Short answer
Lofer is a small village in the Salzburger Saalachtal, half an hour from Salzburg Airport. The Almenwelt Lofer ski area has 46 kilometres of pistes, most of them blue, and ten lifts between 640 and 1,750 metres. The lift pass is free for children born in 2021 or later who ski with an adult, and the kids' ski school takes children from age three in the kids' areas by Almbahn II.
Quick facts
- Country / region
- Austria, Salzburger Land (Salzburger Saalachtal)
- Ski area
- Almenwelt Lofer
- Altitude (village – top)
- 640–1,750 m above sea level
- Pistes
- 46 km
- Lifts
- 10
- Season
- mid-December – late March
- Nearest airports
- Salzburg (about 30 km)
- Train
- Train to Salzburg Hbf or Bad Reichenhall, then Postbus 260 with no change
- Price level
- ●●●●● (1 = cheap, 5 = expensive)
Family rating
3,8 / 5
- Beginner slopes Mostly blue pistes, two kids' areas with magic carpets on the Loferer Alm, a practice slope at Loderbichl and a free children's lift in the valley.
- Children's lift passes Free for children born in 2021 or later, and on the family pass the third child and any further children ski free.
- Snow reliability The village sits at 640 metres and the top reaches 1,750. Snowmaking helps, but mild winters are felt sooner here than higher up.
- Distance from accommodation to lifts The gondola leaves from the village centre and the valley ski buses are free, but you need to take two gondolas to reach the kids' areas.
- More than skiing High-altitude cross-country trails, winter walking paths and Salzburg within an hour, but quiet in the village in the evenings.
The rating is our overall assessment for families with children based on the criteria above – not a paid placement.
Lofer lies in the Salzburger Saalachtal, in the valley between Salzburg and Saalfelden, with the grey limestone walls of the Loferer Steinberge rising straight above the village. It's not a big name in the Alps, and that's exactly the point. The Almenwelt Lofer ski area is small, mostly blue and built around families with children, and Salzburg Airport is so close that the travel day doesn't eat up half the holiday.
Compared with the big resorts further south, you'll notice the difference in your wallet. Lift passes, accommodation and ski school are all at a lower level, and the youngest ski completely free. You'll find more resorts in the country in skiing holidays in Austria.
Almenwelt Lofer – small, blue and easy to get your bearings
The ski area has 46 kilometres of pistes and ten lifts between 640 and 1,750 metres. Around 32 kilometres are blue, twelve red and only two black. For a family where not everyone skis equally well, that means you can ski together almost everywhere.
From the village centre, the Almbahn I gondola goes up to the Loderbichl mid-station at 1,000 metres, and from there Almbahn II continues up to the Loferer Alm. Up there is where the kids' areas, most of the pistes and the restaurants are.
A few things children tend to love:
- Hexen Funline, a witch-themed fun run just under a kilometre long through the forest, with rollers, small jumps and banked turns. It starts at the SenderExpress chairlift.
- Lofi Funline along the Family Express six-seater chairlift, for children who want a bit more speed.
- SenderExpress and Almen 8er Schwarzeck are eight-seater chairlifts with child-safe seats, something the lift company was the first in the world to introduce.
The 2026/27 season starts with weekend skiing on 5–6 and 12–13 December if there's enough snow, and from Friday 18 December the lifts run every day, usually 08:30–16:00. The price list runs until 29 March 2027.
The kids' areas on the Loferer Alm
Both ski schools have their kids' areas at the top station of Almbahn II, opposite the Soderkaser restaurant. So you take two gondolas up, but after that everything is within a few hundred metres.
| Area | Ski school | What's there |
|---|---|---|
| Lofino Kinderland | HERBST Skischule Lofer | Around 3,000 square metres of gentle slope, two magic carpets, Lofino's little train, a warming hut and a drawing room |
| Kinderland Sturm | Skischule Sturm | Two magic carpets by the top station |
| Almenwelt Zauberteppich | The ski area | A covered 140-metre magic carpet for the youngest |
| Loderbichl | Both schools | Practice slope with a button lift at 1,000 metres |
| The children's lift at Almbahn I | The ski area | Small lift in the valley, free to ride |
Lofino Kinderland can be reached on foot, even with a pushchair, so a sibling who isn't skiing can come along. The children's lift down by the valley station is good for a first hour on skis on arrival day, before you decide whether it's time for a course.
If it's your children's first time on skis, read the first ski trip with children before you book a course.
Ski schools and age rules
Two schools operate on the mountain, and both have their ski depot next to the Almbahn I valley station. You can leave your skis there in the evening and avoid carrying them through the village.
HERBST Skischule Lofer groups children like this:
- Lofinos Schneesternchen, ages 3–4: a half day of play, entertainment and first attempts on skis, with no expectation that the child learns to turn.
