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Adelboden Ski Resort
At the end of a valley in the beautiful Bernese Alps, the traditional village of Adelboden is built in classic chalet style (lots of timber, shuttered windows and wrap-around balconies). The parish church is over 500 years old and the bakeries, chocolate shops and cheesemongers around nowadays have been run by the same families for generations. Even more historic are the 3000m mountains that surround, including the striking peaks of the Wildstrubel and Gross Lohner.
Switzerland’s second highest waterfall, the 600m Engstligenfälle is a huge attraction in the summer months, but in the winter you come here for the snow...
Skiing’s no new trend here – local farmer Peter Oester was the first to schuss here in 1890, and Henry Lunn arranged one of the first package ski holidays to the area in 1903. Adelboden’s ski area, shared with Frutigen and Lenk has become one of Switzerland’s biggest ski regions and high profile events like the FIS Ski World Cup slalom races are held here every year.
For access to the main ski area, lifts depart from the village and nearby Oey, or two other sets of slopes can be reached via the bus to Elsigbach and Engstligenalp.
When it comes to getting here, Bern Airport’s an hour’s drive away, with Basel two hours away. Transfers from Zurich take around 2.5 hours, with Geneva still a reasonable 2 hours 40. Berne-Frutigen is the nearest rail station, which has bus links to the village - and the journey crams in some fabulous views.
Stats & FAQ
Location: Bernese Alps, Switzerland
Established: 1878
Open: December - April
Downhill: 210km
View our detailed Adelboden snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Adelboden snow history.
| Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
| Bern Airport (BRN) | 62km, 1 hour |
| EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (BSL) | 167km, 2 hours |
| Zürich Airport (ZRH) | 190km, 2 hours 15 |
| Geneva International (GVA) | 223km, 2.5 hours |
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| Top Altitude: | 3243m |
| Bottom Altitude: | 1045m |
| Resort Altitude: | 1350m |
| Longest run: | 7km |
| Slope Orientation: | W NW NE |
| Vertical Drop: | 2198m |
| Skiable Vertical: | |
| Night Skiing: | Yes |
| Glacier: | No |
Snow Report
Web Cam
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| Downhill Runs: | 210km |
| Beginner slopes: | 44% |
| Intermediate: | 46% |
| Advanced slopes: | 10% |
| Lift Pass Price: | CHF 293 (adult 6 day) |
| Nearby resorts: Leukerbad, Crans Montana | |
Skiing/BoardingSkiing in Adelboden
The ski area is split into different sectors, with some brilliant nursery slopes on the outskirts of the village for first timers.
TschentenAlp has the closest slopes to the village, linked by cable car and providing incredible views back over Adelboden. A blue and three red runs are served by a four-man chair, as well as the Bergrose freeride route.
A lift from Oey takes you to Bergläger and the Silleren-Hahnenmoos area which stretches over to Lenk. Experts can take the chairlift from Bergläger to Chuenisbärgli to tackle the world cup slope while those after an easier route down can ski the blue and red options from the same lift – we like that different levels can enjoy the same area.
Speedsters should head up to Luegli, where the black Klusi run has timers to test how fast you can make it from top to bottom. The red runs here are worth a ski too, and don’t miss a stop at Chumihütte for drinks and snacks. In the freestyle department, the Gran Masta Park has lines of varying difficulties, while the Audi Skicross is usually free to access.
Continuing over to the far end, Lenk’s ski area streams down from 2001m and features some wonderfully long red pistes like Tschuggen and Wallegg. Getting here can take a while though, so you’ll need to set off early in order to make it back in good time.
For a change of scenery, the Elsigen-Metsch ski area can be reached by bus. Here the long blue Weisse Perle and Talabfahrt runs link back to the base. Most of the terrain is suited to intermediates, and there are also a handful of blacks for those seeking steeper descents. Or if you want to escape the madding crowd, Engstligenalp is a quieter, more snow sure part of the area with a mix of pistes and cross country trails.
It needn’t end there, with Kandersteg and the Jungfrau region near enough to explore without having to trek too far.
Adelboden Apres Ski
Time out Pub is one of the main après spots here, with a terrace that spills out onto the village square and screens for live sports. Scott’s bar has a more contemporary atmosphere, with a long list of cocktails (try the Toni Sailer), while Alte Tavern has a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights.
There are some seriously good restaurants to try here - Alpenblick, Hohliebe-Stubli, Belle Vue and Schonbuhl each have 14 Gault&Millau points for their gourmet creations. For something a little more casual, try Alfredo in the village for pizzas and other Italian favourites. Or for something completely different - over on Engstligenalp, it’s possible to book a fondue in an igloo…
Activity-wise, there’s swimming in the Frutigen indoor pool, which has a children’s pool and a glorious relaxation room that looks out over the mountains. The Leisure and Sports Arena has climbing, bowling, curling and ice skating, and there are two sledding slopes on TschentenAlp – a 2.2km gentle trail that’s often floodlit in the evenings and a shorter, steeper trail.
Best time to go
Best time to ski Adelboden
Best time to visit & ski Adelboden
With pistes above 2000m on the Elsighorn and Dossen and the Tschentenalp and Luegli areas facing north (to shade snow from the Swiss spring sunshine), the ski area is big and varied enough to see decent skiing conditions up to April on good snow years.
Peak Dates
Hotel gala dinners and pretty decorations all over the village help create a very merry Christmas in Adelboden.
Toast the New Year in Adelboden with good food, good drink, music and festivities.
Escape to the Swiss alps for Half Term in Adelboden , which will feel worlds away from the classroom.
Free events like egg hunts have taken place over Easter in Adelboden on recent years.
Families in Adelboden
Frutigen’s Rainbow nursery is near the swimming pool centre, and incorporates playtime, games and meals, taking over the swimming area on Wednesday afternoons for music and fun in the water. There are ski schools in Adelboden, Engstligenalp and Frutigen so you can pick whichever is most convenient for you – all run specialised children’s courses to ease youngsters onto the piste in a fun, safe environment. Last time we checked, family rates were available on ski passes when at least one adult and one child’s ticket were booked at the same time.
GroupsGroup Holidays Adelboden
Catch live sports at Time Out or Scotts, or head to the Arena for bowling and ice skating. One of our favourite group activities is the Igloo area on Engstligenalp, where you can book a fondue supper to eat surrounded by snow.
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