Ski Germany
Ski and snowboard Germany (Deutschland) & explore a surprising range of resorts including the expansive and surprisingly snowy Oberstdorf-Kleinwalsertal, wonderful Garmisch Classic and spectacular Zugspitze.
Skiing German resorts is as fun as anywhere in the world on its day and there is terrain for beginners, intermediates, advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders alike. The way to get to the best German (& Austrian) ski resort is via the outstanding airport at Munich in Bavaria.
Germany Skiing & Snowboarding
Ski resorts in Germany can best be described as small, with perhaps five exceptions. Statistically though, the top-5 ski resorts in Australia (that's Australia not Austria) are more than twice the size of the top-5 in Germany. Whilst that is not a great stat for German skiing, it may go to show that size is not everything and you have to make the most of what you have got. In Germany that means cosying hard-up against the rising mountains along the Austrian border & occasionally linking into the lift infrastructure of Austrian ski resorts. Perhaps skiing in Germany is best served as an entree to the main course in Austria?
The quintessential German ski town of Garmisch Partenkirchen is ground zero for skiing in Deutschland. The nation's largest standalone ski resort, Garmisch Classic, has World Cup standard piste trails. Nearby is Germany's highest peak, the looming Zugspitze (2,962m). The small ski resort of the same name is the nation's highest and most snow sure, topping out at 2,720m. Both ski resorts are connecting to Garmisch Partenkirchen by trains, cable cars, gondolas and funicular. Two cable cars make the journey up to the Zugspitze summit on the German side and another comes up from the Austrian side. The ski resort is away from the summit in a northerly aspect glacier bowl. The glacier on Zugspitze is rapidly disappearing, so go there sooner rather than later.
The second largest standalone ski area in Germany is Winklmoosalm which is linked with Steinplatte in Austria. Located north of Kitzbühel, most of the resort is actually in Austria, but hey, it is linked by lift, piste and pass so we will let the Germans claim it! Closest major German town is Reit-im-Winkl.
Near the city of Oberstdorf in the far southwest of Bavaria, a nest of ski resorts are linked to a very snowy Austrian ski area enclave called the Kleinwalsertal. Located just north of the Austrian Vorarlberg snow magnets of Warth-Schroecken and Damuels, the area is worthy of exploration (noting that Kleinwalsertal is not accessible from the rest of Austria by road in winter, and access is via Germany). Ski resorts near Oberstdorf include Fellhorn and Nebelhorn. Both resorts have long skiable verticals. Nebelhorn (or Foghorn in English, but don’t call it that!) has over 1,400m of skiable vertical from its 2,224m summit all the way down into Oberstdorf, a run of nearly 8km; the longest in Germany. Oberstdorf is accessible by train from Munich airport in around 3½hr or car in 2½hr; or from Zurich airport in around 3hr by train.
Another ski area worthy of mention is Brauneck near the lovely Bavarian town of Lenggries, 2hr by train south of Munich airport. Brauneck ski resort has nearly 1,000m of vertical amongst classic Bavarian mountain landscapes.
And of course, nothing get the tourist juices flowing more than the inspiration for Walt Disney's fable castle, Schloss Neuschwanstein (Neuschwanstein Castle). Located west of Garmisch Partenkirchen near the town of Schwangau. it so happens that one ski here as well. The Tegelberg has 900m of skiable vertical right near the fairytale castle.
Where are German Ski Resorts?
All the quality German ski resorts are in Bavaria (Bayern) to the south of the country along the border with Austria. The main international gateway airport to Bavaria is Munich (MUC). Several smaller regional airports service flights from within Europe and the UK, but Munich accepts flights from worldwide origins.
Flights into Munich Airport (MUC)
Munich International Airport (MUC) is rated as one of the world’s best. It receives a vast number of flights every day from worldwide destinations. Search here for a great deal on a flight to Munich.
Munich airport is well served by an efficient train transport system which links quickly with train services to German ski resorts such as Garmisch & Zugspitze, plus skiing hubs like Austria’s Innsbruck & Salzburg. Search & book train tickets from Munich to all points in the Alps.
We usually recommend taking the train from Munich to a point closer to your ski destination, from where a private transfer may be useful. For fast & efficient transfers from airports train station & hotels to ski resorts, compare options on our Munich Airport <--> Ski Resort Transfers page.
German Ski Resort Reviews
The Powderhounds reviewed the German ski resorts of Zugspitze and Garmisch Classic early in 2019 and will do a few sneaky little resorts if the snow is good over the next few seasons. More information on skiing in Germany will come eventually, so hang on to your bratwurst!!
See how the German ski resorts compare to the rest of the Europe on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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