Short answer
The Tiroler Zugspitz Arena is a group of villages in Tyrol just south of the Zugspitze, with Ehrwald, Lermoos, Biberwier and Berwang as the largest. Seven ski areas have around 140 kilometres of pistes. Ehrwalder Alm and Grubigstein have children's areas with magic carpets, children up to and including age five ski for free, and you can get here by train from Munich via Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Quick facts
- Country / region
- Austria, Tyrol (Außerfern, Reutte district)
- Ski area
- Tiroler Zugspitz Arena (Ehrwalder Alm, Grubigstein, Marienberg, Wetterstein, Berwang-Bichlbach, Zugspitze and others)
- Altitude (village – top)
- 1,000 – 2,100 m above sea level
- Pistes
- 140 km
- Season
- 11 December 2026 – 4 April 2027 on Ehrwalder Alm and Grubigstein, Marienberg 18 December – 29 March
- Nearest airports
- Innsbruck (approx. 1 h by car) · Munich (approx. 1.5 h by car)
- Train
- Regional train from Munich via Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Ehrwald, Lermoos and Bichlbach-Berwang
- Price level
- ●●●●● (1 = cheap, 5 = expensive)
Family rating
4 / 5
- Beginner slopes Children's areas with magic carpets both on Ehrwalder Alm and in Lermoos, BOBO Kinderland in the village and Blueline XXL, a blue run of almost ten kilometres.
- Children's lift passes Free up to and including age five and family passes for children aged 6–18, but no special sibling rules in the fares.
- Snow reliability The villages sit at around 1,000 metres and most slopes are below 2,100. The Zugspitze is the back-up when snow is thin in the valley.
- Distance from accommodation to lifts The Family Jet leaves from Lermoos village and the Almbahn from the edge of Ehrwald, and the guest card gives you free regional buses between the villages.
- More than skiing Kinderhort (childcare) from birth, evening sledging, Funslope and Familypark, and an excursion bus to Garmisch on weekdays.
The rating is our overall assessment for families with children based on the criteria above – not a paid placement.
The Tiroler Zugspitz Arena isn't one resort but a handful of villages on the Austrian side of the Zugspitze, on the valley floor where Tyrol meets Bavaria. Ehrwald lies closest to the mountain, Lermoos on the other side of the wide Moos valley, Biberwier at the foot of the Fern Pass and Berwang higher up in a side valley. Germany is only a few kilometres away, but the villages are small, and the evenings are quiet compared with the big Tyrolean resorts.
The arena has seven ski areas with around 140 kilometres of pistes, and three of them have been named Tiroler Familienskigebiet (Tyrolean family ski areas). If you want to compare the arena with other parts of the country, skiing holidays in Austria is a good place to start.
Seven areas, not one system
It's good to know from the start that the areas aren't linked on skis. Each village has its own mountain, and you take the car or the bus between them. For a family with small children that matters less, since you'll be skiing on the same mountain most days anyway.
- Ehrwalder Alm above Ehrwald: 27.5 kilometres of pistes between 1,100 and 1,900 metres, seven lifts and a big children's area.
- Grubigstein above Lermoos: just under 28 kilometres between 1,000 and 2,100 metres, with the Family Jet straight from the village.
- Marienberg in Biberwier: a smaller area with six lifts and a free bus to Grubigstein.
- Berwang-Bichlbach: 35 kilometres, mostly blue, starting at around 1,300 metres.
- Wetterstein in Ehrwald and The Zugspitze, where the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn goes up from Ehrwald.
The regular lift pass for Ehrwald, Lermoos and Biberwier covers 37 lifts and 106 kilometres. With the Top Snow Card, from two days, you also get access to the Zugspitze and Garmisch-Partenkirchen on the German side.
Ehrwalder Alm – the children's area above Ehrwald
Everything starts with the eight-seater Ehrwalder Almbahn from the valley station at 1,111 metres up to the Almplatz at just over 1,500 metres. Parents who don't ski can ride up too and watch the children's first runs.
Up on the Almplatz is Kinderland with a magic carpet, and a short mini lift right next to it takes the children on to the blue slopes. At the Tirolerhaus there's DIDIs Schneespielplatz, a snow playground with things to climb and slide on, and by the piste stands a wooden piste basher to crawl through.
The Tirolerhaus also has what makes Ehrwald unusual: a Kinderhort for children from birth (childcare), open every day 9–15, and a playroom in the basement. Slightly older children will find Funslope with waves and a tunnel, and Familypark with small jumps. In the evenings you can go sledging in the dark.
The lifts run 11 December 2026–4 April 2027, with the gondola and the Ganghofer chairlift from 8 o'clock and the other lifts from half past eight.
Grubigstein and Lermoos
Grubigstein is run by Bergbahnen Langes, which also has Marienberg. The big advantage is the Family Jet, a short gondola that starts in the middle of Lermoos. The mountain railways themselves point out that gondolas are more comfortable than chairlifts for small children.
