Ski Germany

Welcome to the Ski Germany page, providing a regular round-up of the skiing conditions and current snow reports for the main ski resorts in the country. Over recent years some of the best piste and off-piste powder conditions in Germany have been reported at Oberstdorf-Fellhorn and Garmisch-Partenkirchen-Zugspitze although of course during any given week the best slope conditions may be found at any of the country’s resorts. Check out the reports below if you are planning a trip at short notice.

Germany is one of the world’s leading ski nations with more than 500 ski areas spread right across the country, and an even larger number of individual ski lift operating companies. This places it up with Austria, Japan and the USA as the only countries with this many separate ski centres.

Of course most of these ski centres are small village drag lifts but the range of German ski resorts goes right up to international destination resorts like Oberstdorf and Garmisch Partenkirchen (Garmisch-Partenkirchen-Zugspitze), the latter a former winter Olympic ski resort and more recently host to the 2011 Alpine Skiing World Championships.

Its ski area includes the Zugspitz, Germany’s highest peak with skiing and boarding up to 2,830m. The glacier on the top has been a summer skiing and boarding venue in the past but stopped operating outside the regular winter season a few years ago. However it remains snowsure and in January 2012 reported the biggest snowfall of any resort in the world with 2.4m (eight feet) of snow falling in a week there.

With Garmisch itself down at 720m there appears to be a fairly impressive 2100m vertical between the top of the lifts and the resort but in fact the two are separated by some kilometres of funicular train track and a couple of unskiable precipices on the way back down. An area lift pass includes the local ski area and several others over the border in Austria.

However Gamisch is one of about a dozen German ski areas that can offer a lift served vertical of more than 1,000m alongside famous names like Reit im Winkl, Grainau, Mittenwald/Dammkar and Berchtesgaden.

Many of Germany’s biggest and best known ski areas are in the Bavarian Alps along the country’s southern border, but smaller hills are located all over the country including in the former east Germany and with many in the Black Forest.

In the north west of the country the Winterberg ski region up close to the border with the Netherlands brings together more than a dozen separate ski areas which are very popular at weekends with up to 50,000 visiting Dutch skiers and boarders, as well as Germans from Cologne 140km away, who throng the slopes which are floodlit to 10pm, despite sometimes marginal snow cover, and the bars and night clubs later on.

Germany has one of the largest populations of skiers in the world with at least 12 million German skiers, many of them filling resorts in Austria and Switzerland as well as their domestic ski areas. Cross country skiing, biathlon and ski jumping are also very popular in Germany.

The country is also a claimant to being the probable location of the world’s first dedicated ski lift, created in the Black Forest in the 1890s and using green energy – a watermill – to pull a sledge up a slope that skiing pioneers could ride up on.

In the modern era Germany is famous for its indoor snow centres, of which there are now six, including some of the world’s largest. One is home to the world’s biggest conveyor type lift at over 400m long, to get skiers and boarders back up the hill indoors. read more...

