Short answer
Flumserberg is the largest ski area between Zurich and Chur, with 65 kilometres of pistes above Lake Walensee in the canton of St. Gallen. Children who have not yet turned six ski without a lift pass, three-year-olds can start ski school and two practice areas are free to use. From Zurich, the train runs direct to Unterterzen in just under an hour, and the gondola takes you up to Tannenboden in 20 minutes.
Quick facts
- Country / region
- Switzerland, St. Gallen (Heidiland, above the Walensee)
- Ski area
- Flumserberg – Tannenboden, Tannenheim, Prodalp, Molseralp and Maschgenkamm
- Altitude (village – top)
- 1,400 – 2,222 m above sea level
- Pistes
- 65 km
- Lifts
- 17
- Season
- opens when there is enough snow, usually between mid-November and early December
- Nearest airports
- Zurich (approx. 1.5–2 h by train and gondola)
- Train
- IR35 from Zurich to Unterterzen (58 min, direct), then the SeeJet gondola to Tannenboden (20 min)
- Price level
- ●●●●● (1 = cheap, 5 = expensive)
Family rating
4,3 / 5
- Beginner slopes Free practice areas with magic carpets and a button lift in Tannenboden and on Prodalp, and the pistes get easier the closer you get to Tannenboden.
- Snow reliability The area reaches 2,222 metres and has modern snowmaking, but the villages are at around 1,400 metres and the lowest runs reach a long way down towards the lake.
- Distance from accommodation to lifts In Tannenboden and Tannenheim the lifts leave from the village, and the buses between Bergheim and Tannenboden are free in winter.
- More than skiing A three-kilometre sledging run, two children's sledging slopes, evening sledging, a light show on the evening piste, husky sledding and 35 kilometres of winter trails.
The rating is our overall assessment for families with children based on the criteria above – not a paid placement.
Flumserberg is Zurich's family mountain. The ski area sits on a sunny terrace above Lake Walensee, with the Churfirsten range straight ahead on the other side of the water. It is not a glamorous Alpine destination. It is a mountain where Swiss families teach their children to ski, with short distances, plenty of easy slopes and a sledging run that many people come here for alone.
That makes Flumserberg a good choice if you want a week with small children without long transfers. From Zurich you are up on the slopes in around an hour and a half, without a car. You can see how Flumserberg compares with the rest of the country in our run-through of Switzerland's ski resorts.
Tannenboden, Tannenheim and Prodalp
Flumserberg is not a single village but several small settlements on the same mountain terrace. It helps to know where you'll end up:
- Tannenboden is the centre. This is where the SeeJet gondola arrives from Unterterzen, and from here the BergJet gondola continues to Maschgenkamm. One of the children's areas and the ski school office are here too.
- Tannenheim is a little further away. From here, the Prodalp-Express gondola goes up to Prodalp, and this is where the sledging run ends.
- Prodalp and Molseralp are the areas on the mountain where the children's villages are.
The buses between Bergheim and Tannenboden are free in winter. With small children, Tannenboden is the easiest place to stay, since both the gondola from the train and the easy slopes start there.
The ski area has 65 kilometres of pistes and 17 lifts. A simple rule of thumb: the higher up you go, the harder the pistes get, and the closer you are to Tannenboden, the easier.
Children's areas and family pistes
- Free practice areas: in Tannenboden and on Prodalp there are magic carpets and practice lifts that are free. Perfect for the first few days, before you buy a lift pass.
- HäxäWäldli: a 900-metre adventure run through the forest, with surprises along the way through the “witches' wood”. It isn't groomed like the normal slopes, which children tend to love. The start is below Chrüz.
- Wernli FamilyRun: a play park in the snow between Prodkamm and Prodalp, built so that both little ones and grown-ups can use the obstacles. Good for a race between parents and children.
Lift passes in Flumserberg: skiing is free until the child turns six. After that, 6–15-year-olds pay the children's rate and 16–19-year-olds the youth rate, based on the exact birthday. Every children's day pass comes with a voucher that you can exchange for food in one of the mountain restaurants. There are also beginner passes for the easiest lifts, and passes with a refund if you only ski for a few hours.
Are the children going to be on skis for the very first time? We go through what the days tend to look like and what you need to bring in our guide to the family's first ski week.
The ski school and the age rules
Schweizer Skischule Flumserberg has been running since the winter of 1933/34 and has over 160 instructors. The children follow Swiss Snow League, moving up through levels with badges, and the Snowli mascot pays a visit every day.
| Course | Age | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss Snow Kids Village | from age 3 | Prodalp or Molseralp |
| Blue League and up | once the child skis independently | groups across the whole area |
| Snowboarding for children | from age 6 | Molseralp |
| Swiss Snow Academy | after Red League | racing, park and off-piste |
Children's lessons run Monday to Saturday, as a half day in the morning or afternoon or as a full day. The children's village on Molseralp is also open on Sundays. With the full-day lesson you can book supervised lunch, and on Fridays the week ends with the children's ski race and prize-giving. Complete snowboard beginners can only start the group course on a Monday.