At the Family Jet's valley station is BOBO Kinderland with a magic carpet and play equipment. You don't need a lift pass there, so it's perfect for a first morning. Once the children can turn, there are three family runs and Blueline XXL, a blue piste of almost ten kilometres.
Grubigstein is open 11 December 2026–4 April 2027 and Marienberg 18 December 2026–29 March 2027, both 8.30–16.30.
Ski schools and ages
| School | Village | Age | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skischule Total, ski kindergarten | Ehrwald | 3–6 years | Half day in the morning at the Tirolerhaus |
| Skischule Total, children's course | Ehrwald | ages 5–13 | Half or full day, meeting on Ehrwalder Alm |
| Tiroler Skischule Ehrwald | Ehrwald | – | Children's area on the Almplatz, contact the school about ages |
| Tiroler Skischule Lermoos, Bambini | Lermoos | from age 3 | Starts at 9.30 or 13.45 in BOBO Kinderland |
| Tiroler Skischule Lermoos, children's course | Lermoos | ages 7–14 | Meeting at 9.15 at the Family Jet, children's race on Thursdays |
Skischule Total gives children and young people a free helmet when they rent skis there. The mountain railways recommend a helmet and back protector for all children. Before the children's very first days on skis, the guide to your first ski holiday with children is worth a look.
Lift passes 2026/27
Ehrwalder Almbahn and Bergbahnen Langes have the same age limits:
- Up to and including age five: free pass, collected at the ticket office.
- Ages 6–15: child rate.
- Ages 16–18: youth rate.
- Family pass: for parents or grandparents with their own children or grandchildren aged 6–18, with a lower price for a maximum of two adults. You must be able to show that you're related.
ID is required for all discounts. Current prices are in the mountain railways' ticket shops.
How to get to the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena
- By train: the regional train from Munich runs via Garmisch-Partenkirchen and then on the Außerfernbahn across the border to Ehrwald, Lermoos, Lähn, Bichlbach-Berwang and Heiterwang. Some services run from Munich with no change, otherwise you change in Garmisch.
- Car from Munich: about an hour and a half on the A95 via Garmisch, with no road tolls in Germany.
- Car from Innsbruck: around an hour. Traffic is heaviest on Saturdays and during school holidays.
- By air: Innsbruck, Munich or Memmingen.
- Getting around locally: the guest card from your accommodation gives you free regional buses between the villages, and on weekdays during certain periods there's an excursion bus to Garmisch.
Getting here by train all the way is possible, and train to the Alps shows you how. If you're unsure how to travel, car, train or plane weighs up the pros and cons.
Zugspitz Arena or the neighbours?
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, on the other side of the mountain, is a real town with the glacier on the Zugspitze and more to do in the evenings. Seefeld has even easier slopes and trains from Innsbruck. Oberstdorf in the Allgäu suits you if you'd like to stay in Germany, and Stubaital has a glacier for when snow matters most. ski holiday in the Alps with children covers even more resorts to choose from, and once you've decided on a destination, the ski trip packing list makes things easier.
Before the Zugspitz Arena – easy to forget
Frequently asked questions
Which village in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena is best with small children?
Lermoos has its children's area right in the village by the Family Jet, so the youngest don't need to go up the mountain. Ehrwald suits you if you want childcare, as Ehrwalder Alm has a Kinderhort from birth up at the Tirolerhaus. Berwang is the quietest and has the most blue slopes.
Do children ski for free in Ehrwald and Lermoos?
Yes, children up to and including age five get a free lift pass at the ticket office in the 2026/27 season. The child rate applies to ages 6–15 and the youth rate to ages 16–18. The family pass gives a lower price for a maximum of two adults with their own children or grandchildren aged 6–18, and you must be able to show that you're related.
From what age do the ski schools take children?
Skischule Total in Ehrwald has a ski kindergarten for children aged 3–6 and children's courses for ages 5–13. Tiroler Skischule Lermoos has Bambini from age three in BOBO Kinderland and children's courses for ages 7–14 that meet at the Family Jet.
When are the ski areas open in winter 2026/27?
Ehrwalder Alm and Grubigstein in Lermoos are open from 11 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, every day 8.30–16.30, and the Almbahn starts as early as 8 o'clock. Marienberg in Biberwier is open from 18 December 2026 to 29 March 2027. Changes may happen if the snow lets you down.
How do you get to the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena by train?
The regional train from Munich runs via Garmisch-Partenkirchen across the border and stops in Ehrwald, Lermoos, Lähn, Bichlbach-Berwang and Heiterwang. Some services run from Munich with no change, otherwise you change in Garmisch.
Is the lift pass also valid in Garmisch and on the Zugspitze?
The regular pass for Ehrwald, Lermoos and Biberwier covers 37 lifts and 106 kilometres of pistes. If you want to ski on both sides of the border, there's the Top Snow Card from two days, which also covers the Zugspitze, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald.
