Winter spent in Switzerland’s mountains holds a great appeal for many travelers. Be it for skiing, winter hiking, snowshoeing, freeskiing, or snowboarding – the possibilities are abundant. There are loads of activities available for adventurers in various ski resorts in Switzerland. The ski resort does not always have to be called St. Moritz, Verbier, or Zermatt. There are so many other ski resorts in Switzerland to choose from. The following are the most popular ski resorts convenient to reach from Zurich.
This guide lists the nearest ski resorts to Zurich to help you plan your winter wonderland adventure easily. Convenience coming in from Zurich’s International Airport is foremost in mind while gathering this list. For those coming in from abroad, the travel time from Zurich Airport is also noted.
The total length (in kilometers) of groomed ski slopes are also included in parentheses within each sub-heading.
1. Sattel-Hochstuckli Mostelberg Ski Resort (14 kilometers)
Sattel-Hochstuckli is a small, family-friendly ski resort in Sattel, Schwyz. It is suitable for smaller children and beginner skiers.
The ride going up to Mostelberg is inside a rotating cable car in 4 various colors (one color for each season of the year). The slopes are generally easy and safe. There is also a small children’s slope near the mountain station.
| Ski Slope Difficulty | km |
|---|---|
| Easy | 6 |
| Medium | 6 |
| Difficult | – |
| Total | 12 |
Tickets cost between CHF 29 and CHF 39 for adults and CHF 19 for children aged 6-16 years.
How near is the Sattel-Hochstuckli ski resort to Zurich?
Sattel-Hochstuckli is 1 hour 44 minutes away from Zurich Airport by public transport. To reach it, take the train to Arth-Goldau and from there take the 2 buses that will lead you to Sattel, Talstation. It is 81 kilometers away from Zurich Airport by car.
2. Hoch-Ybrig Ski Resort (50 kilometers)
Hoch-Ybrig is a skiing and hiking area in Canton Schwyz. In summer, Hoch-Ybrig offers hiking and biking routes. With the Sternensauser, you can also do the zip line. Hoch-Ybrig is dominated by the mountain range Forstberg, Druesberg, and Twäriberg. From Roggenstock, you can sometimes observe marmots, deers, or chamois.
In winter, Hoch-Ybrig has 50 kilometers of slopes for winter sports. Due to its proximity to Zurich, Hoch-Ybrig tends to be busy on weekends.
| Ski Slope Difficulty | km |
|---|---|
| Easy | 15 |
| Medium | 27 |
| Difficult | 8 |
| Total | 50 |
Tickets cost between CHF 44 and CHF 55 for adults and between CHF 24 and CHF 30 for children aged 6-16 years.
How near is the Hoch-Ybrig ski resort to Zurich?
The train connection from Zurich Airport going to Hoch-Ybrig Weglosen valley station takes approximately 2 hours one way. The cable car going up to Seebli takes 6 minutes. From Seebli, there are cable car connections to Spirstock and Sternen. With the car, it is 65.6 kilometers away from Zurich Airport.
3. Braunwald Ski Resort (30 kilometers)
The car-free mountain village of Braunwald is in the southernmost part of Glarus canton. It is a tiny, little-known village of less than 400 year-round residents. It offers a breathtaking panorama of the Glarus Alps with Ortstock, Tödi, Biferten, and Hausstock.
In winter, Braunwald has almost 30 kilometers of slopes for winter sports. You can read more information on how Braunwald is during winter in this article – Winter Hiking and Biking in Braunwald.
| Ski Slope Difficulty | km |
|---|---|
| Easy | 6 |
| Medium | 3 |
| Difficult | 18 |
| Free Ride | 2.5 |
| Total | 29.5 |
Tickets cost CHF 52 for adults and CHF 26 for children aged 6-16 years.
How near is Braunwald ski resort to Zurich?
From the Zurich Airport, you can change trains and take the S25 (direct train) from Zurich Train Station going to Linthal Braunwaldbahn. It takes 1 hour 55 minutes one way from Zurich Airport to the Valley station. The cable car going up to Braunwald takes 7 minutes. With the car, it is 97 kilometers away from Zurich Airport.
