuer Bergbahnen pass at EUR 62/day (130 km combined piste across 5 areas) is the best German Alpine regional value.
Excellent — German resorts pioneered the structured Kinderland-magic-carpet-gentle-plateau beginner model now copied across the Alps. Sudelfeld has the largest dedicated beginner zone in Bavaria. Feldberg's wide-open Seebuck plateau at 1,493m is the best Black Forest first-week venue. Winterberg's four learning areas serve northern Germany. The Deutsche Skischule operates standardised DSV-certified beginner programs across all major resorts with English-medium instruction available on request.