Stock photo 
Charmey lies in the Fribourg pre-Alps and is a small, family-run ski area: 30 kilometres of piste served by 7 lifts.
The area runs from 1000 to 1630 metres above sea level, giving around 630 metres of vertical. The lower slopes depend on snowmaking in mild winters.
The season usually runs Dec – March.
An adult day pass costs CHF 45.
Of note: La Gruyère, skiing and thermal baths
Pistes by difficulty
- Leicht (blau)30 km100%
- Mittel (rot)0 km0%
- Schwer (schwarz)0 km0%
Distribution calculated from OpenStreetMap and applied to the 30 official kilometres of piste. An approximation, not a figure from the lift company.
Snow report
Not currentThis 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
Interactive piste map
Every piste and lift colour-coded by difficulty, zoomable, built on OpenStreetMap. Community-maintained data; where it differs, the official piste map next to it is authoritative.
Open on OpenSkiMap →Official piste map
The lift company’s drawn piste map, plus lift status and tickets.
charmey.ch →Webcams
Live images from the mountain on the resort’s official site, usually several locations.
View 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
Charmey lies at 887 metres on a terrace above the Lac de Montsalvens reservoir in the Fribourg pre-Alps. The German name Galmis is still used in neighbouring Jaun. Since 1 January 2014 the village has been part of the merged municipality of Val-de-Charmey.
Before tourism the valley lived from farming and timber. The economic upturn only began in the 1960s, with the building of the cable car to the Vounetse and the drag lifts.
Altitude is the weak point and there is no arguing it away: with a base below 900 metres, Charmey is one of those areas where a mild December is felt immediately. In exchange it is close to Bulle and Fribourg, and the thermal baths in the village catch many a rainy day.
Sources: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charmey
Getting there by public transport
Destination stop: Charmey (Gruyère), Corbettaz. 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.
Frequently asked about Charmey
How high is Charmey?
The ski area runs from 1,000 to 1,630 metres above sea level, a vertical range of 630 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 Charmey have?
30 kilometres on 7 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 Charmey cost?
CHF 45 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 Charmey 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 Charmey by train?
The destination stop is Charmey (Gruyère), Corbettaz. From Zürich HB the fastest connection on a Saturday morning takes 2 h 20, changing 1 time; from Bern 1 h 18. A guide value, not a timetable.
Charmey in the magazine
Which Swiss resort suits beginners? The answer is in the piste colours
Zermatt has 360 km of piste and only 22 per cent of it is blue. Villars-Gryon-Diablerets has 125 km and 60 per cent. Both offer beginners about the same number of blue kilometres, but a completely different day. The analysis across 83 Swiss resorts, with the figures behind it.
Is the Magic Pass worth it? The maths with real numbers
The Magic Pass currently costs CHF 482 and covers 95 stations. We worked out how many ski days it takes to break even: ten. And checked which resorts are actually included. Of Switzerland's fifteen largest ski areas, two are.
Where this resort stands
In our rankings of all Swiss ski areas:
Charmey is one of 4 ski areas in the canton of Fribourg, and it is quickest reached from Bern by train, in 1 h 18.
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.
Key figures
- Region
- Fribourg
- Season
- Dec – March
- Kilometres of piste
- 30 km
- Elevation
- 1000 to 1630 m (630 m of vertical)
- Lifts
- 7
- Adult day pass
- around CHF 45 (guide value)
- Summer skiing
- no
- Glacier
- no
- Snow park
- rated 3/10
- Coordinates
- 46.618, 7.160
- Official website
- charmey.ch
All values are guide figures still being verified. For day-to-day information, use the resort’s official website.