4. Pizol – Bad Ragaz – Wangs Ski Resort (43 kilometers)
The main peak Pizol (2,844 Meters) lies amidst Calfeisen/Tamina Valley, Weisstannen Valley, and Rhein Valley. Two cable cars go from Wangs in Sargans up to the mountains. Once above, we can see a fantastic view of the Rhein Valley until Lake Constance. The chair lifts can go as high as Pizol-Bergkamm.
In winter, the ski slopes of Pizol offer various slopes for beginners and advanced skiers alike. Mountain cable cars are modern. There is also the possibility to measure your speed. For younger guests, there is also a FunPark.
Tickets cost between CHF 42 to CHF 55 for adults and between CHF 21 to CHF 27 for children aged 6-16 years.
| Ski Slope Difficulty | km |
|---|---|
| Easy | 19 |
| Medium | 14 |
| Difficult | 5.5 |
| Free Ride | 4.5 |
| Total | 43 |
How near is Pizol – Bad Ragaz – Wangs ski resort to Zurich?
Wangs, Pizolbahn is 1 hour 35 minutes away from Zurich Airport by public transport. To reach it, take the train to Sargans and from there the bus to Wangs, Pizolbahn. It is 125 kilometers away from Zurich Airport by car.
5. Flumserberg Ski Resort (65 kilometers)
Flumserberg, part of the municipality of Flums, St. Gallen is a great day trip option because it offers views of the Churfirsten range and Lake Walen (Walensee).
In winter, the ski slopes of Flumserberg offer various slopes for beginners and advanced skiers alike. Flumserberg is a popular day trip for residents of Zurich. It is the biggest ski resort near Zurich outside of Graubünden. (Note: Canton Graubünden has more ski resorts that are bigger but these are further away from Zurich compared to Flumserberg.)
Tickets cost between CHF 47 to CHF 67 for adults and between CHF 23.50 to CHF 33.50 for children aged 6-16 years.
| Ski Slope Difficulty | km |
|---|---|
| Easy | 10 |
| Medium | 38 |
| Difficult | 17 |
| Total | 65 |
How near is Flumserberg ski resort to Zurich?
There are two options for going to Flumserberg:
- The first option is by taking the train to Unterterzen. From Unterterzen, take the cable car to Tannenbodenalp then the cable car to Maschgenkamm.
- The second option is by taking the train to Sargans. From Sargans, you may take the bus going to Tannenheim, Post (Prodkamm), or Kabinenbahn (Maschgenkamm).
The train ride from Zurich Airport to either Unterterzen or Sargans takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes. It takes an additional 30 to 40 minutes to get to Tannenheim or Kabinenbahn. With a car, it is 90 kilometers away from Zurich Airport.
6. Andermatt – Oberalp – Sedrun Ski Resort (185 kilometers)
The SkiArena Andermatt-Sedrun is a ski area located in Andermatt (Uri), Sedrun (Graubünden), and Disentis (Graubünden) in Switzerland. It is Central Switzerland’s largest ski area featuring 180 kilometers of pistes with varying degrees of difficulty.
After the day of skiing, either you are hell tired to run on skis, you’ll well aboard the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn. The price tag of the train ticket between Disentis and Andermatt-Göschenen is already included in the ski ticket.
In the Matti KidsArena on Nätschen, the Druni KidsArena in Sedrun, and the Saxwiese in Disentis, snow rookies realize their own playground. Magic carpets follow slopes, a snow playground, and funny mascots abound.
For free riders, there are 16.5 kilometers of deep-powder trails. These are trails protected from avalanches that are neither groomed nor patrolled. It has untouched slopes with a lot of powder, natural drops, and jumps for deep-snow fans.
Tickets cost starting CHF 41 for adults and starting CHF 21 for children aged 6-15 years.
| Ski Slope Difficulty | km |
|---|---|
| Easy | 47.5 |
| Medium | 84 |
| Difficult | 37 |
| Free Ride | 16.5 |
| Total | 185 |
How near is Andermatt – Oberalp – Sedrun Ski Resort to Zurich?
