family travel guide
German ski resorts are not as popular with European tourists as Austrian ones. And Germans themselves don't mind spending a winter holiday with the kids somewhere in the Austrian Tyrol. However, there are ski resorts in Germany that are perfect for families. One such place is Oberstdorf, often referred to as the German Tyrol. Situated in a valley in south-west Bavaria, right on the border with Austria, it has beautiful scenery, good pistes and excellent hotel facilities.
What else is good about Oberstdorf for a family holiday? Let's find out together.
The community of Oberstdorf is a ski resort in southern Germany, in the state of Bavaria. The community is located in the Swabian administrative district of Oberallgäu (Sonthofen is the administrative centre). The distance from Oberstdorf to Munich is 170 km, to Memmingen 75 km, to Ulm 130 km, to Sonthofen 15 km and to the Austrian ski resort Kleinwalsertal 14 km.
Oberstdorf is well known to sportsmen and winter sports enthusiasts. It has hosted the World Championships three times and hosts the Tour de Ski and the Four Hills Tournament every year (after which the competition moves to Garmisch-Partenkirchen).
Many resorts compete with each other, hoping to win the coveted title of "The Most...". Well, Oberstdorf proudly holds the title of the world's largest pedestrian zone: more than 10% of its territory is closed to cars. So the crystal clear air is not a metaphor, but a reality.
The ski resort of Oberstdorf is not yet one of the most popular winter holiday destinations. The ski lifts and pistes here are just as good as in the mega-resorts, but there are far fewer tourists and the prices are more modest.
If you want to relax with your child, enjoy skiing and spice up your trip with a good excursion, take a closer look at Oberstdorf. The first thing to note is the ease of getting there. Once you arrive in Germany, all you have to do is take a direct train to Oberstdorf.
The second is the variety of slopes. Neither beginners nor experienced skiers will feel at a disadvantage here. There are two snow parks for snowboarders. The ski schools in Oberstdorf have special classes for children, and after the first lesson, little skiers can demonstrate good skiing technique.
Thirdly, there are plenty of leisure activities. In winter, Oberstdorf offers tobogganing, snowshoeing and igloo building for children; in summer you can swim in the lakes and go hiking, and at any time of the year you can make excursions to neighbouring towns. The resort offers ready-made family holiday programmes and caters for the interests of children of all ages. Fourthly, the quality of the holiday in Oberstdorf.
The hotels in the resort cater to families with babies or toddlers, providing cots, play areas and entertainment.
Guests at the resort are charged a tourist fee. This money is used to pay for snow clearance and preparation of the slopes in winter, free skibus transport, free parking and the organisation of the entertainment programme. The fee is approximately €2.50 per day for adults and €2 per day for children aged 13-16.
The tourist season in Oberstdorf is divided into two parts. From December to April it is a ski holiday, and from June to September it is for lovers of solitude and clean air. For a holiday with a child, you can choose either winter or summer, depending on your personal preferences. One reason to visit in early December, in time for the opening of the season in Oberstdorf, or in April is that the slopes are not crowded.
From the end of December to mid-January, there are many skiers in the resort, and in February and March the number of tourists increases at weekends. In high season there can be queues at the lifts.
In summer there is no rush at the resort. You can come to Oberstdorf with a toddler to soak up the relaxing atmosphere, or you can bring older children who are ready to hike and travel. The resort's activity programme will also help you decide when it's best to come to Oberstdorf. In winter you can watch the Tour de Ski, the Four Hills Tournament and the Ski Jumping World Cup.
At Easter there's a traditional egg hunt for children. Mid-September is another special occasion, the Livestock Breeding Festival. Flocks of plump, well-groomed cows return from the mountain pastures and the cows are decorated like Brazilian carnival dancers.
Oberstdorf's climate is such that it offers both winter and summer holidays. From December to the end of April there is snow on the mountains, but never too much frost, making skiing very pleasant. The warm, sunny days of May and September are perfect for mountain excursions.
The skiing season begins in early December. Temperatures in the first month of winter stay around +1-3°C during the day and -4-6°C at night. There is a lot of snowfall and the skies are often overcast.
In January the weather is similar, but temperatures can drop to -6-7°C at night. The snow cover is excellent in January, so many people plan their holidays in Oberstdorf around this time. February sees warmer days. The air warms up to +3-4°C and snowfalls regularly refresh the snow cover on the slopes.
In March, there's hardly any frost and the temperature usually rises to +7-8°C during the day. This warmth doesn't damage the pistes, especially as snow falls frequently in early spring.
Most holidaymakers leave the resort in the second half of March and it's time for the best holiday in Oberstdorf with children.
