The Best Family-Friendly Ski Resorts in Germany

In Germany’s ski resorts, winter fun starts without the hassle of long travel times. From the Alps to the low mountain ranges and the Sauerland, families will find plenty of ski areas perfectly geared toward beginners, kids, and relaxed days on the slopes. Short drives, manageable layouts, and thoughtfully designed children’s zones make all the difference, especially for those taking their very first turns on skis.

Here at SnowOnline, we’re showcasing the ten best family-friendly ski resorts across Germany. Whether you’re looking for snow-sure high-altitude terrain, free ski lessons for kids, or compact resorts where no one gets lost, you’ll find options that make both parents and children happy. For easier navigation, we’ve listed the resorts geographically from south to north.

Söllereck near Oberstdorf is considered one of Germany’s most family-friendly ski resorts, and for good reason. With 14 kilometers of slopes, the area is compact and easy to navigate, giving parents less stress and a lot more peace of mind. Especially for families with younger kids, the manageable size is a real win: short distances between lifts, runs, and mountain huts make ski days relaxed, flexible, and fun.

From Sölli’s Winter World to the FIS Slope

The standout attraction for families is “Sölli’s Winter World,” a year-round adventure playground featuring a free magic carpet lift for the little ones and even an ice-skating area. The resort mascot, Sölli, joins kids on their winter adventure, adding an extra dose of fun.

But it’s not just beginners who’ll love it here. More advanced skiers can test their skills in the Monster Course, weaving their way around a colorful monster family. Confident skiers should head to the Höllwies runs, two more challenging red natural-snow slopes that were once used for FIS races. The Höllwies drag lift also holds a special title: it’s the longest T-bar lift in Germany.

For freestyle fans, the Easy Funpark above the top station offers two lines with different difficulty levels. And if you’re looking for thrills beyond the slopes, the 850-meter Alpine Coaster, with its curves, waves, and small jumps, delivers plenty of extra fun for the whole family.

Great Value for Families

Söllereck is also a winner when it comes to pricing: kids up to six years old ski for free, and there are attractive discounts for older children and families. If you’re eager to explore even more terrain, the Oberstdorf–Kleinwalsertal ski region offers four additional ski areas, all accessible with a single lift pass.

Spread out between the Alpspitze, Kreuzeck, and Hausberg, the resort offers 40 kilometers of slopes served by 17 lifts. Garmisch-Classic combines a stunning alpine backdrop with genuine family-friendly skiing, plus the legendary Kandahar run, which regularly hosts World Cup races.

Where Movement Meets Brainpower on the Slopes

What makes the Hausberg area special is Ixi’s Kids’ Land, created in collaboration with former ski racer Felix Neureuther and inspired by his “Beweg’ dich schlau!” (“Get Smart Through Movement”) concept. The mascots Ixi and Mimi guide children around the beginner area next to the magic carpet, where they can take their very first turns. The idea combines physical activity with playful cognitive challenges. Three platter lifts and plenty of beginner-friendly runs round out the learning area. Several experienced ski schools also offer group lessons from age four, as well as private tuition.

Great Value for Families: In Garmisch Classic, children under six ski for free when accompanied by their parents. Families with children aged 6 to 18 can also benefit from discounted family tickets under the “Child in the Family” rate.

Even More to Discover on the Zugspitze

A ride up the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain at 2,962 meters—is an experience in itself, whether you take the cable car or the cogwheel train. At the top, families are rewarded with breathtaking views and another high-altitude ski area featuring several blue and red runs, plus an igloo village where you can even spend the night. And if you’re looking for fun off the slopes, the valley also offers several toboggan runs for fast-paced rides downhill.

The Oberjoch ski resort near Bad Hindelang, also located in the Allgäu region, offers 35 kilometers of slopes and a well-rounded mix of learning opportunities, comfort, and family-friendly infrastructure. Its altitude, ranging from 1,130 to 1,560 meters, ensures reliable snow conditions throughout the season.

Snowkinderland and Plenty of Fun on the Slopes

The heart of the resort is the 20,000 m² “Schneekinderland” at the Iselerbahn, an expansive kids’ area with plenty of room to learn and play. Highlights include a magic carpet lift, banked turns, and even a mini slalom course. There’s no shortage of fun either, with a play hut, igloos, and a tubing run adding to the experience. Wide, gentle slopes create the perfect setting for beginners to build confidence.

More advanced young skiers can test themselves on a dedicated race course at the Grenzwies lift, while the Allgäu Alpine Training Center offers top-level training facilities used by both rising talents and professional athletes.

Families Love the PLUS Card with Free Ski Pass

Oberjoch also scores high when it comes to value. The family ski pass allows parents to save significantly per child. Even more attractive is the Bad Hindelang PLUS Card, which guests receive free of charge from over 220 participating hosts. It includes a complimentary ski pass for the entire family as well as free access to the Schneekinderland.

Just 80 kilometers south of Munich lies one of Germany’s largest interconnected ski areas, offering 31 kilometers of slopes and 13 lifts. Sudelfeld, located in the Wendelstein region, stands out above all for its easy access and modern infrastructure. Two state-of-the-art chairlifts, equipped with child safety features, heated seats, and weather protection hoods, ensure a comfortable ride up the mountain.

