Sledding Hills in the Alps

While Munich has a number of great sledding hills (the word in German is Rodelberg) to choose from, many families want to make a day out with skiing and winter sport and see the surrounding countryside.

The beautiful Alps that surround Munich feature not only some of the most famous German winter sports area with skiing terrain, but also some of the best sledding hills for you and your whole family to enjoy.

All the sledding slopes are free to use, but you have to pay for the lift or gondola to go up. Except of course, if you want to walk uphill and carry your sled... (takes about 1 hour, but we have never tried it.)

Blomberg near Bad Tölz

Less than an hour’s drive from downtown Munich and boasts itself as one of the longest and most beautiful toboggan runs in all of Germany.

The sledding hill stretches a long 5 kilometers and is over 550 meters high. From the top of the station to the bottom of the hill, sledders are treated to picturesque scenic views through idyllic forest runs as they make their way downhill.

While the lower section of the mountain is suitable for younger children, the mid-way and top stations are best suited for kids who can master medium to difficult terrain. Since there might be some walking involved, wear appropriate winter sports gear: good snow or hiking boots and always dress warmly.

One word of caution though: the tobbogan is very steep in the upper part, whereas in the lower part you will have difficulties to keep going, especially when the snow is heavy and slow.

Enjoy the slopes during the day, or go in the evening for an extra special experience. The runs are lighted with floodlight at night and children can enjoy hot cocoa while adults sip on hot cocktails, such as Glühwein.

Oberaudorf

The Bergbahnen in Oberaudorf is another great destination if you want to get out of Munich and enjoy the Alps for the day. Direct on the Autobahn A8 south, right on the Austrian border, Oberaudorf offers 3 kilometers of downhill toboggan fun.

Take the chair lift up part of the mountain and enjoy sledding the whole way down. The run is open both during the day and the night. While there are other popular winter sports activities in the area perfect for smaller children, the sledding hill at Oberaudorf is better suited for children 6 years and older.

We really like sledding here, but there's one big disadvantage: snow reliability. Because Oberaudorf is a situated a lot lower than the other Bavarian ski resorts, there's a big risk that you don't have enough snow.

Off course, the slope itself will be prepared with artificial snow, but it just isn't as much fun sledding through green pastures while it's raining down on you.

Our favorite: Söll

Right next to Oberaudorf, a few kilometers after the Austrian border is our family's favorite winter sports area: Söll.

Since 2011 there are two tobbogans, called "Hexenritt" (witch ride) and "Mondrodelbahn" (moon tobbogan). The landscape is spectacular and you can easily get up there with the gondola.

The Hexenritt has a length of 3,5 km and is quite challenging. Even though we have seen many parents taking their little children with them, we definitely don't recommend this.

The new slope Mondrodelbahn (which we haven't tried so far) is supposed to be much easier and more suitable for families and kids. During day, it's a blue (=easy) ski-run for families, at night it is open for sledding under floodlight.

Wallbergbahn Tegernsee

Close to the Tegernsee, about 70 kilometers directly south of Munich, is the popular Wallbergbahn. The location not only offers beautiful views of the lake and surrounding countryside, but also features some of the best skiing and sledding activities for the whole family.

At 6.5 kilometers, Wallbergbahn hosts Germany’s longest toboggan run. Start the sledding fun at the very top of the mountain, right under the Panorama Restaurant, and scoot your way down the adventurous terrain. The run is groomed daily and inspected to make sure that the safest sledding conditions are maintained. Taking over 30 minutes to descend, or longer if you like to stop and look around, the sledding hill at Wallbergbahn is open daily from 9:00am – 5:00pm.

Affordable rental sleds

All of the sledding hills mentioned above offer rental options for sleds and toboggans, as well skis and snowboards. Protective gear can also be rented for an additional fee at some of the locations. It is advised that all sledders wear at least a helmet for safety reasons. While the sledding area is monitored for dangerous or wild sledders, please note that all of these locations warn you to use the toboggan run at your own risk.

Why not treat yourself and your whole family to a day of fun filled sledding! Get out of the city and see the sights and winter wonderlands that the Alps surrounding Munich have to offer.

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