In April, daytime temperatures rise to +11-12°C, but snow remains on the slopes until the end of the month. In May it starts to rain and temperatures rise to +16-17°C.
Summers in Oberstdorf are cool, with temperatures ranging from +19-22°C from June to August. Nights are quite cold with temperatures around +8-10°C. Holidaymakers' plans are often disrupted by rain — fortunately it doesn't last long. In September, temperatures are still around +18°C, although they drop to +7°C at night. In October the air cools down to +12°C, and in November the first frosts and snowfalls arrive.
Hotels in Oberstdorf offer breakfast and tourists prefer to dine in traditional restaurants.
Children are likely to enjoy some of the local dishes: Kässpatzen (Bavarian egg noodles dish with butter and cheese), sauerkraut rolls Krautkrapfen, sweet omelette Kaiserschmarrn, wild herb roll Grüne Kraftrolle (delicious and a real vitamin bomb).
If you want to make something more familiar, you can buy the products you need in the supermarkets and grocery stores. Several shops in the resort sell delicious local sausages, cheeses and milk from Alpine cows.
It's easy to get around the small village on foot, although bus no. 9 makes it easy to get to the train station, for example. And if you want to go to Sonthofen or Immenstadt, there is also a bus. All you have to do is check the timetable: on some routes there are only one or two buses a day.
Taxis can be used to get around Oberstdorf. There are taxis waiting for you in the car parks or you can order one by phone. A trip within the town will cost you €15-17 and to the Freibergsee €25-30. If you plan to take the train in Oberstdorf and travel around Bavaria, it is worth buying a Bayern-Ticket.
A day ticket to travel around Bavaria costs €27 and there is no need to buy a separate ticket for children: children under 15 travel free with their parents.
Tourists who come to ski resorts are less interested in sightseeing than in relaxing after a day on the slopes. Oberstdorf's après-ski programme lives up to this expectation.
If you have enough energy left over for an active holiday, visit the ice rink at the ice sports centre next to the Nebelhorn lift. Perhaps your child would like to learn how to play curling or how to use a saw to cut snow to build an igloo.
Sleigh rides, snowshoeing and dog sledding are equally popular at this resort. You can also ride a snowmobile, but you'll need a little training first.
The NTC Park in Oberstdorf is open in winter and offers the most unusual vehicles for riding in the snow. A snowbike is like a bicycle with skis instead of wheels, a snow scooter is a wide ski with a scooter handlebar, a skyfox is a chair on skis and a skiboard is a snowboard with an ingenious seat.
And the most unusual family holiday in Oberstdorf is the evening torchlight tour through the Breitachklamm gorge. The garlands of icicles and icy walls look magical in the light of a live fire.
As Oberstdorf is a pretty town in its own right, you can take your child for a stroll around the streets and look at the houses. Once a week the resort offers a free sightseeing tour for tourists.
If you've run out of ideas for things to do with your child in Oberstdorf, look no further than the neighbouring towns. They're more museum-heavy than entertainment-heavy, but there's plenty for kids to do (see the Attractions section for more information).
The resort consists of three ski areas: Fellhorn, Nebelhorn and Söllereck with a total of 44 km of slopes.
The Fellhorn and Söllereck slopes are ideal for intermediate and beginner skiers: they are wide, well marked and have an extensive lift system. Children's skiing in Oberstdorf is particularly easy in the Söllereck area, which is dominated by gentle blue runs, but also has some red runs.
There are also the best children's ski schools, the Sölli-Hasi-Kinderland learning area and the 850-metre Söllereck-Rodel toboggan run, which is open in both winter and summer. The largest ski area in the resort, Fellhorn-Kanzelwand, is ideal for intermediate skiers and snowboarders.
There are a total of 19 runs (5 blue, 13 red and one black) and 14 modern lifts. The Easy Park, with easy kicker lines and simple obstacles, is designed for beginners, while the Crystal Ground Fan Park is for more experienced riders.
For a change of pace, head over to the neighbouring Austrian resort of Kleinwalsertal, which offers more than 120km of slopes of varying degrees of difficulty.
If you're planning your first ski trip to Oberstdorf, it's a good idea to enrol in one of the ski schools. In Germany, you don't have to worry about the professionalism of the instructors, but it's a pleasure to talk about how the children are taught.
Children can join the ski schools from the age of 4. Each ski school in Oberstdorf has its own area equipped with everything you need to practice your skiing skills.
But the lessons don't start with turns and brakes, but with games in the snow to get the children used to the boots. Lessons last two to four hours and the course usually lasts 3, 5 or 7 days.
During this time the children have time to learn the most important things, but also to take part in competitions, to have fun and to play.