The ski school also sells week packages that include lessons and a lift pass. The package is collected from the lift pass office, so bring your booking confirmation.
The sledging runs
Sledging is Flumserberg's great speciality, and there is something for every age:
- Prodalp–Tannenheim: a three-kilometre intermediate run that starts at the mountain restaurant on Prodalp and ends at the valley station in Tannenheim. It is not suitable for children up to age six. Take the Prodalp-Express up and ride down as many times as you like. With a ski pass for the day, the run is free.
- The children's slope on Prodalp: a gentle slope next to the valley station of the Prodkamm chairlift, where the youngest can sledge safely.
- The children's slope in Tannenboden: to the left of the children's area at the BergJet, with a single easy bend. No lift – the children walk back up themselves. Both children's slopes are free.
Evening sledging: the run is floodlit from 2 January to 6 March 2027, every Saturday and on some Thursdays (31 December and in February and March), between seven and nine in the evening. Sledges can be hired at the Prodalp-Express and in the sports shop in Tannenheim. Dogs are not allowed on the run.
Good to know about the lifts: the Prodalp-Express and the SeeJet take sledges, and small children's sledges are allowed on the BergJet and the Panüöl chairlift. The condition of the run varies during the day, from hard-packed to bumpy, so choose the morning with the youngest.
The train from Zurich via Unterterzen
Flumserberg is one of the easiest ski resorts in Switzerland to reach by train:
- Zurich–Unterterzen: the IR35 runs every hour and takes 58 minutes, direct. From Chur, the same train runs in the other direction.
- The SeeJet gondola: the valley station is opposite the station in Unterterzen. Eight-seater gondolas take you via Oberterzen up to Tannenboden in 20 minutes, with views over the lake all the way.
- Alternatives: train to Flums or Sargans and PostBus 441 up to Tannenheim and Tannenboden.
From Zurich airport the whole journey takes around an hour and a half to two hours. If you drive, it takes 60–90 minutes from Zurich, and you pay for parking both up on the mountain and in Unterterzen. From Sweden you get to Zurich by train – here's how in train to the Alps.
Flumserberg or Laax-Flims?
The same railway line continues to Chur, where the bus goes up to Laax-Flims. Laax is much bigger and higher and has a glacier, and teenagers are drawn by the snow parks. Flumserberg is smaller and cheaper, with shorter distances. If your children are between two and ten, Flumserberg is often a better fit for a first Swiss ski week, or as a short stop on the way before you travel further into Graubünden.
Other family resorts by train from Zurich are Engelberg and Arosa Lenzerheide. If anyone needs a break from the slopes, find inspiration in what to do on a ski holiday without skiing. And before you close the bags, tick off the packing list for the ski week.
Before Flumserberg – easy to forget
Frequently asked questions
Do small children ski free in Flumserberg?
Yes, the youngest do. Until their sixth birthday, no paid pass is needed. After that comes the children's rate for 6–15-year-olds and the youth rate for 16–19-year-olds, and the cut-off is the birthday itself, not the turn of the year. A children's day pass also gives you a voucher to use in the mountain's restaurants.
From what age can children go to ski school in Flumserberg?
The ski school's children's villages, the Swiss Snow Kids Village on Prodalp and Molseralp, take children from age three. Lessons run Monday to Saturday in the morning and afternoon, and the children's village on Molseralp is also open on Sundays. Snowboarding for children starts at age six.
Is the sledging run in Flumserberg good for small children?
The three-kilometre run from Prodalp to Tannenheim is intermediate and not suitable for children up to age six. For the youngest there are two gentle children's sledging slopes, on Prodalp and in Tannenboden, and they are free to use.
How do you get to Flumserberg by train?
Take the IR35 from Zurich to Unterterzen, which takes just under an hour, direct, and runs every hour. The SeeJet gondola is opposite the station and takes you via Oberterzen up to Tannenboden in 20 minutes.
Can you go sledging in the evening in Flumserberg?
Yes. In winter 2026/27 the sledging run is floodlit from 2 January to 6 March 2027, every Saturday and on some Thursdays, between seven and nine in the evening. On Friday evenings you can ski through the light show on the Chrüz piste instead.
Flumserberg or Laax?
Flumserberg is smaller, closer to Zurich and easier on the wallet, with short distances and good children's areas. Laax-Flims is much bigger and higher, with a glacier and large snow parks. With small children, Flumserberg goes a long way; with teenagers, Laax is the draw.
