Oberstdorf is Germany’s southernmost town, a traditional Allgäu market town at about 815 m with a famous ski-jumping and cross-country history. For downhill skiers, it’s the base for the Oberstdorf Kleinwalsertal ski region: about 130 km of pistes and 48 lifts on seven mountains, three on the German side and four in Austria’s Kleinwalsertal valley, which you can only reach by road from Germany.
It’s a different kind of ski trip from a big Austrian resort. You’ll catch a bus or drive between mountains, and the lower slopes depend on the weather. In return, you get a real town with a train station in the centre, varied mountains, a cross-border ski area and plenty of family-friendly skiing.
Oberstdorf ski area: seven mountains in two countries
On the German side:
- Nebelhorn: the high, “high-alpine” mountain straight above town, reached by the 10-person Nebelhornbahn (renewed in 2021) to the Höfatsblick station at nearly 2,000 m. It has 13 km of pistes and Germany’s longest valley run, 7.5 km. The top of the ski area is 2,224 m.
- Fellhorn/Kanzelwand: the region’s biggest area, 36 km of pistes across the German–Austrian border, with two long valley runs: 5.7 km on the Fellhorn side and 4.4 km down to Riezlern on the Kanzelwand side.
- Söllereck: the family mountain, with 14 km of pistes and a 10-person gondola from the car park to the top station at 1,400 m.
In the Kleinwalsertal, the Ifen (25 km), Heuberg (more than 23 km, mostly easy), and Walmendingerhorn (15 km) complete the region.
Skiing in Oberstdorf for beginners
Oberstdorf is a good place to learn. Sölli’s Winter World on the Söllereck has three magic carpets and gentle practice slopes, and more than half the runs on the Söllereck are blue. The Heuberg in the Kleinwalsertal is another beginner-friendly area. Discounted Söllereck-only tickets and beginners’ cards for the Kleinwalsertal practice lifts mean you don’t have to buy a full pass on day one.
Skiing in Oberstdorf for intermediates
Intermediates will spend most of their time on the Fellhorn/Kanzelwand: long, varied runs, two countries in a day and the 840 m Crystal Slope fun run from 1,750 m. The Ifen, reached by bus, adds 25 km more, and the blue family run on the Fellhorn, between the Fellhornbahn II mountain station and the Höfle station, is perfect for mixed-ability groups.
Skiing in Oberstdorf for experts
The Nebelhorn is the expert mountain, with its long valley run and serious terrain from the top. The region counts about 20 km of “difficult” pistes and numerous deep-snow runs. Look out too for the black Hexenschuss on the Söllereck and the black Olympia run on the Ifen. It’s not a freeride destination on the scale of the Arlberg, though.
The Fellhorn–Kanzelwand: Oberstdorf’s cross-border skiing
The highlight for most visitors is skiing between Germany and Austria. The border runs along the Fellhorn, and the Kanzelwandbahn comes up from Riezlern in the Kleinwalsertal. Start in Oberstdorf, ski over to Austria for lunch, and ski back down the 5.7 km Fellhorn valley run at the end of the day. The Fellhorn has the Crystal Peak Park for freestylers, and the CrystalGround park at the foot of the Kanzelwandbahn is floodlit on Wednesday evenings.
New lifts keep the Nebelhorn and Fellhorn improving. The Bierenwangbahn on the Fellhorn replaced the area’s last drag lift with a heated, hooded chairlift, and for 2026/27 the Koblat lift on the Nebelhorn is being replaced by a detachable six-seater with weather hoods and heated seats. In the Kleinwalsertal, the rebuilt Walmendingerhornbahn is due to start winter operations on 24 December 2026.
Snow in Oberstdorf and the 2026/27 season
For 2026/27, the scheduled dates are:
- Söllereck: as early as snow allows, to 4 April 2027.
- Fellhorn/Kanzelwand: 4 December 2026 to 4 April 2027.
- Ifen: 11 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, and Parsenn from 11 December.
- Nebelhorn: 12 December 2026 to 2 May 2027.