The NTC Sport Oberstdorf runs a kindergarten for children aged 3 to 7 where they can relax and learn to ski. The kindergarten is open half day, so parents can enjoy skiing until lunchtime and then spend time with their children.
| General season | early December to the end of April |
| Ski areas |
Fellhorn (919 m — 2058 m)
|
| Elevation difference | 813 m — 2224 m |
|
Ski slopes |
44 km — total |
| Ski lifts |
24 total, including |
| Ski routes | 85 km |
| Snowboard Park | 1 |
| Rail toboggan run | 850 m |
|
Half-pipe |
2 |
| The longest ski run | 7500 m |
| Interactive scheme of ski slopes and lifts | https://www.ok-bergbahnen.com/skigebiete/pistenplan-interaktiv |
The ski season in Oberstdorf is divided into several parts. The high season runs from 22 December to 4 January and from 26 January to 8 March. During this period, a one-day ski pass for an adult in the Oberstdorf Kleinwalsertal area costs €57.50 and €21.5 for a child.
From 5 to 25 January and from 9 to 29 March, ski pass prices are slightly reduced.
The low season lasts until 21 December and from 30 March to the end of April.
It is possible to buy ski passes valid for 1 to 14 days at the resort. The longer the ski pass is valid, the cheaper it is for each day of skiing. The most popular ski pass at the resort is the 4 out of 7, which allows you to ski any 4 days of the week. Such a pass costs around €200 for adults, €153 for teenagers and €82 for children.
Prices for children and teenagers do not depend on the season. A day pass for a child between the ages of 6 and 15 costs €21.50, and €44.5 for a teenager.
Families travelling to the resort with children under the age of 6 can benefit from a family ski pass. These are valid for a minimum of 3 days and cost between €173.5 (3 days) and €380.5 (8 days).
The Oberstdorf - Kleinwalserthal ski area has a single ski pass for the lifts.
The ski schools have equipment hire shops. The range of skis, snowboards and boots is large and in good condition, and there is definitely top-of-the-range equipment for hire, as well as skis for carving, freeride, telemark and cross-country skiing. A day's snowboard or ski hire in Oberstdorf costs €20-25 for adults, €15-18 for children aged 16-18, €12-14 for children aged 6-15 and €9 for children under 6.
Rental of skis, boots and poles costs €25-35, €18-26, €14-9 and €11-13 respectively. Helmet hire costs €4-7 for adults and €4-5 for children. In some resorts, you can book your equipment in advance from the first days of the season.
A trip to the mountains is one of the best options for children. The tranquil atmosphere, lack of heat, fresh air and variety of activities will help your child become healthier and stronger.
Oberstdorf's summer holiday programme is well thought out down to the last detail. There are special activities for the whole family: excursions to the mountains, walks in the woods, meeting the farm animals — every day promises something new.
You can easily take your children to one of the playgrounds in the resort and on the mountain next to the lift stations.
Younger guests aged 4 to 12 are welcome to Nordi Club, where they can enjoy games, workshops, walks and nature. If the weather is fine, the children can play outside, and if the weather is bad, they can stay in the playroom.
Teenagers won't be bored either. There are rope parks (Skywalk Park also offers bungee jumping and ziplining), mountain biking, tennis courts, a bobsleigh run, rafting and canyoning - and parents are welcome to keep their children company.
If this kind of holiday is too active for you, you can always head for one of the outdoor pools. The biggest 'pool' is Freibergsee, with an area for swimming and boating.
And of course the kids will love the Wonnemar water park in Sonthofen: the children's pool is full of fun games and the older kids have an adventure pool and some cool slides. Wonnemar is also open in winter. If you're in the mood for some fun, head to one of the amusement parks — two of Germany's biggest are close to the resort.
Skyline in Bad Werishofen has 60 rides and theatre shows, while Legoland in Günzburg offers a fairytale world of Lego pieces. Both parks are only open from late March to early November.
While a winter holiday in Oberstdorf with children is often all about skiing, in summer and autumn a quiet holiday in the mountains can be spiced up with excursions. There are a number of old towns, castles steeped in legend and simply beautiful places nearby. So what can you do in and around Oberstdorf?
You can start with the regional museum, which is housed in an old house. Its most remarkable exhibit is a 480-foot mountain boot that took 18 skins and 40 metres of rope to make.
The Audi Arena complex houses a small ski museum. One of the halls is dedicated to Oberstdorf's sports facilities.
Memmingen, 70 km from the resort, is a small, friendly town that caters to the needs of tourists.
The streets of Memmingen are marked by a 'red route' so that visitors can see the elegant but very old town hall, Hermann's Palace, the clock on St Martin's Church and the house with seven roofs, which looks a bit like a Chinese pagoda (in fact the house was a tannery and the many roofs were used to dry the leather).