- Children's ski course, ages 4–11: the standard group course, from beginners upwards.
- Jungstars, ages 11–15: for older children and teenagers.
Skischule Sturm also runs children's courses and kids' programmes from its area by Almbahn II, and the lift pass and depot space can go on the same card. Compare the course weeks at both before you book, as times and start days differ.
Lift passes 2026/27 – why Lofer works out cheap
This is where the biggest difference from the big resorts lies. Age groups for the 2026/27 season:
- Born in 2021 or later: free, as long as an adult skis with them.
- Born 2011–2020: child pass.
- Born 2008–2010: youth pass, with ID.
The family pass covers two adults with one or two children or young people born 2008–2020. The third child of your own and any after that ski free. You need to be able to show that you live at the same address and have photo ID. During the low season in the price list, known as B season, children and young people can also ski free with a parent on passes of three days or more. Current periods and prices are shown when you book.
If you plan to ski in the region several years running, the Salzburger Super Ski Card season pass is also valid in Lofer, as well as in the rest of Salzburger Land and the Kitzbüheler Alpen. That makes it easy to fit in a day in Saalbach Hinterglemm or on the glacier in Kaprun.
The snow, honestly
Lofer sits low. The village is at around 640 metres and the top reaches 1,750, well below the high-altitude resorts and glaciers of Salzburger Land. In a mild week in December or March, the first place you'll notice it is the run down to the village.
Most of the skiing and both kids' areas are between 1,000 and 1,750 metres, and the area has expanded its snowmaking with a large new reservoir. Even so, plan your trip for January or February if you want to be sure. If the snow is thin, you can still ride the gondola up and down and take the children to the kids' area without skiing the whole way down.
Getting to Lofer
- By air: Salzburg Airport is just over 30 km from the valley, so the transfer is short.
- Bus: Postbus 260 runs from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof via the airport, Bad Reichenhall and Unken to Lofer, with no change. The route crosses German territory, so everyone in the family needs a passport or ID card.
- By train: from Sweden, you arrive at Salzburg Hbf or Bad Reichenhall and take the bus for the last stretch. Changes and night trains through Europe are described step by step in the guide to taking the train to the Alps.
- By car: from Salzburg, you drive through what's known as the Kleines Deutsches Eck, and you can pass through without stopping in Germany. Parking at the lifts is free in winter.
- In the valley: the ski buses between Unken, Sankt Martin, Weißbach and Lofer are free. The 2026/27 timetables will be published before the season.
If you're unsure how to travel, car, train and plane are weighed up against each other in the comparison of ways to travel to the ski resort.
Lofer compared with its neighbours
Lofer is the right choice when the children are small and the budget calls the shots. When the family wants longer runs and more valleys, or once the children ski on their own, Saalbach Hinterglemm and Zell am See are the next step, and Kaprun has the glacier when the snow is uncertain. Flachau in Ski amadé is another family choice in Salzburger Land, with a bigger ski area. Other family resorts around the Alps are compared in the guide to the Alps with children, and the packing list is handy to have open when you pack your bags.
Packing for Lofer – easy things to forget
Frequently asked questions
Is Lofer good for young children who have never skied?
Yes. Around seven in ten piste kilometres are blue, the kids' areas on the Loferer Alm have a covered magic carpet and gentle slopes, and there's a free children's lift by the valley station in the village. What's missing are long, steep challenges for parents who want to ski hard all week.
Do children ski for free in Lofer?
In the 2026/27 season the lift pass costs nothing for children born in 2021 or later, as long as they ski with an adult. For those born 2011–2020 the child pass applies, and young people born 2008–2010 buy a youth pass and show ID. On the family pass, the third child of your own and all following children ski free. Current prices are shown when you book.
From what age does the ski school in Lofer take children?
HERBST Skischule Lofer runs Lofinos Schneesternchen for three- and four-year-olds, a half day of play in the snow rather than a regular course. The children's ski courses take four- to eleven-year-olds, and Jungstars eleven- to fifteen-year-olds. Skischule Sturm also runs children's courses at the same kids' area.
When does Almenwelt Lofer open for the 2026/27 season?
The lifts run on the weekends of 5–6 and 12–13 December 2026 if there's enough snow, and from Friday 18 December they're open every day. The lifts usually run 08:30–16:00. The price list runs until 29 March 2027.
How do you get to Lofer from Salzburg without a car?
Postbus 260 runs from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof via the airport, Bad Reichenhall and Unken to Lofer with no change. The airport is just over 30 km from the valley. The bus goes through Germany, so keep passports or ID cards for the whole family in your hand luggage.
Is there enough snow in Lofer?
The village sits low, at around 640 metres, so the run down to the valley is the first thing to get thin. Most of the skiing is between 1,000 and 1,750 metres, which is also where the kids' areas are. Go for January and February if you want to be sure, and treat late March as a bonus.