- Heuberg: 18 December 2026 to 4 April 2027.
- Walmendingerhorn: 24 December 2026 to 4 April 2027.
Be realistic about the snow. Oberstdorf is low compared with the big Austrian and Swiss resorts: the town is at 815 m and most of the skiing tops out around 2,000 m. The operator relies on snowmaking and promises snow at the summits from December to early May, but in a mild winter the valley runs and the Söllereck are the first to struggle. Only the Nebelhorn is scheduled to run beyond early April.
Is Oberstdorf good for a last-minute ski trip?
It depends on where you’re coming from and what the weather is doing. For skiers in southern Germany, it’s one of the easiest proper Alpine resorts to reach on a whim: no motorway tolls, a train station in the centre and FlixBus from Munich. With good snow forecast, that makes it a very handy short-notice pick.
From further afield, compare it with higher resorts first. Before booking, check which areas are open, especially the valley runs and the Söllereck. Then find a place to stay in Oberstdorf.
Oberstdorf lift passes
One pass, the 2-Country Ski Pass, covers all lifts in Oberstdorf and the Kleinwalsertal. Worth knowing:
- A flexible 4-out-of-6-day pass is available all season.
- From 1 March 2027, passes of three days or more are 10% cheaper.
- Guests at partner accommodation get 10% off ski passes during promotional periods.
- A 3-hour pass covers the whole area except the Nebelhorn, which has its own ticket.
- Beginners can buy Söllereck-only tickets or the Kleinwalsertal Beginners’ Card for the practice lifts.
- Discounted tickets need photo ID showing your age.
Après-ski and things to do in Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf is a market town first, so evenings revolve around restaurants and inns rather than slope-side parties. Off the slopes, there’s plenty:
- 71 km of cross-country trails and 140 km of groomed winter walking paths.
- The Nebelhorn toboggan run, 2.5 km from the Seealpe station down towards the Nebelhorn valley station.
- The ice sports centre, open all year for skating and curling.
- The Audi Arena ski jumps, the home of Oberstdorf’s ski jumpers.
- The Allgäu Coaster, an all-weather toboggan coaster on the Söllereck.
- A night in the IgluLodge on the Nebelhorn.
Who Oberstdorf suits, and who it doesn’t
- Great for: families, beginners and intermediates, skiers from southern Germany, anyone travelling by train, and skiers who like a real town with cross-country, walking and skating on top.
- Think twice if: you need guaranteed snow on a fixed date, you want one huge linked area, or you’re an expert looking for big off-piste terrain.
Skiing with children? Read our guide to Oberstdorf with kids.
How to get to Oberstdorf
Driving to Oberstdorf
Take the A7 (Ulm–Füssen) to the Allgäu junction, then the A980 towards Lindau as far as Waltenhofen and the B19 via Sonthofen to Oberstdorf. From Tyrol, you can come over the Fernpass via Reutte and Oberjoch, or avoid the passes via Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Füssen. Germany doesn’t charge cars motorway tolls, but you’ll need an Austrian vignette if you use Austrian motorways on the way.
German winter tyre rules are situational: in snow, slush, ice or frost, your car must have tyres marked with the Alpine symbol (mountain and snowflake); tyres marked only M+S no longer count. In town, your parking ticket at the public car parks includes the local bus for two adults and their children. Campervans can’t stay overnight in the car parks.
By train and bus
Oberstdorf station is in the town centre, with good bus links to all the ski areas. Ski bus line 7 runs to the Fellhornbahn and line 1 to the Kanzelwandbahn. Overnight guests with the Allgäu-Walser-Pass Premium guest card get the MOBIL PASS ALLGÄU, free travel on buses and regional trains in the Allgäu, though buses into the Kleinwalsertal need a separate ticket. FlixBus runs direct to Oberstdorf from Munich via Memmingen Airport and Kempten, Thursday to Monday.
Nearest airports
Memmingen is the closest airport, with a direct FlixBus to Oberstdorf. Munich is the main international option, with trains and FlixBus onward.