From Zurich Airport, Andermatt is 2 hours and 18 minutes by train. With the car, Andermatt is around 124 kilometers away and takes around 90 minutes from Zurich Airport. Disentis/Mustér takes a bit longer at almost 3 hours by train from the airport (204 kilometers by car).
7. Arosa Lenzerheide Ski Resort (225 kilometers)
The Arosa Lenzerheide Ski Resort is located in Canton Graubünden. It is a huge ski resort covering 225 kilometers of slopes reaching peaks such as Weisshorn, Parpaner Rothorn, Hörnli, Piz Scalottas, Piz Danis, Lavos, Stätzerhorn, and Windegga. It also has authentic alpine huts and sunny days. Children’s facilities for young winter sports enthusiasts, snow parks, and perfectly groomed slopes for all levels are available here. For exceptional mountain experiences, offers for early birds and night owls are also available.
Ticket deals cost between CHF 30.00 (afternoon beginner ticket) to CHF 676.00 (21 days)
| Ski Slope Difficulty | km |
|---|---|
| Easy | 110 |
| Medium | 87 |
| Difficult | 28 |
| Total | 225 |
How near is Arosa Lenzerheide Ski Resort to Zurich?
From Zurich Airport, Lenzerheide is 2 hours and 20 minutes by train. With the car, Lenzerheide is around 145 kilometers away and takes around 1 hour and 48 minutes from Zurich Airport. Arosa takes a bit longer at almost 3 hours by train from the airport (154 kilometers by car).
Arosa has the largest children’s ski school in Switzerland. MySwitzerland produced a good video (with English subtitles) giving an overview of the ski school.
8. Flims Laax Falera Ski Resort (224 kilometers)
The Flims Laax Falera Ski Resort is one of the biggest and most well-known ski resorts in the Canton of Graubünden. It is popular due to its four snow parks and the world’s largest half-pipe, as well as for hosting winter races and competitions. Due to its size and variety, beginners, advanced skiers, snowboarders, and freeskiers all have ample space to enjoy their sport.
The winter resort of Flims Laax Falera is one of the pioneers of snowboarding. It is also a well-known destination for freestylers owing to its 44 kilometers of free-ride slopes. It used to host ski races back in the 90s. It has since switched to hosting snowboarding and freeskiing events like LAAX Open – the most important snowboarding event in the European mountains.
Tickets start at CHF 78 for adults if you book early and CHF 39.70 for children.
| Ski Slope Difficulty | km |
|---|---|
| Easy | 64 |
| Medium | 70 |
| Difficult | 46 |
| Free Ride | 44 |
| Total | 224 |
To give a visual preview of the resort, check out this video from LAAX Resort.
How near is Flims Laax Falera Ski Resort to Zurich?
From Zurich Airport, Laax GR, Bergbahnen is 2 hours by train. With the car, Laax is around 147 kilometers away and takes around 1 hour and 47 minutes from Zurich Airport. Flims Dorf, Bergbahnen takes a bit quicker at 1 hour 42 minutes with the train from the airport (144 kilometers by car).
Resources
- Ski Resort Information – https://www.bergfex.ch/
- Baedeker Schweiz – https://www.baedeker.com/reisefuehrer/europa/schweiz/
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- Top 15 Highest Ski Resorts in Switzerland
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- Savognin – Family Ski Destination in Graubünden
- Winter Hiking and Skiing in Braunwald
- 33 Small Ski Resorts in Switzerland
Darla Uhl is the owner of TouringSwitzerland.com. She is based in the Lake Zurich region in Switzerland and has a second home in Grisons. Having lived almost 20 years in Switzerland, she's traveled extensively all over the country.
Darla's favorite regions to visit in Switzerland include Engadin, Lake Geneva, Bernese Oberland, Ticino, and Valais. She loves spending time with her family, hiking, visiting museums, and reading books.