Landscape near Amden – Arvenbüel
St. Gallen

Amden – Arvenbüel

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Photo: Sdkb · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Amden – Arvenbüel lies in eastern Switzerland and is a small, family-run ski area: 20 kilometres of piste served by 5 lifts.

The area runs from 1200 to 1700 metres above sea level, giving around 500 metres of vertical. The lower slopes depend on snowmaking in mild winters.

The season usually runs Dec – March.

An adult day pass costs CHF 46.

Of note: Sun terrace above Lake Walen

20
Slope km
1200–1700
Elevation (m)
5
Lifts
CHF 46
Day pass (guide)

Pistes by difficulty

20 km
  • Leicht (blau)8 km39%
  • Mittel (rot)12 km61%
  • Schwer (schwarz)0 km0%

Distribution calculated from OpenStreetMap and applied to the 20 official kilometres of piste. An approximation, not a figure from the lift company.

Snow report

Not current
bare Snow depth
18.2 °C Air temperature

Station Bärenfall at 1610 m, around 1.8 km from the resort. Reading from 10/08/2026.

This reading is 47 days old and is not being updated automatically at the moment. Current figures are available from the SLF and from the resort itself.

Source: SLF / WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research. A single measuring station, not the resort’s official piste report.

Piste map, map & webcams

Piste maps and webcam images belong to the lift companies and are protected by copyright. That is why we link directly to the original instead of copying it.

What sets this ski area apart

Amden stretches across 1700 vertical metres: from Lake Walen at 421 metres up to the Leistchamm at 2101. The village sits at 900 metres, the Arvenbüel ski area at 1250, and down by the lake lie the hamlets of Fli and Betlis.

Its transport history is unusually hands-on. The road to Weesen came in 1882, from 1892 a mail coach ran twice a day, and in 1918 the local community took matters into its own hands: it bought two old army lorries, converted them into 17-seat buses and founded the Weesen to Amden bus company.

That company still exists. It carries around 200,000 passengers a year, runs lorries and taxis, and clears the snow in winter. A ski area whose feeder service belongs to the community is the exception in Switzerland.

Sources: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amden

Getting there by public transport

Zürich HB1 h 161 change
Bern2 h 262 changes
Basel SBB2 h 212 changes
Genève4 h 292 changes

Destination stop: Amden, Hinterstein. Fastest connection on a Saturday morning in the currently published timetable, from the open Swiss timetable interface, retrieved 10 August 2026. A guide value, not a timetable: the real journey time depends on when you leave and what you connect to, and winter-only bus services are not yet included.

Look up the exact connection at SBB →

Frequently asked about Amden – Arvenbüel

How high is Amden – Arvenbüel?

The ski area runs from 1,200 to 1,700 metres above sea level, a vertical range of 500 metres. For snow reliability the lower figure matters more: that is where the snow disappears first, and where a mild December is felt before it is felt at the top.

How many kilometres of piste does Amden – Arvenbüel have?

20 kilometres on 5 lifts, according to the operator. There is no binding standard for measuring piste kilometres, so the figure is comparable between resorts only to a point. The lift count says at least as much about how big a place feels.

What does a day pass at Amden – Arvenbüel cost?

CHF 46 for an adult day pass at the standard rate, as of summer 2026. Booked early it is often less; on a peak Saturday it is not.

When does Amden – Arvenbüel open?

The usual season window is Dec – March. No starting date has been announced for winter 2026/27 yet. Most resorts commit only in the autumn, because a postponed opening costs more goodwill than a late announcement.

How do I get to Amden – Arvenbüel by train?

The destination stop is Amden, Hinterstein. From Zürich HB the fastest connection on a Saturday morning takes 1 h 16, changing 1 time; from Bern 2 h 26. A guide value, not a timetable.

Amden – Arvenbüel in the magazine

All articles →

Where this resort stands

Amden – Arvenbüel is one of 5 ski areas in the canton of St. Gallen, and it is quickest reached from Zurich by train, in 1 h 16.

Nearby ski areas

Distances are straight-line, not driving time. In the Alps a ridge between two valleys can turn 12 km into a two-hour drive.

All ski areas →

Key figures

Region
St. Gallen
Season
Dec – March
Kilometres of piste
20 km
Elevation
1200 to 1700 m (500 m of vertical)
Lifts
5
Adult day pass
around CHF 46 (guide value)
Summer skiing
no
Glacier
no
Snow park
rated 2/10
Coordinates
47.155, 9.150
Official website
amden-weesen.ch

All values are guide figures still being verified. For day-to-day information, use the resort’s official website.

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