Double the Fun with Two Kids’ Areas

Sudelfeld’s big advantage for families? A smart two-zone concept with two completely separate children’s areas, each with its own focus. The SNUKI Kids’ Land at the Waldkopf chairlift features a long magic carpet, a rope tow, a colorful “forest of figures,” and small jumps. Parents can relax in a dedicated lounge area with deck chairs while keeping an eye on their little ones’ first turns. On the edge of Bayrischzell, the Tannerfeld Winter Adventure Park adds even more variety, with a magic carpet, slalom gates, wave tracks, and a long snow tubing run, including night tubing on Fridays. More than 2,100 free parking spaces right next to the lifts make arrival easy and stress-free.

For more experienced skiers and snowboarders, Sudelfeld offers an action-packed setup: a professional snow park with obstacles, boxes, and rails; a freeride cross course with banked turns and rollers; plus a fun slope with a kids’ race track. The FIS World Cup run on the Waldkopf challenges even ambitious skiers.

Family Deals That Make Sense

Children up to and including five years old ski for free when accompanied by an adult. A family day pass for both parents and all their own children (ages 6–15) costs €129. And on Wednesdays, the popular “Midweek Special” brings the day pass down to just €37.

In the High Black Forest, several beginner areas are spread across the entire Feldberg ski resort, a clear advantage compared to many other destinations. With 29 kilometers of slopes across 21 runs, the resort offers a solid size that still keeps things varied for parents, while its altitude between 950 and 1,450 meters helps ensure reliable snow conditions.

Ski School Heaven Meets Funslope Fun

Feldberg is very much geared toward families and beginners. With a total of ten ski schools, plenty of rental shops, and cozy mountain huts, the resort offers excellent infrastructure for a stress-free ski trip. At Seebuck, for example, you’ll find a large kids’ learning area with magic carpets and rope lifts. Over at Grafenmatt, there’s another ski school kids’ zone featuring conveyor belts and a ski carousel, where the mascot “Hopsi” regularly makes an appearance.

For more confident young skiers, Feldberg delivers four fun slopes packed with jumps, banked turns, and wave tracks. On the interactive piste rally, kids can go on the hunt for “Anton” the capercaillie and learn about local nature along the way. And for those looking for a more sporty challenge, there’s even a FIS World Cup run.

Great Family Deals: Guests with the Hochschwarzwald Card can book discounted multi-day ski tickets for the Feldberg lifts, saving between 25% and 60% off the daily rate. Multiple bookings during the same stay are also possible. Children’s tickets are available for kids and teens aged 3 to 17 (inclusive).

As the highest mountain in the Bavarian Forest (1,456 m) and the region’s largest ski area, Großer Arber offers the perfect all-round package for families, with over 10 kilometers of slopes and seven lifts. With enough variety for more than just a day or two on skis, Arber is an ideal alternative for families who’d rather skip the Alps.

Bear-Sized Fun with a Friendly Mascot

At Thurnhof, the ArBär Kids’ Land features four magic carpets capable of transporting up to 1,000 children per hour, meaning virtually no waiting times. The friendly mascot ArBär accompanies little ones across the gentle, easy-to-navigate terrain, while parents can watch from the sunny terrace. Right next door, the ArBär Zwergerlland is designed especially for toddlers taking their very first turns. An indoor lounge area and child-friendly restrooms round out the family-focused setup. Across the ArberLand region, 14 ski and snowboard schools offer lessons for all ages and ability levels. Access to ArBär Kids’ Land is free of charge.

For more advanced young skiers, the Family Cross Park adds extra excitement with fun rollers, banked turns, and small jumps. A parallel giant slalom course with dual timing makes for thrilling head-to-head races. Twice a week, the Sonnenhang slope as well as the Damen- and Familienabfahrt light up for night skiing. And for even more action, there’s a 1.2-kilometer toboggan run from the summit down to the Thurnhofstüberl. Highlighting its family-friendly focus, Großer Arber also features the world’s first six-seater chairlift with an automatic child safety bar on the Sonnenhang.

Flexible Family Passes: Families at Arber benefit from especially fair pricing. Flexible day and hourly passes are available for families with one to four children—optionally valid for up to seven days. And here, the regular child rate applies all the way up to age 16.

Fichtelberg in Oberwiesenthal offers just under 16 kilometers of slopes and seven lifts, delivering winter fun for the whole family. It’s especially popular with families from Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg. The cable car, dating back to 1924 and Germany’s oldest of its kind, takes skiers comfortably up to 1,215 meters in the heart of the Ore Mountains.

Mascot Fichtelchen Comes Alive After Dark

The heart of the resort is Fichtelchen’s Winterland, home to the mascot Fichtelchen, with several magic carpets, a ski carousel, and snowmaking facilities. Beginners can learn to ski here in a fun, stress-free way, without the exhausting uphill climbs. A real highlight is Fichtelchen’s Ski Night, featuring a torchlit descent. Wide sections of piste and solid infrastructure, with multiple ski schools, rental shops, and plenty of places to eat, make the stay comfortable and family-friendly. The 2.5-kilometer family run from the summit down into the valley is perfect for enjoying a long descent together.