We also recommend a visit to the town museum to find out what role the 'Basilisk' and the 'Green Devil' played in the life of Memmingen.
And on the way to Memmingen you can stop off at the Allgäuer Bergbauernmuseum in Immenstadt. A farmhouse, vegetable garden, mountain pasture, thoroughbred cows and pigs - but that's not all. Children can climb into the hayloft and drive an almost real tractor, and one of the tours takes them inside a cow's stomach...
It's a two-hour drive from Oberstdorf to Ulm, but well worth it. Children are usually most attracted to Ulm Castle, which in the XIX century was considered the largest fortress in Europe.
Older buildings have survived: the town hall, the fishermen's quarter and the Seelturm and Metzgerturm towers were built in the 14th century. The last tower is famous not for its age but for its inclination, hence its name: the Falling Tower.
Ulm's most famous building and the tallest church in the world, Ulm Minster, was also built in the 14th century. To be precise, construction began then and was completed at the end of the 19th century. A spiral staircase leads to the top of the cathedral, but you have to climb 768 steps to get there.
It takes no more than two hours to reach the village of Oberammergau. There's a lot to see here with children: the village could be described as an open-air art museum, as every house is decorated with colourful plaster paintings, and no two are the same.
Oberammergau is also home to wood carvers, whose work can be seen in the local museum or bought in the shopping street, where there are plenty of original souvenirs.
One of the most interesting places for children in and around Oberstdorf is Neuschwanstein Castle, the prototype for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle, which is featured in the Walt Disney Studios logo.
Neuschwanstein was built on the orders of King Ludwig II, who wanted a fairytale palace. And that's exactly what it is. As you wander through its halls, don't forget to show your child the cave room, which even has a waterfall.
Near Neuschwanstein is another castle, Hohenschwangau, which belonged to King Maximilian II. Solemn, luminous and crowned by the figure of a swan, the castle is breathtakingly beautiful: even seasoned travellers swoon at the sight of the starry sky on the ceiling of the King's Bedroom or the paintings in the Hall of Heroes.
Near Hohenschwangau is the Museum of the Kings of Bavaria. Here you can find out which members of the Wittelsbach dynasty ruled, what they did and what they owned. Although the museum is housed in an old building, the exhibition is very modern.
There are a surprising number of places to stay in Oberstdorf with children. The small community has a dozen and a half hotels, including a five-star hotel, as well as numerous apartments and guesthouses.
Most of the accommodation is in Oberstdorf itself. There are very few hotels near the Fellhorn and Zellereck lifts, which are a few kilometres from the village centre, and restaurants, shops and entertainment are a long way away.
If you want to stay close to the lifts, the village of Kornau near Oberstdorf is a good option.
You can choose almost any hotel or apartment for a family holiday. They all offer the same level of comfort, but of course the services vary. The five Parkhotel Frank hotels, for example, and some of the four hotels, offer an extensive entertainment programme for young guests.
The choice of where to stay with children should be based on your own needs: perhaps you need a high chair or baby care accessories, or a special menu, or the presence of a kitchen in the room. Also check the age limit for children to stay in the room with their parents free of charge.
For an independent holiday in Oberstdorf with children, it is convenient to rent an apartment. If you look in advance, you can find accommodation close to the Nebelhorn ski lift. In summer you can relax in the equally picturesque suburbs of Oberstdorf. There are good options in Winkel, Tiefenbach and Fischen im Allgäu.
The nearest airports are Memmingen (85km), Friedrichshafen (96km) and Munich (195km). Memmingen airport mainly receives charter and low-cost flights. Munich has scheduled flights from many countries.
How to get to Oberstdorf from Munich or Memmingen
It is also possible to arrange a transfer in advance.
More than a dozen trains run daily from Munich to Oberstdorf. The journey takes about 2.5 hours. Regional trains run hourly from Memmingen to Oberstdorf. The journey takes about one and a half hours.
During the high season, the Allgäu Snow Express runs from Augsburg, Ulm and Memmingen to Oberstdorf. All year round you can take the Allgäu-Franken-Express from Augsburg and Nuremberg to Oberstdorf.
You can find the timetable and buy tickets on the Deutsche Bahn website: https://www.bahn.de
One way to get to Oberstdorf is with FlixBus. Coaches arrive at the resort from Munich, Ulm, Memmingen and several other cities. The timetable is available on the company's website: https://www.flixbus.com/bus/oberstdorf
It is possible to rent a car at German airports. From Memmingen take the A7 then the B19. From Munich take the A96, then the B12 and B19. The official website of Oberstdorf has information on car parks and parking costs.
useful articles about rest and not only