Snow: next 3 days

Ski resorts in Germany from A to I

Resort	Webcam (click to zoom)	Top and bottom snow depth	On-piste	Off-piste	Forecast snow in next 3 days (click for forecast)	Weather forecast for 3 days ahead Weather report	Last snow
Albstadt					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 23.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Almberg/Skizentrum Mitterdorf					5 cm	A dusting of snow. Milder later with heavy rain (total 38.0mm) on Sun night
Alpsee Bergwelt					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 33.0mm), heaviest during Sat night. Later becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Sat night
Altastenberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 26.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Altenau					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 77.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Altenau/Torfhaus					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 77.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Altenberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 24.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Arber					9 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Sun night. Turning milder with heavy rain (total 27.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Arnsberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 63.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Arrach/Eck					2 cm	A dusting of snow. Milder later with heavy rain (total 36.0mm) on Sun night
Arrach/Ski Eck/Riedelstein					6 cm	A light covering of new snow, mostly falling on Sun afternoon will be washed away by heavy rain (total 35.0mm) on Sun night
Aschau im Chiemgau					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 45.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Bad Kohlgrub					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 23.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Bad Marienberg/Schorrberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 21.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Bad Reichenhall/Predigtstuhl					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 55.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Bad Sachsa/Ravensberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 79.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Bad Tölz/Blomberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 29.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Bad Wiessee					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 32.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Baernau-Altglashuette/Silberhuette					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 37.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Baiersbronn					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 24.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Balderschwang					8 cm	Mild with moderate rain (total 12.0mm) on Sat night, Becoming colder with a light covering of snow, mostly falling on Sat night
Bayrischzell-Brannenburg/Wendelstein					1 cm	A dusting of snow. Milder later with heavy rain (total 28.0mm) on Sun night
Bayrischzell/Sudelfeld					1 cm	A dusting of snow. Milder later with heavy rain (total 25.0mm) on Sun night
Belchenland					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 16.0mm), heaviest on Sun night
Benneckenstein					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 69.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Berchtesgaden					1 cm	A dusting of snow. Milder later with heavy rain (total 43.0mm) on Sun night
Bergen-Chiemgau/Inntal/Hochfelln					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 52.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Bernau/Hofeck/Köpfle					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 19.0mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon
Bestwig/Wasserfall/Fort Fun					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 26.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Bischofsheim an der Rhon					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 69.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Bischofsreut					1 cm	A dusting of snow. Milder later with heavy rain (total 42.0mm) on Sun night
Bischofswiesen/Goetschen					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 50.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Bläsiberg Skilifte Wiesensteig					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 27.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Bödefeld-Hunau					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 26.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Bodenmais/Silberberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 53.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Bolsterlang					3 cm	Heavy rain (total 27.0mm), heaviest during Sat night. Later becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Sun night
Bottrop/Alpincenter		50 cm 50 cm	Artificial		0 cm	Moderate rain (total 16.0mm), heaviest on Sun morning
Braunlage Wurmberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 74.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Braunlage/Hohegeiß					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 75.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Brilon/Am Poppenberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 28.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Brotterode					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 77.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Bruchhausen/Sternrodt					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 26.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Buching					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 31.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Carlsfeld/Hirschkopf					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 40.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Clausthal-Zellerfeld/Buntenbock					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 78.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Dreisessel					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 55.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Eibenstock					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 40.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Erbendorf					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 38.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Erlbach/Kegelberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 38.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Eschach/Schwaerzenlifts					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 35.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Eschenlohe					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 28.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Falkenstein					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 43.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Feldberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 20.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Feuerberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 23.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Fichtelberg					2 cm	A dusting of snow. Milder later with heavy rain (total 30.0mm) on Sun afternoon
Fischen					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 46.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Freyung/Geyersberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 51.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Gaissach/Reiserhang					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 30.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Garmisch-Classic					0 cm	A dusting of snow giving way to moderate rain (total 16.0mm) heaviest on Sun night
Garmisch-Partenkirchen-Zugspitze		285 cm 0 cm	Good	Varied	10 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Sat night A cloudy start, chance of sun later	5 cm on 21 Apr
Gehlberg/Schmücke					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 73.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Geising					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 25.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Geisskopf					6 cm	A light covering of new snow, mostly falling on Sun afternoon will be washed away by heavy rain (total 42.0mm) on Sun night
Gmund					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 25.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Grafenau					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 50.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Grainau					9 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Sun night
Grainet/Haidel					8 cm	A light covering of new snow, mostly falling on Sun night will be washed away by heavy rain (total 31.0mm) on Sun night
Grasgehren/Bolgengrat					14 cm	A light fall of snow, heaviest on Sat night. Turning milder with light rain (total 2.0mm) on Mon morning
Hahnenklee					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 77.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Haidmühle					8 cm	A light covering of new snow, mostly falling on Sun night will be washed away by heavy rain (total 27.0mm) on Sun night
Halblech					8 cm	A light covering of new snow, mostly falling on Sun night. Becoming milder with light rain (total 9.0mm) on Sun night
Haldenköpfle					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 18.0mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon
Hauzenberg/Geiersberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 48.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Heigenbrücken					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 46.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Hellenthal/Skiarena Weisser Stein					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 22.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Herchenhainer Höhe					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 51.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Herzogstand-Urfeld					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 22.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Hilchenbach-Lützel					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 26.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Hinterschmiding/Herzogsreut					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 50.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Hinterzarten/Skizentrum Thoma					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 21.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Hohenbogen					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 42.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Hoherodskopf/Breungeshain/Rennwiese					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 48.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Homberg-/Snow World Züschen					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 27.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Immenstadt					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 33.0mm), heaviest during Sat night. Later becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Sat night
Inzell-Kessel Lifte					20 cm	A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Sun night. Becoming milder with light rain (total 5.0mm) on Mon afternoon
Isny-Maierhöfen-Riedholz/Iberg					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 36.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Isny-Maierhöfen/Fluckenlifts					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 36.0mm), heaviest during Sun night
Isny/Felderhalde					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 37.0mm), heaviest during Sun night