Germany, Europe

Belchen

Season 2025 - 2026

Opens

24 Dec 2025

Closes

9 Mar 2026

Days open

Annual snow

The Overview

Belchen delivers a quintessential Black Forest skiing experience with 9km of diverse slopes catering to all ability levels. This historic resort occupies one of the most prominent peaks in the southern Black Forest, offering spectacular 360-degree views extending to the Alps, Vosges Mountains, and even the distant Bernese Oberland on clear days. The uncrowded pistes and authentic southwestern German character make Belchen particularly appealing for those seeking quality skiing combined with exceptional natural beauty.

263m

Vertical

Runs

8 km

Piste

Annual snow

The Terrain

30 runs across 8 km of piste

Belchen spreads 30 runs across 8 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 75%, with 23 beginner runs to find your feet.

Terrain split

runs

30 runs across 4 grades

Beginner23 runs · 75%

Intermediate8 runs · 25%

Advanced0 runs · 0%

Expert0 runs · 0%

Time it right

When to visit Belchen

Belchen typically operates from December through March, with the most reliable conditions in January and February. The resort benefits from its elevated position in one of the snowiest regions of the Black Forest, receiving substantial natural snowfall supplemented by strategic snowmaking on key runs. The varied slope aspects include north-facing sections that maintain excellent snow quality throughout the season, often preserving good skiing conditions when lower areas struggle with thawing conditions.

Season 2025 - 2026

24 Dec 2025

Opens

9 Mar 2026

Closes

Days open

1 m

Annual snow

Getting there

Getting to Belchen, and where to stay

Located in Baden-Württemberg approximately 150km south of Stuttgart and 40km from Freiburg, Belchen offers an accessible mountain escape in Germany's beautiful southern Black Forest. The resort sits within the stunning Belchen Nature Reserve, surrounded by pristine woodland and traditional farmhouses. This convenient location makes it easily reachable for day trips and weekend visits from major cities. The surrounding Black Forest region offers exceptional cross-country skiing, winter hiking trails, and access to traditional villages known for their distinctive architecture and cuisine.

Where to stay

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Hotels and lodges near Belchen, powered by Stay22.

From the SnowStash desk

View all news →

Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do

A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

27 Aug 2026

Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September

Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

26 Aug 2026

Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert

A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.

26 Aug 2026

Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business

Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.

25 Aug 2026

Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed

I'm not a gamer. I'm a skier and snowboarder who happens to have a laptop. So when a ski resort management game called Ski-E-O! landed on Steam, I wasn't expecting to lose an afternoon to it - but here we are. Real mountain terrain, a full weather system, storms that roll in and wreck your snow base, avalanche danger, and enough depth to make RollerCoaster Tycoon feel simple by comparison. Early access lands in November. Here's what a few hours in the free demo actually looks like.

23 Aug 2026

Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola

The rumours are true: Sugar Bowl is tearing out its Emerald gondola, in place since 1983, and replacing it with a new 8-person Doppelmayr system - nearly doubling uphill capacity to 1,800 people an hour. It's the fourth generation of a gondola line that dates back to 1953, when Sugar Bowl became the first resort on the West Coast to run one at all, and it's just one piece of a $100 million overhaul touching lodges, parking and snowmaking. Here's what's changing, and what's staying the same.

23 Aug 2026

Two Confirmed Dead as Search Continues After Swiss Alps Fire

The death toll from Thursday night's fire at Restaurant Beverin in Thusis, Switzerland, has begun to firm up. One Swiss outlet, citing Graubünden Cantonal Police, reports that two of the five people initially reported missing have now been confirmed dead, leaving three unaccounted for. The building's collapsed stairwell and structural instability have slowed recovery efforts throughout. Here's what's changed since the fire broke out, and what's still unconfirmed.

22 Aug 2026

Selwyn Snow Resort Closes Early as Rain Ends Its 2026 Season

Selwyn Snow Resort has called an early end to its 2026 season, a day after Victoria's Mount Baw Baw did the same. Rain on Thursday stripped what was left of the snowpack, and the cold nights needed to rebuild it through snowmaking never arrived. It's a rough result for a resort that only just found its footing again after being burned to the ground in the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires and a multi-year rebuild. Here's how the season fell apart, and where Selwyn's been since the fire.

22 Aug 2026

Current conditions

Snow Report

Updated 27 Aug 2026

1363m

summit

+0cm

new snow · last 24 hours

Overcast12°C / 19°C · SW 19km/h

Snowfall

24 hours

0cm

48 hours

0cm

7 days

0cm

Base depth

0cm

Season total

0cm

Total lifts1

Live open status isn’t available right now.

24 Dec 2025 - 9 Mar 2026

Hour by Hour

Next 40 hours· Updated Aug 27, 2026 at 6:02 PM

	Fri2a	Now	4a	5a	6a	7a	8a	9a	10a	11a	12p	1p	2p	3p	4p	5p	6p	7p	8p	9p	10p	11p	Sat12a	1a	2a	3a	4a	5a	6a	7a	8a	9a	10a	11a	12p	1p	2p	3p	4p	5p
Conditions
Temp°C · feels	1919 1717 1716 1716 1717 1716 1615 1514 1312 1312 1313 1413 1414 1414 1413 1414 1413 1413 1313 1312 1211 129 129 119 108 108 108 108 98 98 109 119 1210 1310 1411 1512 1613 1613 1714 1713
Snowfallcm	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Precip chance%	20%	20%	20%	13%	13%	28%	73%	90%	100%	98%	88%	80%	33%	20%	3%	3%	3%	3%	10%	8%	13%	13%	20%	28%	23%	15%	5%	3%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
Precipmm	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.3	16	0	1.7	2.6	0.3	0	0	0	0	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wind / gustkm/h	1G35	7G21	14G37	14G46	13G43	19G56	12G68	9G54	8G83	10G44	6G50	7G40	6G36	7G37	11G34	9G35	8G30	8G49	7G37	8G34	11G43	14G45	15G40	14G44	13G44	11G45	10G38	10G40	9G38	6G32	5G26	7G31	13G33	14G35	15G41	16G41	15G42	16G42	12G41	16G43

Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo

7-Day Outlook

1,363 mUpdated Aug 27, 2026 at 6:02 PMOpen-Meteo

Days 1–7

0.0cm

Days 8–14

0.0cm

Unlock days 8–14

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Fri, Aug 28

Thunderstorm with Slight Hail

Temp19° / 12°°C

Snow0.0cm(100%)

Wind19 km/h SW

Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.

Understanding the Belchen snow report

Planning a day at Belchen? Our snow report combines official mountain data with live weather so you know exactly what conditions look like right now, from the 1100m base to the 1363m summit.

Snow measurements

Our snow reports measure snowfall in centimeters over multiple time windows — last 24 hours, last 7 days, and the season total. Base depth reflects accumulation at the 1100m base area, while summit depth captures conditions 263m higher at 1363m, where snow typically stays colder and lingers longer. Imperial conversions are shown alongside for convenience.

Weather conditions

Snow quality tracks closely with temperature and wind. We surface both alongside the snowfall data so you can judge whether conditions at Belchen are holding up or starting to soften.

Data sources

We pull Belchen's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 1 lifts, including a gondola.

When to check

Conditions can change overnight, so mornings and late afternoons are the best times to check back on Belchen.