Winterberg is one of the easiest places for families in the Netherlands, Belgium and western Germany to give children a first go on skis. The slopes are short and gentle in places, the drive or train ride is short, and there’s sledging for anyone who’s had enough. The one thing you can’t plan for is the weather, so book late and check the snow.
Is Winterberg good for families?
Yes, especially for a weekend with young children. What works:
- Short journeys. From the big cities of North Rhine-Westphalia it’s often under two hours, and there’s a direct train from Dortmund.
- Free skiing for under-6s with a paying parent.
- Learning areas everywhere, with magic carpets and practice lifts in every part of the ski area.
- Sledging when little legs are tired.
The downside is that snow isn’t guaranteed. In a mild spell you may find only a few machine-made runs open, which can be crowded at weekends.
Ski schools and kids’ lessons in Winterberg
There are several ski schools across the area, including Skischule Winterberg (at the Herrloh and Bremberg), Skischule Poppenberg, Skischule Semmler, the Neue Skischule Winterberg, Skischule Neuastenberg and the DSV Skischule in Altastenberg. Skischule Poppenberg has its own children’s area with a magic carpet and multilingual instructors.
Each school sets its own ages and course times, so check with the school when you book.
Kids on Ski: free Winterberg lessons for 3 to 5-year-olds
The tourist office runs Kids on Ski, a sponsored programme for beginners aged 3 to 5. In selected weeks, children get, free of charge:
- four half-day lessons (two hours, Monday to Thursday),
- ski hire for four days,
- a four-day ski pass,
- and five nights in their parents’ room at a partner hotel, including the meals you book.
For 2026/27 the weeks run from 29 November to 4 December 2026 through to 11 to 16 April 2027. The early and late weeks fall outside the most reliable snow, which the lift company puts at mid-December to mid-March, so the January and March weeks are the safer bets.
Best beginner areas for children in Winterberg
- The Kinderskiland at the Herrloh (lift no. 21), about 10,000 m² of play area with colourful figures, tipis and courses, and a magic carpet back up.
- Children’s lifts at the Herrloh, the Landallift and the Astenstraße in the core area, plus magic carpets at Schneewittchen and Poppenberg.
- The Kapellenhang chairlift in Altastenberg, on an easy run families like.
- Magic carpets at the Tenne in Neuastenberg and at the Sahnehang.
Winterberg lift passes for families
- Children up to and including 5 ski free with a paying parent or guardian.
- Child prices apply up to and including age 15. A child’s day ticket costs 30 euros for 2026/27.
- Children in ski school always need a ticket, whatever their age.
- Sledging lifts need their own ticket.
Things to do with kids in Winterberg off the slopes
- Sledging on the sledging lifts at the Astenstraße, the Kappe and the Bremberg, with sledge hire at lift no. 1, plus the sledging areas at the Postwiese, Sahnehang and Ruhrquelle.
- Bobsleigh: watch international events at the VELTINS-EisArena, or join a tour of the track.
- Winter walks and guided lantern walks.
- Hotel pools for bad-weather afternoons.
Best family hotels in Winterberg
Landal Winterberg (houses by the slopes, pool), the budget Hostel Erlebnisberg Kappe (in the ski area, ball pit) and Hotel Clemens in Altastenberg (pool, near the family slopes) all take part in Kids on Ski. See where to stay in Winterberg for the full list.
Tips for skiing in Winterberg with kids
- Check the snow report on the morning you travel. It shows open lifts, sledging slopes and snow depths.
- Go early or midweek. Weekend car parks and slopes fill quickly. Arrive before 11 am if you’re coming for the day.
- Take the train if you can. The direct RE57 from Dortmund and the free ski bus from the station avoid the weekend traffic.
- Have a plan B. If only a few runs are open, mix a morning on skis with an afternoon of sledging or a hotel pool.
Planning the trip? Start with our Winterberg ski resort guide.
