Area: | Balderschwang |
Base: | 1020m |
Summit: | 1500m |
Skiable vertical: | 500m |
Lifts: | 8 (6 draglifts) |
Total lift vert: | 1500m |
Slope orientation: | north facing |
 |
Balderschwang is a small resort in Bavaria in southern Germany, right next to the border with Austria. It's not too high (highest point is 1500m) and doesn't have too many lifts (let's say four "major" ones) but there are quite a few runs available, with a good variety of slope difficulties. Especially for beginners there are lots of suitable slopes and tuition is popular.
For a zoomable, scrollable map of the area, see this online map using Openstreetmap or Opencyclemap.
Balderschwang is best reached by car, and it's right next to the Austrian border. It can be reached from the German side from Kempten in Allgäu, or from the Austrian side from Bregenz or Dornbirn. There is plenty of free parking at the base of the chairlift station.
A day pass currently costs EUR 23, or an afternoon ticket EUR 20. Of course, multi-day passes are also available (see the price list under "more info").
 |
showing some of the runs and lifts |
It looks like there are very few lifts here, and that's true, but there are quite a few runs for intermediate boarders available, on various sides of the main Hochschelpen hill, and a couple more on the Riedbergerhorn side. The runs on the right-hand side are mainly blues, and on the left-hand side more reds. In between are a few blacks but due to the confusing signposting these can be extremely difficult to find.
Signposting is a bit erratic with confusing numbers on the signs (like in France). But the pistes are wide enough and easy enough to follow.
By lift H (Gschwendlift II) there's an area marked as "Snowboard-piste", but don't get your hopes up - this isn't a terrain park with jumps and ramps but just a wide, easy slope suitable for both skiers and snowboarders for practicing technique. The other blues here are also very suitable for beginners and learners.
If you don't like drag lifts, you're in trouble here at Balderschwang - you're going to be limited to the single Hochschelpen chairlift and a pair of runs on that side, or the single Riedbergerhorn chairlift and the single red run down from there. But as the drag lifts are all pretty friendly (apart from the Gelbhansekopflift which is so evil snowboarders are forbidden from using it!), there should be no problem here.
On the blue number 5 run round to Höflealp there is a single, short flat stretch but nothing too bad. Similarly on the blue number 10 there is a short scooting stretch but nothing like as bad as it looks on the map.
17 January 2009 - Plenty of snow, some of it quite fresh, and lots of sunshine. More sunshine on the Riedbergerhorn side so snow is no longer so good over there. Long queues for the Schwarzenberg drag lift.
Information about the town and the ski area is at balderschwang.de and skigebiet-balderschwang.de. The all-important piste plan (jpg) and price list are available here.