FIS Challenge Meets Family Fun

More advanced kids can let off steam in the snow park, which features rails, boxes, kickers, a halfpipe, and a dedicated family fun area with a mini boardercross course, banked turns, rollers, and even a speed check track. The 1.2-kilometer FIS race course is one of the most demanding FIS runs in eastern Germany. There’s also a 1.8-kilometer natural toboggan run through the valley, plus night skiing on a 900-meter illuminated slope.

Family-Friendly Prices: Children up to six years old ski for free in Oberwiesenthal and can access the lifts through a special kids’ gate. Discounted family passes are also available.

Winterberg in the Sauerland offers around 27 kilometers of slopes served by 26 lifts and stands out thanks to its well-designed layout. With extensive snowmaking across the resort, conditions are far more reliable than in many other low mountain areas, something families from the urban regions of North Rhine–Westphalia especially appreciate when coming to Winterberg for day trips.

A Well-Planned Ski Day—with Plenty of Backup Options

In Winterberg, several beginner areas are spread out across the resort, making it easy to find a quiet spot to practise. At Herrloh, a large kids’ area with a magic carpet, colorful figures, and fun courses invites little ones to learn and improve. Rauhe Busch offers another children’s zone with a conveyor belt, while Poppenberg and Schneewittchenhang provide additional beginner slopes. With so many ski schools and a wide range of lessons, families can find the right course for every age and level. And if the weather, or the mood, doesn’t cooperate, there are plenty of alternatives, including snow-covered toboggan runs.

More advanced kids will enjoy the fun parks with boxes, rails, and kickers, as well as cross trails through the forest featuring banked turns and rollers.

“Kids on Ski – for free” Is the Motto Here

Winterberg is also great value for families: children up to five years old ski for free when accompanied by an adult. With the “Kids on Ski – for free” promotion, children aged 3 to 5 even receive free ski lessons, rental equipment, and lift tickets during selected weeks.

As Hesse’s largest ski resort, Willingen in the Upland offers 17 kilometers of slopes and 16 lifts, including a modern gondola and two chairlifts.

Beginner Areas Across the Entire Resort

What makes Willingen especially family-friendly is the smart way its learning zones are spread throughout the ski area. At the Dorfwiese Kids’ Land, you’ll find a large artificial ski slope where children can practise even without natural snow, thanks to a special synthetic surface that glides much like real snow. Magic carpets and conveyor belts make getting started easy. Additional beginner areas can be found at Kinderland Seilbahn and Kinderland Ritzhagen. At the ski school’s Bambini Club, children are looked after in small groups. And best of all: 1,700 free parking spaces right by the lifts save families the hassle of searching for a spot or dealing with long walks.

Plenty of Action for Advanced Skiers, Too: More confident skiers won’t miss out either. The fun park at Dorfwiese is perfect for first jumps and obstacles, while the resort’s longest run delivers plenty of cruising fun. Twice a week, night skiing is available on almost six kilometers of slopes. Conveyor belts for sledding round off the offer.

Great Value for Families: Willingen also scores with family-friendly pricing: children up to five years old ski for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

For anyone coming from Hamburg, Bremen, Hanover, or Berlin who doesn’t want to spend hours driving all the way to the Alps, the Wurmberg in Braunlage is the obvious choice. As northern Germany’s largest ski area, it offers 12 kilometers of slopes across 16 runs, served by five lifts, set on Lower Saxony’s highest mountain at 971 meters. Families will find plenty of variety here, despite the resort’s compact size.

Family Slopes Meet a Tobogganing Record

The beginner slope at the Hasselkopf lift provides ideal conditions for first turns. The ski school uses this wide, gentle area for ski and snowboard lessons in small groups. The Lower Große Wurmberg run (2.6 km) is perfect for families, and all pistes conveniently end at the base station, so no one can get lost.

For more advanced kids, there’s a small fun park on the Sonnenpiste with various obstacles. The 1.6-kilometer toboggan run, the longest snow-covered toboggan run in Germany, leads from the mid-station down into the valley. At Hexenritt, a 200-meter wave track adds even more fun. Snow tubing is also available for extra thrills. Night skiing at the Rathaus lift in Braunlage takes place on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Family-Friendly Prices: Children up to and including five years old ski for free when accompanied by a paying adult. Discounted family passes are also available.

Whether it’s a diverse ski area, a clearly laid-out learning zone, or a parallel giant slalom with dual timing, Germany’s family-friendly ski resorts cover the full spectrum of modern winter sports experiences. Each destination comes with its own strengths, spacious kids’ areas, safe beginner slopes, well-structured ski schools, or special services tailored specifically to families.

The overview below sums up the key facts about the “Top 10 Ski Resorts for Families” at a glance, highlighting the family-friendly features parents and kids can look forward to at each destination. The list is arranged geographically from south to north.